hanging parts and pins

[hughscpa]

Okay, I made it back home and have started in again. I soaked the frame and smaller parts in evapo-rust overnight and have cleaned them up. I will post pictures as soon as I can get the phone and computer to talk nicely. I have to ask how do you get the old bluing out of the proof marks? Am I just seeing the shadow or am I not doing something yet?

[Olle]

Originally Posted by hughscpa

Okay, I made it back home and have started in again. I soaked the frame and smaller parts in evapo-rust overnight and have cleaned them up. I will post pictures as soon as I can get the phone and computer to talk nicely. I have to ask how do you get the old bluing out of the proof marks? Am I just seeing the shadow or am I not doing something yet?

What you're seeing is probably the black residue from the Evaporust, and there's no need to get it out of the stamps. You'll be rusting and carding several times over, and it will disappear in the process. If you do want to get it out, use Brownell's carding brush (https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...-prod6732.aspx), the bristles are small enough to reach into the tiny stamps. But again: It's not really necessary. The most important thing is that you degrease thoroughly before you apply the rusting solution. I would recommend Purple Power for this, spray the parts, rinse in hot tap water, spray and rinse again and dry the parts with compressed air followed up with a hair dryer. This leaves the parts entirely free of grease, this is actually how I degrease parts before I nickel plate so I know it works. You can't hold the parts with your hands while doing this, you need to hang them from hooks to make sure they're not contaminated again. Wire hangers from the dry cleaner make good hooks for this. Also buy some nitrile gloves from Walmart. No matter how careful you are, you will touch the parts or get the rusting solution on your hands.