Remove light rust but not bluing?

[felix gunner]

Any tips? Some time back I had a surface rusted rifle that had to be cleaned but despite very careful use of XXX-fine wire wool and oil most of the slight remains of bluing was removed.

Would metal polish wadding (Duraglit) work?

[auora5000]

Hi mate,

my experiences are that bluing is only microns thick, once rust is present invariably it will have penetrated through the bluing to the metal, (the rust reaction only happens on contact with metal).
Unless the surface rust is VERY light, chances are its in the metal and the surface bluing has been ruined.
Try Brasso and oil, but as your own experiences indicate, i wouldnt hold your breath.......

[felix gunner]

Yep, you're spot on. Problem is patchy light rust - and how to remove that but not the surrounding bluing which unavoidably gets 'rubbed'.

[Lakey]

HI Felix,

First what you have to do is identify the amount and severity of the rust that is present on the gun. The oxidization of steel is very variable and the extent of the rusting determines what course of action you use.

First the metal starts to oxidize at a given point. Initially that point is very small (although it could be multiple small points to give the appearance of near total coverage). From these small pin prick points the rust grows like flowers. If these "flowers" (for want of a better word) are left to grow, then chemical action under them eats away at the metal causing pitting. If they are caught in time, steel wool and oil (acting as a lubricant) can romove these surface blemishes and a large amount of the bluing can be saved.

I use this method initially, The oil also kills the active rust and stops it from growing. If the rust has been on the gun for a long time and severe pitting has resulted then you either have to live with it or get the gun re-finished.
This must involve removing the surface to get below the pitting and rebluing what is left.

Sometimes I use a dremel with a soft steel brush, where for example there is etching or surface detail to preserve, as I feel the dremel gives me more precision that the wool wool method.

To give you one example, I was given a Webley Junior rifle which had spent the last few years in a damp outside shed. The owner said that he had redescovered it and wanted to try and get it going again for his son. Well if you would have seen it you would have thought "No Way"!. It was entirely covered in bright red rust in a thick crust (or so I thought) however I steel wool and oiled it and hey presto all the rust came of leaving smallish shallow pitting and 60% of the original bluing intact underneath. Nobody was more suprised than me!!
A new spring and piston washer and it was back in well useable condition.
His Lad was chuffed to bits


Lakey

[Lakey]

Another question I was going to ask you, was if you had found an Improved Model D yet?

Lakey

[felix gunner]

Thanks Lakey. Didn't you find the wire wool removed the surrounding bluing though?

Model D - not a sniff...

Absolutely nothing about. Offered one on here a while ago that was truly spot on in every way bar the fact it was a light pattern.

So if anyone hears of one.

[felix gunner]

Hi Pat,

Apologies I may have missed that - I always try and reply even if it is not of interest!

It has to be an Improved model D and S prefixed from just before the Great War. Preferably 1913 to 1916, must be 'standard' ('full' power 43") not light/junior/ladies. Cosmetics not important but preferably complete and original.

Please email me m.poilu(AT)tiscali.co.uk

[Lakey]

[QUOTE=felix gunner;1737356]Thanks Lakey. Didn't you find the wire wool removed the surrounding bluing though?



Yes if you concentrate on one area for too long. What you need to do is apply the steel wool lightly across the whole area using plenty of oil.

The idea is that you gently wear off the surface rust, not rub it off in any concentrated manner as then you will wear through the blueing. If you only wish to tackle concentrated rust spots (say for example you had only one rust spot and the rest was OK) then I would use the dremel. However I find you need that ona high speed. If you use the slow speed the brush will not remove the oxidized metal (instead it seems to coat it with a layer of lightly burnished steel from the brush?) but on high speed it cuts through the rust like the proverbial "Hot Knife through butter"
Be careful though as it is easier to take it off than to put it back if you remove too much. Batter to practice on a few scrappers until you perfect your technique.

Good luck!