Cleanign up a hazy blued finish

rolo550 · August 18, 2011, 01:14 PM

Bought a nice smith model 10 the other day. It has a rusty haze on the surface but not like nasty thick rust. I need to get that stuff off and make it look new again. Do you guys recommend a compound like flitz or brasso, or what would you use to bring this ol beauty back to showroom shine?

Do you use some kind of cotton cloth or do you use like a polishing wheel on a dremel?

thanks in advance

Scorch · August 18, 2011, 01:50 PM

0000 steel wool and Ballistol. Oil well, rub gently, the rust will come off. Wipe, oil, repeat until the whole gun is done. Then use paste wax or an oily rag to keep it nice.

rolo550 · August 18, 2011, 03:48 PM

Forgive me, what is paste wax?

T. O'Heir · August 18, 2011, 04:25 PM

"...what is paste wax..." Floor wax.
Brasso is a brass polish only. Flitz is a metal polish. You don't need a polish. You need to remove rust. 0000 steel wool and oil will do that. It's faster using as light touch with a fine, brass, wire wheel in a bench grinder though. Eye protection is mandatory.

dahermit · August 18, 2011, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Forgive me, what is paste wax?

"Johnson's Paste Wax", comes in a large, flat, yellow can.

dahermit · August 18, 2011, 04:42 PM

Quote:

...what would you use to bring this ol beauty back to showroom shine?

Once the rust has blemished the blued metal, nothing will bring it back to the condition it was. The rust can be removed, however, by the methods suggested. The only way to get it back to looking like it did in the showroom, is to have it re-finished by a qualified gun smith who buffs the pits out and re-blues.

publius · August 20, 2011, 04:44 AM

I agree with Scorch but I think Kroil is a better product for this.

triggerman770 · August 20, 2011, 08:41 PM

Scorch is right on. The Ballistol will remove rust somethimes even with a wipe down with a cloth. The good thing about ballistol is it won't hurt the wood. It will help it..because it is formulated with mineral oil, not petroleum based.
Had a customer pick up three guns today and asked if I reblued them. told him about ballistol and he ordered three cans(one for each gun)

Jim Watson · August 20, 2011, 10:44 PM

Quote:

it is formulated with mineral oil, not petroleum based.

Oh, dear. Another Magic Oil Legend.

"A mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of alkanes in the C15 to C40 range from a non-vegetable (mineral) source, particularly a distillate of petroleum."

Bill DeShivs · August 21, 2011, 12:03 AM

Neutral paste shoe polish is paste wax.
And WD 40 works very well with steel/bronze wool for removing rust.

triggerman770 · August 21, 2011, 12:22 AM

quote
"Oh, dear. Another Magic Oil Legend.

"A mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of alkanes in the C15 to C40 range from a non-vegetable (mineral) source, particularly a distillate of petroleum."
it may be a legend to you, but it works, I like it my customers like it..yours may nto
and sorry, I check my chemistry degree at the door

twostrike · August 22, 2011, 01:17 PM

I saw questions on earlier posts concerning rust removal, bolt cleaning, etc, and wanted to share. cigarette lighter fluid (before butane) is Naptha. It is available in small quantities (zippo, etc.) but more economical to buy a quart can at an auto supply store. It is a good grease remover, and when it dries, it does not leave any signifigant residue. It will not remove rust.

charcoal lighter is kerosene. it can be purchased more economically by the gallon at anyplace that sells deisel fuel (almost the same). It is an excellent rust remover especially when combined with a light 0000 steel wool rub.

two words of caution

keep you scope lens covers on when using any chemicals, as lens coatings are vulnerable to most of this stuff. use them when stroking your bore with solvent, especially when using a brush which causes the solvent to mist.

Kerosene, and anything that contains it (like wd-40) will remove bluing.(remember bluing is rust)

sorry if this is old news to anyone, I read these questions from posts submitted in 2007 and 2009

Jim Watson · August 22, 2011, 02:52 PM

Quote:

it may be a legend to you, but it works, I like it my customers like it..yours may nto
and sorry, I check my chemistry degree at the door

I didn't say it wouldn't work, I said it was a petroleum product, contrary to Internet Expertise. In fact, I use the stinky stuff myself, largely on my BPCR.

Bill DeShivs · August 22, 2011, 04:10 PM

Kerosene and WD 40 won't remove bluing. It won't even HURT bluing!
Great first post!

johnbt · August 22, 2011, 04:15 PM

"Kerosene, and anything that contains it (like wd-40) will remove bluing"

You better call up the WD-40 folks and tell them to fix their FAQ...in the question on sports equipment.

"Use WD-40 to clean and protect your gun. It will prevent corrosion and it won't damage bluing."

www.wd40.com/faqs

Horseman · August 30, 2011, 09:05 AM

Kerosene is also 25% the ingredients of Ed's Red. Ed's Red has been used on guns for decades and will not harm gun bluing. I know folks who soak parts in straight kerosene for cleaning without any problems.

Ideal Tool · August 30, 2011, 10:35 PM

Hello, about kerosene..there are different grades..there was a write up in The Fouling Shot about a fellow who used cheaper gas station grade for E.R. ended up pitting bore.

