I would like to share a bit about the restoration and bluing process I took on my first rifle.
(this post is reposted here by request of #skwerl, thanks for the directions!)
I inherited a 1968 BAR 30-06 that was put away dirty, in a soft case, inside my dad's closet for 22 years before he passed. From then it was kept by my mom, in the same manner, for another 14 years before last year where it was passed on to me. I spent much time researching the proper means in which to remove the corrosion and rust which had formed on it do to the poor maintenance. Finally I decided to proceed with a full sand down and rust-bluing process as has been used to protect bare steel hundreds of years ago. I stripped the gun down to the last pin and proceeded with sanding barrel and chamber down to 600 grit, leaving a pure white flawless metal. I then procured Laurel Mountain's Barrel Brown and Degreaser (which I bought two 2.5oz bottles as I didn't want to pay shipping twice if the first bottle ran out or got dropped) ps. I have 1 3/4 of that stuff left if anyone is looking for a good solution.
Now I had to make an adequate barrel stand that would allow me to apply the solution without contacting the parts being applied to. I used 2x4 3' long with vertical ends fastened each side that had a 'v' notch on top. I then used an electrical cord to run down the barrel an locked it on the v notches to suspended the barrel while I treated it.
The next hurdle was to devise a cabinet that I could suspend the parts in a humid, warm environment in order to accelerate the rusting process. I used some 3/8 plywood I had on hand and created a coffin of about 5' tall by 2' square. I calked all seems and installed a dowel along the top for which I could hang the barrel and used old bbq wire racks to create a basket for the smaller parts to rest. It was heated and humidity added by a single element hotplate with an old roster pot of water on it and sitting at the base of the box.
The last creation I needed to devise was a way to boil the rust to convert it into patina. This I accomplished by using 4" pvc pipe of 5' long that I fixed to the same roster pot with a toilet flange which was screwed onto the pots lid. At the top of the pipe I used a end cap with notches at opposite each other to allow for another dowel to rest which I could hang the barrel from and cap it. This pot of water on the hotplate would then be allowed to boil, creating steam in the capped tube which in essence is the same result as boiling the steel.
So I would have to degrease the parts, apply the solution, place in cabinet to rust for about half an hour, then transfer to steam tube for 10-15 minutes and lastly to my bench where I would "card" the patina with 0000 steel wool to bring out the results from the bluing process. This I would go on to repeat 4 more times in sequence, until I was left with a beautiful blued finish where the trick to stop any further rusting effects was to soak and leave soaking all components in clear kerosene which I did for 24hrs.
The end result was less than factory perfect but was perfectly satisfactory to me as a perfectionist.
(this post is reposted here by request of #skwerl, thanks for the directions!)
I inherited a 1968 BAR 30-06 that was put away dirty, in a soft case, inside my dad's closet for 22 years before he passed. From then it was kept by my mom, in the same manner, for another 14 years before last year where it was passed on to me. I spent much time researching the proper means in which to remove the corrosion and rust which had formed on it do to the poor maintenance. Finally I decided to proceed with a full sand down and rust-bluing process as has been used to protect bare steel hundreds of years ago. I stripped the gun down to the last pin and proceeded with sanding barrel and chamber down to 600 grit, leaving a pure white flawless metal. I then procured Laurel Mountain's Barrel Brown and Degreaser (which I bought two 2.5oz bottles as I didn't want to pay shipping twice if the first bottle ran out or got dropped) ps. I have 1 3/4 of that stuff left if anyone is looking for a good solution.
Now I had to make an adequate barrel stand that would allow me to apply the solution without contacting the parts being applied to. I used 2x4 3' long with vertical ends fastened each side that had a 'v' notch on top. I then used an electrical cord to run down the barrel an locked it on the v notches to suspended the barrel while I treated it.
The next hurdle was to devise a cabinet that I could suspend the parts in a humid, warm environment in order to accelerate the rusting process. I used some 3/8 plywood I had on hand and created a coffin of about 5' tall by 2' square. I calked all seems and installed a dowel along the top for which I could hang the barrel and used old bbq wire racks to create a basket for the smaller parts to rest. It was heated and humidity added by a single element hotplate with an old roster pot of water on it and sitting at the base of the box.
The last creation I needed to devise was a way to boil the rust to convert it into patina. This I accomplished by using 4" pvc pipe of 5' long that I fixed to the same roster pot with a toilet flange which was screwed onto the pots lid. At the top of the pipe I used a end cap with notches at opposite each other to allow for another dowel to rest which I could hang the barrel from and cap it. This pot of water on the hotplate would then be allowed to boil, creating steam in the capped tube which in essence is the same result as boiling the steel.
So I would have to degrease the parts, apply the solution, place in cabinet to rust for about half an hour, then transfer to steam tube for 10-15 minutes and lastly to my bench where I would "card" the patina with 0000 steel wool to bring out the results from the bluing process. This I would go on to repeat 4 more times in sequence, until I was left with a beautiful blued finish where the trick to stop any further rusting effects was to soak and leave soaking all components in clear kerosene which I did for 24hrs.
The end result was less than factory perfect but was perfectly satisfactory to me as a perfectionist.
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