Cheap blue & rust remover

Paladinpainter · 12-31-2014, 10:33 AM

Hi All,
Brownell's Blue Remover is mostly phosphoric acid. Dairy farmers use that same acid to clean their milking equipment. (light bulb!)

Tractor Supply has a phosphoric Acid Rinse for about $11/gallon.
I mixed some 1 to 3, acid to water. That concentration took 15 to 20 minutes to remove the blue and surface rust from an old Redfield sight. Not too bad for $2.75/ gallon. I'll probably use a more dilute mixture in the future.

Carry on,
John

Edward Tinker · 12-31-2014, 11:19 AM

I had a S&W I picked up, blotchy color to it, put it in Vinegar (completely covering it) and in a few hours it was all gray. Sold it that way, much better than the gosh-awful blotches...

Acid in it I am sure.

What color remained on yours?

Paladinpainter · 01-01-2015, 09:06 AM

Vinegar works, tho more slowly. I learned the hard way by getting some salad dressing on a S&W...

Flushed it with a baking soda & water mix, then rinsed in plain water. The Acid Rinse parts came out a light gray, that carded easily to an "in the white" steel color.

rhinemann · 01-01-2015, 12:55 PM

Another cheep and fast way to remove bluing is to use lemon juice. I've put the juice in a container and submerge the blued part and very shortly the bluing was gone leaving a gray dull finish.

jeffrey

Arizona Slim · 01-01-2015, 06:18 PM

To the list of cheap bluing removers one might try ordinary coffee, dont know what types of bluing it will work on but one afternoon while takeing a break during an archery tournament someone spilled coffee on the sight on by bow and it took it off quickely.

Lon

Paladinpainter · 01-02-2015, 11:53 AM

I had some coffee like that, once.

Sergio Natali · 01-02-2015, 01:32 PM

Lonnie,

Goodness what make of coffee was that! :-)

Jokes apart I've never heard about coffee but for sure vinegar actually can take off some of the blueing.

Sergio

sheepherder · 01-02-2015, 01:39 PM

I've used Naval Jelly to remove bluing. It also leaves the surface a gray color.

Arizona Slim · 01-02-2015, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luger.parabellum

Lonnie,

Goodness what make of coffee was that! :-)

Jokes apart I've never heard about coffee but for sure vinegar actually can take off some of the blueing.

Sergio

I wondered about that too Sergio, can't imagine what it does once we drink it.

Lon

Ron Wood · 01-02-2015, 02:31 PM

Naval Jelly contains phosphoric acid, so I think the gray color is pretty much like a light parkerized finish. The jelly leaves a protective coating as well as removing the rust/blue.

ithacaartist · 01-03-2015, 02:35 AM

Stomach acid is mostly HCl, much stronger acid and more concentrated than vinegar's acetic , and at pH of 4.5-6.o, coffee is also on the weak side--though I've read it can contain a medly of thirty different acids! I'm glad my morning Java is safe enough

12-31-2014, 10:33 AM	#1
Paladinpainter User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Vermont Posts: 64 Thanks: 14 Thanked 45 Times in 15 Posts	Cheap blue & rust remover Hi All, Brownell's Blue Remover is mostly phosphoric acid. Dairy farmers use that same acid to clean their milking equipment. (light bulb!) Tractor Supply has a phosphoric Acid Rinse for about $11/gallon. I mixed some 1 to 3, acid to water. That concentration took 15 to 20 minutes to remove the blue and surface rust from an old Redfield sight. Not too bad for $2.75/ gallon. I'll probably use a more dilute mixture in the future. Carry on, John

01-02-2015, 01:32 PM	#7
Sergio Natali User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Somewhere in Northern Italy Posts: 2,646 Thanks: 1,087 Thanked 1,783 Times in 1,007 Posts	Lonnie, Goodness what make of coffee was that! :-) Jokes apart I've never heard about coffee but for sure vinegar actually can take off some of the blueing. Sergio __________________ "Originality can't be restored and should be at the top of any collector's priority list.

01-02-2015, 01:39 PM	#8
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,208 Thanks: 1,425 Thanked 4,474 Times in 2,343 Posts	I've used Naval Jelly to remove bluing. It also leaves the surface a gray color. __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

01-02-2015, 02:31 PM	#10
Ron Wood Moderator 2010 LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Santa Teresa New Mexico just outside of the West Texas town of El Paso Posts: 7,051 Thanks: 1,121 Thanked 5,287 Times in 1,728 Posts	Naval Jelly contains phosphoric acid, so I think the gray color is pretty much like a light parkerized finish. The jelly leaves a protective coating as well as removing the rust/blue. __________________ If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction

01-03-2015, 02:35 AM	#11
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,403 Thanks: 7,569 Thanked 2,651 Times in 1,395 Posts	Stomach acid is mostly HCl, much stronger acid and more concentrated than vinegar's acetic , and at pH of 4.5-6.o, coffee is also on the weak side--though I've read it can contain a medly of thirty different acids! I'm glad my morning Java is safe enough __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

12-31-2014, 11:19 AM	#2
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,977 Thanks: 2,076 Thanked 4,612 Times in 2,125 Posts	I had a S&W I picked up, blotchy color to it, put it in Vinegar (completely covering it) and in a few hours it was all gray. Sold it that way, much better than the gosh-awful blotches... Acid in it I am sure. What color remained on yours?

01-01-2015, 09:06 AM	#3
Paladinpainter User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Vermont Posts: 64 Thanks: 14 Thanked 45 Times in 15 Posts	Vinegar works, tho more slowly. I learned the hard way by getting some salad dressing on a S&W... Flushed it with a baking soda & water mix, then rinsed in plain water. The Acid Rinse parts came out a light gray, that carded easily to an "in the white" steel color.

01-01-2015, 12:55 PM	#4
rhinemann User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: S. Calif. Posts: 68 Thanks: 14 Thanked 25 Times in 13 Posts	Another cheep and fast way to remove bluing is to use lemon juice. I've put the juice in a container and submerge the blued part and very shortly the bluing was gone leaving a gray dull finish. jeffrey

01-01-2015, 06:18 PM	#5
Arizona Slim Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 706 Thanks: 1,026 Thanked 409 Times in 225 Posts	To the list of cheap bluing removers one might try ordinary coffee, dont know what types of bluing it will work on but one afternoon while takeing a break during an archery tournament someone spilled coffee on the sight on by bow and it took it off quickely. Lon

01-02-2015, 11:53 AM	#6
Paladinpainter User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Vermont Posts: 64 Thanks: 14 Thanked 45 Times in 15 Posts	I had some coffee like that, once.