How do i remove scaly rust from antique barrel

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delta1

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I just received an old antique rifle. The rifle barrel has numerous scaly rust patches. rest of barrel has patina and a few spots where it is worn to the bare metal. What is the best way to remove the scaling rust spots? The rifle is an old Sharps Borchardt single band with a 30 inch barrel. Bore is in very good shape. Barrel outside is not so good has numerous scaly rust spots with a few pits in the metal ( none overly deep )
 
Hi--I would keep the cleaning to a minimum --
Nothing looks worse the a old rifle that has been power polished
I would use fine steel wool and oil
Sydney
 
delta1 said:
I just received an old antique rifle. The rifle barrel has numerous scaly rust patches. rest of barrel has patina and a few spots where it is worn to the bare metal. What is the best way to remove the scaling rust spots? The rifle is an old Sharps Borchardt single band with a 30 inch barrel. Bore is in very good shape. Barrel outside is not so good has numerous scaly rust spots with a few pits in the metal ( none overly deep )
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Google electrolysis.

I've used it on several antique barrels that are rusty and had amazing success.
 
Theres also a solution you can make up that uses molasses and water. Think its something like 9 parts water to 1 part molasses. You can find it on U tube........takes some time but it does work.
 
Not too sure on how much scaling you got, but pure white vinegar also eats rust well. I use this often on garage sale tools that are very rusty.
 
I have taken it apart. Like I said bore is really decent. Took a good look at the barrel. Most of the heavy rust is going to reveal a great deal of shallow pitting. No way that this barrel will ever be smooth again without metal being removed. Bought it thinking it was a sporting rifle but believe it is a military model. with the barrel cut off many many years ago even with the front of the front sight. top of the arrel still shows the Old Reliable name and the receiver shows most of the Sharps Bridgeport address.
Barrel I think would need a lot of work to look decent. This may just turn into an everyday shooter or a full custom rebuild.
 
OP, there are several good ways that are pretty much labor free as long as you have PATIENCE.

Ron Taylor from Vancouver told me of a very good method close to 30 years ago and it works EVERY TIME.

If you can find some the old surplus bore cleaner that comes in one quart cans, dark brown in color and smelly works very well. If you don't have enough to cover the rifle while soaking it, just keep applying it with swabs and wrap in cellophane. After a few days, wipe it down with burlap and without applying pressure the rust usually just wipes away.

The other material, which smells even worse is Balistol. Balistol is very good but you can't soak any metal in it for more than a week. It will leave a coat of carbon which can be tough to remove.

Some people also use Varsol or Diesel fuel. It works but super slow.

Now here's one very few people know about or seem to be willing to try. WIPE OUT brushless bore cleaner.

Here's what I do.

I get one of those SOS scouring pads that's impregnated with a very strong detergent meant to cut grease and CARBON as well as RUST. I cut in in quarters and soak one with WIPE OUT. Then I very carefully wipe down the part or parts I want to descale. GENTLY is the formula. The Wipe Out actually acts as a lubricant and mixes with the detergent, which is also a light lubricant with a very fine abrasive in the mix.

Did I say GENTLY???

Wipe this on and let it sit for a half hour then wipe it off with paper towels. Repeat the process until the rust is gone. Even the toughest rust will dissolve over the course of a couple of treatments.

Now, do you want to completely remove the rust or do you want to smooth it out and blend it in to the patina????? Blending it to the patina means you don't have to redo the finish.

Wipe Out, along with the SOS detergent will take the rust down to the bare metal. This WILL leave shiney metal showing and if it's pitted, it will open up the pits.

Depending on the firearm you may need to make a decision on which method or how far you take it will effect the value of the firearm.

At the moment I have three rifles I will be removing fine rust spots from. All three were made between 1888 and 1905. All are sporters. I am looking forward to how well they turn out. I'm in my declining years so my tenure with these fine old firearms is somewhat limited. I would definitely like them to look well maintained and loved when they are passed on in a decade or so. I will be using the Wipe Out/SOS pad method.
 
Markit said:
Sofa blast it.

It will deal with most of the rust and leave the metal untouched.
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Auto-correct can be a bit of a M-F cannit?

Pretty sure you meant Soda Blast it, yeah?

Might work.

Personally, I would look at Evapo-Rust first off, try some on something else first to see how it works out.

I have some experience using salt and vinegar mix to remove rust. Dissolve as much salt as will dissolve, into household vinegar, submerge the rusty item in it. Important. Submerge fully. If you try using Salt and Vinegar, or vinegar alone, on anything that is not fully submerged, the oxygen available at the line where the air meets liquid will etch almost fast enough to watch the good metal get ate away. But if it is completely submerged, the rust converts into softer forms of iron sumthinorother that can be wiped off. And no effect on the unrusted metal.

Electrolysis is worth a try if you can come up with a decent DC power supply. Get the polarity right, or it makes a mess of good metal too.

Lots to be said in favor of good old fashioned steel wool, oil, and elbow grease. Hard to not see what is happening and when, when you are right there doing it a bit at a time.
 
Tinman204 said:
Google electrolysis.

I've used it on several antique barrels that are rusty and had amazing success.
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Another vote for this. I made a simple wood box and lined it with 6 mil poly. I used electrolyte made with spa chemical and water. A battery charger and a 1" x 18" piece of flat steel bar stock. I used it to de-rust my Snider. 1/4 rod on rubber bushings for inside barrel if necessary.
It's a process used by museum's that is simple, cheap and non-destructive.
BTW any rust removal will reveal pits in the metal caused by the rust forming.
 
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