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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 135
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 135 |
I recently acquired a Lefever G grade that is functionally sound but all of the metal has a dull brown patina- no obvious pitting, no visible active rust. The gun is not worth a complete refinish but is there a way to safely clean the barrels, sideplates, etc.? I am not aiming for a bright polished look, more of a natural wear appearance.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,994 Likes: 402
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,994 Likes: 402 |
an ultra-sonic cleaner will do wonders for the action. Once it comes out of the ultra-sonic any remaining rust will be soft and can be cut away with a sharpened piece of brass. You could just boil the barrels and convert the red/brown rust to black and card. Once converted to black oxide it is stable and will not rust further. Best of luck with it. Steve
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 135
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 135 |
Do you have a good recommendation for an ultrasonic cleaner that will work well? There are about 12,000 on Ebay to choose from
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,994 Likes: 402
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,994 Likes: 402 |
I have had one of these I bought 15 years ago, best money I have ever spent. This one is dirt cheap too!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/L-R-Ultrasonics-STAINLESS-CLEANING-SYSTEM-Quantrex-140H-ULTRASONIC-CLEANING/132540681619?epid=23015449674&hash=item1edc0a4d93:g:~e4AAOSwKJFarASb
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,165 Likes: 1155
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,165 Likes: 1155 |
al, it seems that your excellent questions have been answered. If not, my apology for intruding. But, I'd like to ask Steve a question regarding the use of ultrasonic cleaners to do an occasional cleaning of doubleguns.
In your opinion, is it possible that ultrasonic can wear away case colors? It would seem that the use of any type of abrasive cleaner in the tank would hasten color fading. I have read of people using stuff like Spic-N-Span. But, could even a liquid type cleaner cause this due to the vibratory action?
Thanks, SRH
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,994 Likes: 402
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,994 Likes: 402 |
Stan, I use a commercial solution, Chem-Crest 235, that I reduce to a very diluted form. It has no abrasives in it, I have not used spic and span. I would think you are correct in that any abrasives would wear on case colors. I have been amazed many times by putting something in the tank that looked brown or just covered in patina and once removed the engraving is sharper and some colors actually appear.
It works amazingly well and is the least intrusive method of cleaning I have encountered. You do have to be careful to blow off the excess fluid and oil immediately after removal from the tank or the metal is prone to rust. I have also heard of some damage from people using the wrong solutions. Great tool for the gunshop and one I would never be without.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,165 Likes: 1155
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,165 Likes: 1155 |
Thanks for the reply, Steve. Can you reuse the 235 cleaner by filtering the impurities out of it? That stuff is pretty pricey.
SRH
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,567 Likes: 71
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,567 Likes: 71 |
I use a cleaner degreaser from the local dollar store called L.A.s totally awesome. 4parts water to 1 part degreaser .
After cleaning brown parts try Navel Jelly to remove the brown then buff up with an old carding wheel. Results should look dull gray. Not new but not brown and not a lot of work.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,994 Likes: 402
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,994 Likes: 402 |
Stan, I keep using it without filtering until the solution is just ugly as can be, think brown pond water. The dirt and grime settle to the bottom of the tank so I do not think they act as an abrasive. I have never noticed any harm from the dirty water. I only put just a couple of table spoons of chemcrest 235 in tank. The gallon of concentrate I have now is still about 1/4 full and I bought it 4 years ago. Pretty reasonable over time. Steve
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,344 Likes: 390
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,344 Likes: 390 |
The advice to use Naval Jelly is absolutely something you do NOT want to do if you goal is to freshen up the original finish.
Naval Jelly is a phosphoric acid based rust remover that will remove the blue or patina, and replace it with a dull gray with white phosphate residue. The frosted etched surface it leaves behind even makes it unsuitable for use in a complete rebluing process unless you want to do a lot of polishing or end up with a dull matte finish. Save the Naval Jelly for brake drums and plows.
A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.
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