Best way to deal with surface rust?
- Thread starter MikeP150
- Start date
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
Flood the surface with WD-40 and wipe down with 0000 steel wool.
Personally, I would use 0000 bronze wool with gun oil.
or some G-96 and as mentioned that 0000 bronze wool.I usually soak it overnight with gun oil or Kroil. Then wipe down with paper towel til clean. Then soak oooo bronze wool in oil and scrub surfaces lightly. Doesn't pay to be too aggressive. Surprising how nice the steel looks afterward. My 2 cents.
I agree with the WD-40 and very fine steel wool. It works amazingly well. You don't need a ton of pressure. To assess what you've removed, use a white paper towel to wipe down after treatment so you can see the "red".
Bronze wool is less aggressive than steel wool. Which is better would depend on the gun you are working on, and what its condition is.
If it is just a blush of rust, oil and a rag might do the job.
Avoid wire wheels and Dremels unless there is a good reason.
A very fine wire wheel can be useful. The side of the wheel, not the face, is employed, with light pressure. It is a wiping action. Ham handed use of a hardware store wire wheel can do permanent damage almost instantly.
A copper scraper can remove light scabby rust without harm to the surface.
Use wools, wipers, scrapers wet with oil.
Go easy - you want to get rid of the rust, not original finish. With careful work, it may not be apparent that there was rust, with original surface being preserved.
If it is just a blush of rust, oil and a rag might do the job.
Avoid wire wheels and Dremels unless there is a good reason.
A very fine wire wheel can be useful. The side of the wheel, not the face, is employed, with light pressure. It is a wiping action. Ham handed use of a hardware store wire wheel can do permanent damage almost instantly.
A copper scraper can remove light scabby rust without harm to the surface.
Use wools, wipers, scrapers wet with oil.
Go easy - you want to get rid of the rust, not original finish. With careful work, it may not be apparent that there was rust, with original surface being preserved.
Do you know who sells bronze wool in Canada? Our marine supply store has it but it's a ridiculous price.
Home Depot usually has it. Bought it at Home Hardware before as well. Look in the stain area for wood refinishing.
Wipe Out on fine steel wool will eat that rust right down to the shiny steel underneath.
Wipe Out eats rust, but won't harm the original blue.
Clean off the residue with alcohol, aceton, or just hot water, and apply some cold blue to the barrel to cover the shiny spots. Caveat, there will be minor pits where the rust spots were visible.
Some people just like to smooth out the rust using other methods and cold blue after, so the pits aren't visible. However, this doesn't stop the rust from spreading, and it's constantly going to come back to haunt you.
Wipe Out eats rust, but won't harm the original blue.
Clean off the residue with alcohol, aceton, or just hot water, and apply some cold blue to the barrel to cover the shiny spots. Caveat, there will be minor pits where the rust spots were visible.
Some people just like to smooth out the rust using other methods and cold blue after, so the pits aren't visible. However, this doesn't stop the rust from spreading, and it's constantly going to come back to haunt you.
Yah haven't found it at either locally. Will check back with HH though. Our HD doesn't carry it. Thx.
Something from Nick at Vulcan gun, a lot of the posted suggestions won’t do a single thing
“Experience has taught not only me, but past customers as well, that even when the gun looks damage free, the chances of rust pitting, after 70-100 years, are a distinct, almost assured possibility. The problem with rust on a gun is that whenever the gun is neglected for any period of time, whether it sits in a holster or on a shelf, even in a vault, the corrosion process starts working. Slowly. Almost microscopically. You don't even notice it. Then someone comes along, maybe a new owner, or a Curator or Preservationist, and they do the identical same thing. They oil it and rub it.
They didn't even see that corrosion. But they polished it, unwittingly. So now that rust spot or area is "smoothed" back down. But not killed. It's still alive. It's alive and growing and breathing as long as there's oxygen.
More time goes by (remember 70-100 years is a long period) and the same thing happens again. And again.
So, all of a sudden, it's a century later and someone's looking at the gun and notices that the original finish has a little "patina" (such a lovely word), or a slight bit of discolouration. Nothing really. So they think, "this thing is mint, other than the imperfect finish. I'll just send it out for a refinish".
Guess what is causing that "patina"? Those "splotches"?
And no matter how hard they look at that gun, they won't see a single pit. Not one. Not even under a magnifying light.
Because they were constantly "polishing" that rust, keeping it nice and smooth.“
“Experience has taught not only me, but past customers as well, that even when the gun looks damage free, the chances of rust pitting, after 70-100 years, are a distinct, almost assured possibility. The problem with rust on a gun is that whenever the gun is neglected for any period of time, whether it sits in a holster or on a shelf, even in a vault, the corrosion process starts working. Slowly. Almost microscopically. You don't even notice it. Then someone comes along, maybe a new owner, or a Curator or Preservationist, and they do the identical same thing. They oil it and rub it.
They didn't even see that corrosion. But they polished it, unwittingly. So now that rust spot or area is "smoothed" back down. But not killed. It's still alive. It's alive and growing and breathing as long as there's oxygen.
More time goes by (remember 70-100 years is a long period) and the same thing happens again. And again.
So, all of a sudden, it's a century later and someone's looking at the gun and notices that the original finish has a little "patina" (such a lovely word), or a slight bit of discolouration. Nothing really. So they think, "this thing is mint, other than the imperfect finish. I'll just send it out for a refinish".
Guess what is causing that "patina"? Those "splotches"?
And no matter how hard they look at that gun, they won't see a single pit. Not one. Not even under a magnifying light.
Because they were constantly "polishing" that rust, keeping it nice and smooth.“
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
Personally don’t see the point. Steel wool works fine snd is cheap and available everywhere. Ive use coarse steel wool with wd-40 aggressively on old clunkers as a test snd did not harm the original blueing at all. However, I still recommend 0000 because it is all you need and there could be a chance that the gun you are working on has a poor quality blue finish so go easy but don’t fret. Could probably just use a copper Brillo pad from under the wife’s sink if one is concerned about useing steel wool
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
Another great use for steel wool (with wd-40)
THIS.
I have a chunk of copper bar that I tried and it worked miracles on surface rust.
