Sure Fire Rust Removal!
 

I like to share good news when I find it and today while browsing a machinist website I came across this method for the removal of rust from steel that is slicker than any other method I have ever seen.

Here is the link on this amazing technique that takes nothing more than stuff you probably already have around your house:

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Qu...stremoval.html

Here is how well it works as a preview:

Before!

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Qu...tremoval01.jpg

After!

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Qu...tremoval04.jpg

For those gunsmiths and machinists whether professional or amateur, this website is a goldmine of interesting projects and ideas:

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/hstpages.html

Enjoy!

John

I have never heard of using baking soda as the electrolyte, very interesting!

thanks

Vern

Thank You John, it is a great site :cheers:
Alf

Thanks a lot, john--That saves a lot of time, work and mess!! Al :) :) :)

Fantastic information. However, has anyone actually tried it on a "blued" pistol? Might this process possibly alter "rust blued" finishes? My concern is that it might produce more harm than good.

NOT recommended on "rust blued" finishes on guns because the BLUE is actually a form of RUST...

If anyone should intentionally use this process on a rust blued gun part, please post photos of the results here.

John,

This is a really neat web site. I book marked them for reference.

I have used the rust removal technique to strip chromium plating off of brass. I used table salt for the electrolyte and a pot to hold the water and provide the positive pole.

Thanks for the lead.

Dick

Any way to update this?
 

HI,

I tried to access the website link, and it appears to be removed -- and John's pictures don't work either. Maybe this could be updated. Thanks.

Me too.

Try this it worked for me :)
http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Qu...stremoval.html

Alf

Sorry guys, Frank Ford recently reorganized his website structure and the link changed... Alf had the correct link above.

John..
Can't access the website re: rust removal...got any tricks for me ??
Thanx.

Go to Frets.com http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/pagelist.html

find Homeshop Tech Maching and Tool Making Articles.

Under Quick Tricks you will find:
Killing Rust While it Sleeps. and double click on it, that should work.
:cheers:
Alf

John;

Have a WWII era Mauser HSc that I need to de-rust to get rid of some minor flecking. I had been looking at bonding with steel wool.. .but is the finish on the HSc suitable for this type of treatment?

thx!

Don

Don, I am not sure what you mean by bonding with steel wool?

please explain.

Hi John;

Just mean that I was going to spend some quality time with steel wool on the Mauser. BUT, if electrolyic rust removal is more-better, I could go that route, but I don't know if that will also remove the current finish.

I believe that the electrolytic rust removal described in this thread MAY also remove gun blue finish... the only way to know is to try it on something non critical. Perhaps someone else has already tried that and will post the results here. Blue is in fact a type of rust.

FOUR ZERO "0000" steel wool and a good quality gun oil used very lightly will remove a small amount of surface rust without harming the overall finish... Some would recommend bronze wool... as it is less abrasive.

That's correct John, i've done some research and it will sure strip it back to bare without any hassles, if you want to reblue or resto a project or something, no problems, but don't go putting something in there that you arent prepared to take out bare.

I did try this specifically to see if it takes blueing off, and it really does take it all off!

Jeff

Just a note... I was notified by FNorm that the links and photos in this thread disappeared because of a reorganization of Frank Ford's website, but I have repaired the links and photos today so all should be able to visit this great site.

Enjoy

Do you think it will work on this..?

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=214479006

LOL... No. :D

another vid on the same subject <click

John: I did a quick test on the electrolytic method on an S/42 frame and the cylinder of a S&W Model 19. I didnt notice any effect on the caustic bluing, but the bare metal did appear a little brighter. I didnt pursue the experiment for very long because I was trying to remove the bluing. If I refinish a rust blued pistol, I'll let you know what happens.
John

How to Copper Plate Your Luger
 

I tried the rust removal technique on what I believe were a couple salt-blued parts and got results that were ah interesting on the first try and excellent on the second.

I have a shooter with a blued s-link and decided to remove the blue with the electrical method of this thread. I followed the instructions, including using steel (a screw) for the positive connection. After 5 minutes in the bath, I inspected the part and the blue seemed to be coming off.

To complete the process and improve matters, rather than use a steel screw I decided to use about 2" of copper wire, as we all know that copper is a good conductor. I substituted the copper for the steel screw and let the process go for about 15 minutes.

Before and after pictures below.

It was not my intent to copper plate anything so I was quite astounded to discover the plated the s-link. Fortunately the copper was quite thin and easily removed via 220 grit sandpaper. It appears the blue was replaced by a very thin layer of copper. The part looks ok after sanding off the copper to the bare metal. As it goes into a shooter, no harm done.

Having learned my lesson, I repeated the process with a trigger bar on a different shooter. Being careful to use steel for the positive connection. After about 30 minutes I was pleased with the result.

So I conclude the process does remove blue, and that you should use steel not copper for the positive connection. While I am not a chemist (obviously), I've read that both rust blue and hot blue techniques create the same surface coating on the metal; therefore I would expect this technique to remove both types of bluing.