PigFarmer · September 2, 2011, 08:16 AM

You may also want to read this thread on removing rust.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/show...=removing+rust

August 18, 2011, 01:14 PM	#1
rolo550 Junior Member Join Date: August 18, 2011 Posts: 3	Cleanign up a hazy blued finish Bought a nice smith model 10 the other day. It has a rusty haze on the surface but not like nasty thick rust. I need to get that stuff off and make it look new again. Do you guys recommend a compound like flitz or brasso, or what would you use to bring this ol beauty back to showroom shine? Do you use some kind of cotton cloth or do you use like a polishing wheel on a dremel? thanks in advance

August 18, 2011, 01:50 PM	#2
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	0000 steel wool and Ballistol. Oil well, rub gently, the rust will come off. Wipe, oil, repeat until the whole gun is done. Then use paste wax or an oily rag to keep it nice. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

August 18, 2011, 04:25 PM	#4
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...what is paste wax..." Floor wax. Brasso is a brass polish only. Flitz is a metal polish. You don't need a polish. You need to remove rust. 0000 steel wool and oil will do that. It's faster using as light touch with a fine, brass, wire wheel in a bench grinder though. Eye protection is mandatory. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

August 20, 2011, 04:44 AM	#7
publius Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2005 Location: Mississippi/Texas Posts: 2,505	I agree with Scorch but I think Kroil is a better product for this. __________________ "Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress, but I repeat myself." Mark Twain

August 20, 2011, 08:41 PM	#8
triggerman770 Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2009 Location: Metro Atlanta Area Posts: 125	Clean Scorch is right on. The Ballistol will remove rust somethimes even with a wipe down with a cloth. The good thing about ballistol is it won't hurt the wood. It will help it..because it is formulated with mineral oil, not petroleum based. Had a customer pick up three guns today and asked if I reblued them. told him about ballistol and he ordered three cans(one for each gun) __________________ Small Arms Restoration, Inc. smallarmsrestoration.net Proud member of Georgia Carry.org www.georgiacarry.org

August 18, 2011, 03:48 PM	#3
rolo550 Junior Member Join Date: August 18, 2011 Posts: 3	Forgive me, what is paste wax?

August 21, 2011, 12:03 AM	#10
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,978	Neutral paste shoe polish is paste wax. And WD 40 works very well with steel/bronze wool for removing rust. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

August 21, 2011, 12:22 AM	#11
triggerman770 Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2009 Location: Metro Atlanta Area Posts: 125	Clean up quote "Oh, dear. Another Magic Oil Legend. "A mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of alkanes in the C15 to C40 range from a non-vegetable (mineral) source, particularly a distillate of petroleum." it may be a legend to you, but it works, I like it my customers like it..yours may nto and sorry, I check my chemistry degree at the door __________________ Small Arms Restoration, Inc. smallarmsrestoration.net Proud member of Georgia Carry.org www.georgiacarry.org

August 22, 2011, 01:17 PM	#12
twostrike Junior Member Join Date: August 22, 2011 Posts: 1	My 2c on solvents I saw questions on earlier posts concerning rust removal, bolt cleaning, etc, and wanted to share. cigarette lighter fluid (before butane) is Naptha. It is available in small quantities (zippo, etc.) but more economical to buy a quart can at an auto supply store. It is a good grease remover, and when it dries, it does not leave any signifigant residue. It will not remove rust. charcoal lighter is kerosene. it can be purchased more economically by the gallon at anyplace that sells deisel fuel (almost the same). It is an excellent rust remover especially when combined with a light 0000 steel wool rub. two words of caution keep you scope lens covers on when using any chemicals, as lens coatings are vulnerable to most of this stuff. use them when stroking your bore with solvent, especially when using a brush which causes the solvent to mist. Kerosene, and anything that contains it (like wd-40) will remove bluing.(remember bluing is rust) sorry if this is old news to anyone, I read these questions from posts submitted in 2007 and 2009

August 22, 2011, 04:10 PM	#14
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,978	Kerosene and WD 40 won't remove bluing. It won't even HURT bluing! Great first post! __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

August 22, 2011, 04:15 PM	#15
johnbt Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 1999 Location: Richmond, Virginia USA Posts: 6,004	"Kerosene, and anything that contains it (like wd-40) will remove bluing" You better call up the WD-40 folks and tell them to fix their FAQ...in the question on sports equipment. "Use WD-40 to clean and protect your gun. It will prevent corrosion and it won't damage bluing." www.wd40.com/faqs

August 30, 2011, 09:05 AM	#16
Horseman Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 1,067	Kerosene is also 25% the ingredients of Ed's Red. Ed's Red has been used on guns for decades and will not harm gun bluing. I know folks who soak parts in straight kerosene for cleaning without any problems.

August 30, 2011, 10:35 PM	#17
Ideal Tool Junior member Join Date: October 6, 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,080	Hello, about kerosene..there are different grades..there was a write up in The Fouling Shot about a fellow who used cheaper gas station grade for E.R. ended up pitting bore.

September 2, 2011, 08:16 AM	#18
PigFarmer Member Join Date: August 24, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 97	You may also want to read this thread on removing rust. http://thefiringline.com/forums/show...=removing+rust

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