Vinegar bolt finish removal?

[collector67]

Hi all
I know that using vinegar on a plum colored SVT bolt assembly will return it to it's "in the white" finish, but would it also work on a black SKS bolt? My refurbed 1950 Tula came like that, and I have tried to remove the paint with stripper, but the results weren't that good.

 

[TBDragonman]

It shouldn't. The black bolt is actually painted and fairly resistant to most solvent. I used a dremel with those blue rubber polishing bobs to get it all off. Then I used felt bobs and polishing compound to clean and polish it up. It worked great.

 

[svt1940]

Hi all
I know that using vinegar on a plum colored SVT bolt assembly will return it to it's "in the white" finish, but would it also work on a black SKS bolt? My refurbed 1950 Tula came like that, and I have tried to remove the paint with stripper, but the results weren't that good.

You may try paint stripper to soften the finish and using medium steel wool for removal. For removal of the plum finish on SVT bolt, i use muriatic acid, way faster than vinegar and the paint of a sks bolt wont resist too.
Joce

 

[Kayser Sose]

straight up paint stripper

 

[snoopycda]

Wire wheel on your bench grinder.
Wear safety glasses.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Wire wheel on your bench grinder.
Wear safety glasses.

Works well and no mess.

 

[Curtton]

Wire wheel on your bench grinder.
Wear safety glasses.

3X .

and hand wire brush in the hard to reach places .

 

[jongun]

You may try paint stripper to soften the finish and using medium steel wool for removal. For removal of the plum finish on SVT bolt, i use muriatic acid, way faster than vinegar and the paint of a sks bolt wont resist too.
Joce

Didn't take more than a 10 minute vinegar dip to strip the plum finish off the bolt on my SVT-40 but I suppose mileages may vary.

 

[SoBored]

Has anyone tried heating the vinegar a bit? It seems to make a difference in etching knife blades.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Didn't take more than a 10 minute vinegar dip to strip the plum finish off the bolt on my SVT-40 but I suppose mileages may vary.

Works amazingly well, so I don't know why anyone would use way more corrosive muriatic [hydrochloric] acid ?

Grizz

 

[jongun]

Works amazingly well, so I don't know why anyone would use way more corrosive muriatic [hydrochloric] acid ?

Grizz

For sure Grizz. Makes me wanna get an other just to strip off that ugly ass finish

 

[incorrigible]

Maybe pickling vinegar... much higher acid content than the table variety and found in most grocery stores?

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Maybe pickling vinegar... much higher acid content than the table variety and found in most grocery stores?

I dumped mine in stuff I just grabbed out of the cupboard here, plain ordinary household vinegar. Was doubtful about the whole process, but it only took a few minutes, which says a lot about the coloring.


Grizz

 

[jongun]

I dumped mine in stuff I just grabbed out of the cupboard here, plain ordinary household vinegar. Was doubtful about the whole process, but it only took a few minutes, which says a lot about the coloring.


Grizz

Heinz works the best IMHO

 

[Highland Fusilier]

I just did it this morning, 20 min in white vinegar then another 15 20 min scrubbing with a scotch Brite pad cleaned it up perfectly.

 

[sunray]

That plum colour is patina. Anyway, vinegar, being a mild acid, will strip bluing right to bare metal. Patina doesn't have a chance.
Muriatic acid is too harsh. It'll burn things like stock wood and one's hide.

 

[NintendoDuckHunt87]

I've posted pics before, the vinegar works well. 15-20mins in the liquid, then rub off the paint. I rubbed mine off with an old sock. SVT looks great without that plumb bolt carrier.

 

[Horilka]

And what would be the best way to thin excessive black bluing on refurbs? Not to remove completely, but make it more mild?

 

[Desert_Fox]

That plum colour is patina. Anyway, vinegar, being a mild acid, will strip bluing right to bare metal. Patina doesn't have a chance.
Muriatic acid is too harsh. It'll burn things like stock wood and one's hide.

Sigh....

Again, sunray with another erroneous nugget of wisdom.

It's not patina, it's actually bluing. The carbon content of the steel is what makes the blueing not so... "blue"!

Seems to found on spring steel (K98 extractors/Ejector assemblies) as well as on SVT40 bolts. It could be the certain heat treat on the steel as well.

It can also be due to the bluing solution itself (the salts, temps, duration, worn out solution, etc).

PS: SVT40 bolts were originally both "in the white", and "plumb"... I believe earlier SVT38/40 bolts (38-40ish) were in the white, while later ones were "plumb"... the experts might be better able to chime in on this one.

 

[Phat Eagle]

Sigh....

Again, sunray with another erroneous nugget of wisdom.

It's not patina, it's actually bluing. The carbon content of the steel is what makes the blueing not so... "blue"!

Seems to found on spring steel (K98 extractors/Ejector assemblies) as well as on SVT40 bolts. It could be the certain heat treat on the steel as well.

It can also be due to the bluing solution itself (the salts, temps, duration, worn out solution, etc).

PS: SVT40 bolts were originally both "in the white", and "plumb"... I believe earlier SVT38/40 bolts (38-40ish) were in the white, while later ones were "plumb"... the experts might be better able to chime in on this one.

Apparently the plum color was the result of the arsenal refurb process... You see the same color on some other Russian refurb pieces, notably RC K98 bolts. I've been told it happens when the bluing bath is too hot.