Well, I went and shit the bed!

Rained hard Saturday morning in Minnesota; should have known better than to trust the bed tux roll top. Should have checked the gun-cases before the drive home. As it is, 14 hours in a wet case w/vibration really does bad things to blued steel! Live and Learn!

So, I need to clean up some rust. There, I went and said it! Nothing too bad, but frustrating.

I went over the gun quickly Saturday night with an old kitchen dish pad (nothing more than soft, slightly abrasive plastic). That got off most of the rust. Gun is now dry.

Where should I go from here?

Vibration rubbed off a little bluing at the muzzle/magazine end (Marlin lever action 30-30).

It's not a particularly valuable gun, but it was in very good shape before I pulled a HOMER!

Oh, did I mention it belongs to my father - don't tell him, please!

So, any help/advice is much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

friar

Get some 3/00 or 4/00 fine steel wool at the hardware store and some WD40. Spray it and rub it out, the fine wool will not damage the bluing and will take lite rust off. Use long strokes, try not to concentrate too hard in one area. Works like a charm!

thanks lee!

I see there's also a thread in the Gunsmithing forum.

I appreciate the help!

friar

quote:

Originally posted by lee440:
Get some 3/00 or 4/00 fine steel wool at the hardware store and some WD40. Spray it and rub it out, the fine wool will not damage the bluing and will take lite rust off. Use long strokes, try not to concentrate too hard in one area. Works like a charm!

+1

I've done this on shotguns used in wet weather waterfowl hunting that didn't get dried in time to prevent rusting a little.

Brownells Oxpho-Blue. Remove the metal from the stock. Heat with flame or heat gun, I once used a gas BBQ grille, until it is just about too hot to hold but not so hot it instantly evaporates the Oxpho when you apply it. Just apply it over the existing bluing with 0000 steel wool. No need to prepare the surface, just heat the metal and apply the Oxpho according to instructions. Don't rush it, give the solution the full 2 minutes to work and keep it wet. Remember eye and body protection. Do this in a well ventilated area. Do not do this in the kitchen.

If the weapon is not pitted, Kroil and a piece of burlap will remove surface rust without damage to the blue.

One standard method of bluing is called rust-bluing. It is done by first creating a fine (unpitted) rust on the metal surface, then the rusted metal is subjected to very hot or boiling water.
You could pour boiling water onto the rust and it will convert to blue, then lightly buff back to proper finish.

I do exactly what Lee440 sugested. Works well!