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Posted By: Krakow Kid Getting Rid of Rust - 04/20/17 11:28 PM
Aside from a good helping of elbow grease, have there been any developments since Hoppe's #9 to help make it any easier to scrub out a bunch of rust from steel barrels?
Posted By: bill schodlatz Re: Getting Rid of Rust - 04/21/17 12:13 AM
You need sandpaper to beat the Frontier stainless pad on the i.d. Put some on a rod and use your drill to turn it.

bill
Posted By: PALUNC Re: Getting Rid of Rust - 04/21/17 01:00 AM
Watched a You Tube video where a guy removed rust off a gun barrel using a copper penny. Pre 1982 pennies
Posted By: keith Re: Getting Rid of Rust - 04/21/17 10:44 AM
If the outside of the barrels is also bad and will need to be refinished, you could always use a product like Evaporust. But it, or any rust remover, will also remove any bluing since bluing is just another form of rust. Lately, I've been using a solution of molasses in water for a slow but very effective chelating rust remover. Takes a couple weeks, but removes every last bit of rust without attacking the good metal in the least. A 50 lb. sack of dried molasses cost me $16.50 at the local feed store, and is enough to make 50-55 gallons of solution that is safe to just dump on the lawn or shrubs when it quits working well. Rusty parts do need to be kept completely submerged during the soak.
Posted By: Dennis Potter Re: Getting Rid of Rust - 04/21/17 11:53 AM
Most interesting. Could not one use a bottle of molasses to try this? Concentration would need to be determined I guess. :Looks like a trip to the food store. Sweet idea. Sorry, I could not resist.
Posted By: gunsaholic Re: Getting Rid of Rust - 04/21/17 12:31 PM
I've seen videos where guys who restore cars use molasses in big tanks to submerge complete rusted car panels, hoods etc. As mentioned, it takes awhile though so don't be in a hurry. Usually it is mixed about 10 parts water to 1 part molasses.
Now when we talk molasses, we are not talking mole-asses!!
Posted By: Ken61 Re: Getting Rid of Rust - 04/21/17 12:32 PM
Electrostatic rust removal is one of the easiest and most efficient methods. It also avoids harsh chemicals and abrasives. It can be adapted to remove rust from almost anything, including barrel bores.

Regards
Ken
Posted By: keith Re: Getting Rid of Rust - 04/21/17 01:02 PM
I've read that the more refined grocery store molasses is not as effective because it supposedly doesn't have the same sulfur content as the feed store stuff. You can Google - "molasses rust removal"- for tons of information on the process. I read about different ratios of molasses to water, and settled on about 5 lbs. of dried molasses to 5 gallons of water, starting by dissolving the dried molasses in a gallon of boiling water. Some feed stores also carry liquid molasses. This method doesn't smell nearly as bad as some of the articles you read will claim, but you still wouldn't want to do it in the house. It does take a bit of patience, but I doubt if there is a cheaper, safer, easier method of removing rust. Rubber gloves are good to keep the smelly black slime from staining your skin.

I've been wanting to try the electrolytic method of rust removal that Ken61 recommends, although I have read that it is not recommended for certain hardened parts like springs because it can cause hydrogen embrittlement. But it would likely be great for barrels, because as with the molasses method, you aren't using abrasives that remove good metal, engraving, lettering, etc.
Posted By: LeverHead Re: Getting Rid of Rust - 04/21/17 01:08 PM
My buddy is a hobby machinist and restores old mills and lathes. He made a reverse electrolysis tank, it was pretty impressive. I've never seen it used on gun barrels, but it sounds like a good idea.
Posted By: Ken61 Re: Getting Rid of Rust - 04/21/17 01:31 PM
I never use it for gun springs. I did use it for a leather punch tool that had a coil spring, it didn't cause any problems. Nice thing about barrels is that it removes bluing. What it results in is a black powder type coating, similar to after boiling, that is wiped off. For bores, suspending the anode (thin rebar) with rubber bushings so it doesn't contact the tube is easy. I ended up with a large plastic marine cooler as my tank because it's long enough for tubes. I can fit about anything into it, and the anode framework is made of rebar with extra junk lawnmower blades welded onto it to provide more surface area. Any DC power source will work, but if using a battery charger you need a manual one that provides a steady current.

You can quickly accumulate an extensive collection of files using this. Rusty files are usually very cheap at flea markets. Just remove the wooden handle before tanking them.

Regards
Ken
Posted By: Der Ami Re: Getting Rid of Rust - 04/21/17 05:17 PM
Lyle Peterson, a machinist YouTube star has a series comparing different methods of rust removal, including those mentioned here. If you search for youtubevideomrpete222 his YouTube channel will come up. Find his homepage and click on "videos".
Keith Rucker on Vintage Machinery also addresses rust removal.
Mike
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