The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Most reasonable rust treatment for peep sights

rmantoo · November 2, 2023, 02:13 AM

http://https://imgur.com/a/HbyrPts

https://imgur.com/a/0kz3TnN

A different sight from another m540x

https://imgur.com/a/BmEDr3D

https://imgur.com/a/K7j7Efz

https://imgur.com/a/7PLCNLb

And one from a 513T

https://imgur.com/a/DzlYdX5

https://imgur.com/a/r7v0n8w

And here is that last one side by side with one from a different 513T.

So the thing is, I have a lot of old peep sights, and about 1/2 of them arrive rusty like those above.

Some respond to a light steel wool and oil. Others respond to a green pad pretty well.

Still others need even more assistance.

For a home DIY situation, what are my reasonable options? I don't want to pay Turnbull Restorations to color case harden these things - I'd love to, just can't afford it- but I do want to get rid of the rust and maintain them as well as I can.

"Reasonable" meaning that I can do it at home with basic tools, including a bench grinder/buffer for metal prep, a drill press (for carding if I don't use the buffer), and most basic hand tools.

Since they are all small parts I'm thinking of salt bath bluing them...Or Brownells old faithful Dicropan...Or old faithful home rust bluing. I have an old uhaul moving box/stand up hanging closet thing that's begging for me to hang a ton of little parts inside...

Doing them all at once I could probably get a bunch done over a 2 day period just rust bluing them.... Am I mising any reasonable options?

Thanks
Robert

November 2, 2023, 02:13 AM	#1
rmantoo Junior Member Join Date: April 15, 2013 Posts: 14	Most reasonable rust treatment for peep sights http://https://imgur.com/a/HbyrPts https://imgur.com/a/0kz3TnN A different sight from another m540x https://imgur.com/a/BmEDr3D https://imgur.com/a/K7j7Efz https://imgur.com/a/7PLCNLb And one from a 513T https://imgur.com/a/DzlYdX5 https://imgur.com/a/r7v0n8w And here is that last one side by side with one from a different 513T. So the thing is, I have a lot of old peep sights, and about 1/2 of them arrive rusty like those above. Some respond to a light steel wool and oil. Others respond to a green pad pretty well. Still others need even more assistance. For a home DIY situation, what are my reasonable options? I don't want to pay Turnbull Restorations to color case harden these things - I'd love to, just can't afford it- but I do want to get rid of the rust and maintain them as well as I can. "Reasonable" meaning that I can do it at home with basic tools, including a bench grinder/buffer for metal prep, a drill press (for carding if I don't use the buffer), and most basic hand tools. Since they are all small parts I'm thinking of salt bath bluing them...Or Brownells old faithful Dicropan...Or old faithful home rust bluing. I have an old uhaul moving box/stand up hanging closet thing that's begging for me to hang a ton of little parts inside... Doing them all at once I could probably get a bunch done over a 2 day period just rust bluing them.... Am I mising any reasonable options? Thanks Robert