Restoring Old Press

[Skinna]

Hi everyone.

I found this press bolted to a table in an old disused shed on a farm i shoot.
The farmer never got into reloading & its been sitting rusting away for the last 20 odd years & he was happy for me to take it. (i cant believe i wasnt nosy enough to see it in the past)
I dont hold much hope for it producing concentric ammo because its well & truely rusted together & nothing moves, even the shell holder is one with the ram as it sits here, so there would be a fair amount of slop in the body where the ram passes, not to mention the shelholder once all the rust is removed.
But im the sort that cant help but grab these things & see if i can get it walking again, even if it is on a zimmer frame lol. Ity just seems a shame to leave it there turning to dust.
Even if it isnt able to work as a functional press, im keen to get it freed up.

Who knows, it might come up ok for a de-capper or priming tool

Ill start with the obligatory wire brush & WD-40, but what after that?

I have in the past restored old rusted adjustable spanners by soaking them in a bucket of molasses for 6 six months & at random intervals pulled them out & wire brushed & tried to move adjustable bits.

But i dont have molasses now, & i assume one or more of you would have restored old rusted together things before, so thought id ask you knowledgeable types what might be the best thing for penetrating & breaking down the rust to start to free things up.

Cheers

Old Press 1.jpg (55.95 KiB) Viewed 2968 times

Old Press 2.jpg (48.2 KiB) Viewed 2968 times

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[SCJ429]

You could soak it in a bucket of white vinegar overnight then clean it up with steel wool and WD40. Or try some CLR liquid?

[marksman]

its a pretty big ask Skinna
l have a professor mate (ret) from the vic uni that was telling me about a solution that will free up rusted parts ect...
l will give him a ring tomorrow and post up what he says

l would think the press is a bit to far gone for my liking but hey "why the hell not"

l also think as SCJ429 has recommended maybe a soak a vinegar will help free it up

[GQshayne]

Lanolin works wonders with rust, as its composition stops the rusting process. I have used it on rust and watched it slowly disappear.

However, that press is too far gone to be a precision tool ever again. Once the rust is gone, the tolerances will be too big. Might be handy for something though you never know!!! Cool stubby top remover or something maybe????

[in2anity]

You can also soak in diesel, if you have some of that on hand.

[Oldbloke]

Vinegar, the good old diesel. Then oil I guess
I'm interested to see the "after" pics.

Also, tolerances required for a press are pretty loose. You just might get a surprise. Does look pretty rooted tho.

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/rust-remedies-10777

[Bugman]

Looks like an old RCBS or Redding, Built like tanks but this one certainly looks to have seen more than it's fair share of action. Hope you have some luck with it.
Post up some "post operative" pics when you get done.

[wanneroo]

Take it to someone with a big ultrasonic tank or have it media blasted.

It might not be as bad as it looks and might be able to be used for things like depriming.

[marksman]

here is a link to the gear my mate had told me about that was really good
https://www.bunnings.com.au/reducteur-3 ... t_p6100255

l have to say Skinna l had a good laugh at your name mate, it made my day
as we used to call kids Skinna's before they went through puberty and grew a beard

[Skinna]

Thanks for the link marksman.
Its expensive stuff, but ill give it a go once i give it a good going over with the wire brush & wd-40 to get the easily removed scale off it.

As for the name Skinna-i was going to call myself SkinnaFox, but what with my love of skinning cats, i didnt want to limit myself to just foxes
And going through puberty again, gees i wish!!

But wait for the next wedding i go to where i think ill stand a chance at a bridesmaid, & with all the shaving & manscaping ill have to do, ill be sure & live up to the name- -(except for the wrinkles of course )

[TassieTiger]

I gotta ask...why....?

[Ziege]

electrolysis

[eddievic]

Like wannaroo said i would suggest getting a large ultrasonic cleaner the ebay ones might just do. Try Vinegar and water solution. If it doesn't work you can always use it to clean your cases

But soaking in wd40 with a green kitchen scourer or steel wool would be a good start too.

Thanks

[Oldbloke]

Vinegar dissolved rust. I read it on face ache, so must be true. Lol

It actually is true. Used it a couple of weeks ago. Got a great result.

[Skinna]

I gotta ask...why....?

Just because.
Cant hurt to give it a scrub & see how it goes.
Im not going to spend a lifetime on it & bring it back to perfect when i can just buy another press. But i just couldnt help myself when i saw it there.
Maybe if it frees up itll be good as a manual bottle capper for when i get my home brewing system going.
I better start saving all my miniatures lol.

[Skinna]

Vinegar dissolved rust. I read it on face ache, so must be true. Lol

It actually is true. Used it a couple of weeks ago. Got a great result.

Yes thanks.
I did an old BBQ plate like that a while back & it seemed to aid. Still takes some scrubbing though, but at 60 cents a litre you cant argue with its usefulness hey, ill probably give that a go & see what happens.

[on_one_wheel]

Google rust removal and restoration with molasses

It's the bomb

[Skinna]

Yes i think ill try the molasses again. Ive located a supplier around the corner & can get it in small quantities for a couple dollars per litre.
It will cost me more for a plastic container to fit the press in than the molasses lol.

[snag]

Molasses is definitely the way to go. It's a slow process but gives really good results - does work quicker if you put it in a warm place like a small tin shed but good idea to cover your container with a hessian bag or something else that breathes to let the fumes out and to stop nasties getting in. Worlds best cockroach trap.