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Thread: Cleaning finish on older and well-used rifles.

  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by NTSOG View Post
    Thank you all and a special thank you to 12/200 - perhaps I should chuck all my rifles in a case and come to visit the UK for a quick re-blue and a bit of sight-seeing? I've always wanted to visit Hertfordshire which is where my Mother lived as a child.

    I am intrigued by the suggestion by bighit of using an onion. What 'chemicals' does an onion contain that can affect rust?

    As gingernut said such subtle wear is part of the 'history' of the rifle as are the small 'dings' and scratches in the stock - there is no hiding the fact that it is a vintage rifle - and I bought it to shoot not hang on the wall. I don't mind 'honest' wear marks. [I have quite a few such marks and 'dings' myself that cannot be polished out.]

    I'll hasten slowly for now and keep wiping it down well after use as I do with all the rifles I own.

    Jim

    PS. Please pass on my disappointment to the excellent Colin Malloy and explain I won't be using his services as I can't afford the postage!
    I saw it on YouTube . A lady using on a shotgun

    Why Do Onions Remove Rust?

    Sulphenic acid, like all acids, reacts strongly with anything containing hydroxide ions. Rust happens to be such a substance, containing one hydroxide ion for every atom of iron in the compound. When a cut onion is rubbed against something rusty, the sulphenic acid within the onion breaks down the rust, causing it to flake away, leaving behind any untouched layers of iron beneath the rust coating. This process also happens to neutralize the acid. So if you're trying to remove rust from an item by this method, something with lots of rust may require more than one slice of onion.

    The video here
    https://youtu.be/9aCbiO8alDY

  2. #17
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    Lemon juice works too but not sure if it takes off bluing which is a type of rust itself.
    Last edited by bighit; 13-09-2017 at 07:14 PM.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    Garibaldi, Victoria, Australia
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    Cleaning-finish-on-older-and-well-used rifles

    Bighit wrote: "...the sulphenic acid within the onion breaks down the rust, causing it to flake away, leaving behind any untouched layers of iron beneath the rust coating"

    That's very interesting, but begs a question as to what to do with that nice clean 'iron" that's been exposed so it does not rust again?

    Jim [making up for sleeping through middle-school chemistry]

  4. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by NTSOG View Post
    Bighit wrote: "...the sulphenic acid within the onion breaks down the rust, causing it to flake away, leaving behind any untouched layers of iron beneath the rust coating"

    That's very interesting, but begs a question as to what to do with that nice clean 'iron" that's been exposed so it does not rust again?

    Jim [making up for sleeping through middle-school chemistry]
    Cold blue it. There is cold blue pens , liquids and gels.

    I used acetone to degrease the area and used Philips bluing gel http://www.capdevco.co.uk/phillips-gun-products.html

    I did a full Hw80 with it. The Hw80 had pitting and rust as it had been left in a barn on the farm by my nephew.

    I got the rust off and degreased the full rifle then used the gel all over the rifle action and barrel.

    It looks good but obviously not like a re blue by Colin malloy or RichardH from this forum.

    Paul

  5. #20
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    Oct 2015
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    Polish with oil now and then and after a while it will look better.

  6. #21
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    I would have thought that Onions, lemons or acidic anything would remove the bluing, it is after all rust, that's why I scrub with oil.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Garibaldi, Victoria, Australia
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    Cleaning-finish-on-older-and-well-used rifles

    G'day,

    I treated the FWB with very fine steel wool and oil as gently and carefully as I could and the just visible rust specks are not visible any more.

    Thank you all for your advice and I will keep the metal well clean with a wipe down after each use.

    Jim.

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