65 year old lock parts???

[holzwurm]

Have spent time on my bench cleaning up the furniture off those pig-in-a-poke Hawken style rifles I bought last spring. The part surtface's have a great patina which I will maintain, but the insides are just rusted all to hell after 65+ years of sitting in a closet somewhere. Penitrating oil doesn't ease the turning of the screws so I had to resort to the red wrench to kick them loose. Cleaned all the screws and chased the threads with a tap. Will have to dress off some tiny screws later.

I've had some success trying to track the maker and I think I have him located. There was a barrel/gun maker in Lodi Ohio back in the 50/60's named D.R. Taylor. I think I mentioned that "D Taylor was stamped in the top barrel flat on both pieces behind the rear sight. All the inletting and shaping of the stock are of good quality which is why I am surprised that the original maker would park a barrel in a mill and remove about 3/32" off the bottom flat, PLUS weld the breech plugs/tang to the barrel. There were two rifles in the auction lot and they are numbered 1 and 2.

The TR plate has "137" stamped as does several other iron pieces (Trigger plate. lock plate, inside the butt plate and toe plate) + the original barrel. The fly is built into the tumbler on the inside. And the sear spring is kinda short & curley (compaire different from current design). Inside the nose of the lock plate is an almost unreadable name stamp I'll assume was the maker. Hard to make out but I can see I (or T) GIR ??? Know any lock maker from that era?

I've ordered a barrel from Rice and over the fall/winter I will try to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear just to see if it can be done.

Thoughts?

 

[Col. Batguano]

A lot of times I go the easy route with rusted items and put them in a cartridge case tumbler for a day or two.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Dave Taylor was a barrel maker from Little Hocking OH. As far as barrels go he was one of the best of his time. I do not know of him making complete rifles or anything else though: just barrels.

 

[Gtrubicon]

Look into soda blasting, harbor freight use to sell the gun, they probably still do. The media is baking soda and it works very well. As colonel batguano stated a media tumbler for centerfire reloading will also work well. I use the stainless steel pins in a wet tumbler, it will clean anything that fits in the drum. It will polish up the interior parts well.

 

[holzwurm]

Little Hocking. OK now I know which adds to the history. As I mentioned, his name is stamped on the barrel so I guess there are exceptions. We naturally think a name on the barrel top flat suggests the maker.

Thank you both.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Be careful of using a rock tumbler though. Any media tumbler is going to round off sharp edges. Sometimes that's ok, and sometimes it's not. Sometimes the sharp edges you want (such as on a sear or tumbler) will need to be freshened up afterwards. It all depends on the part. Just use prudence and common sense in what you're doing, and you'll be fine.

 

[holzwurm]

Not being a rock hound or ammo reloader, I don't have these pieces of equipment. So I do cleanup with small files and stiff cardboard abrasive finger nail files. A dremmel comes in handy too. Great for bringing mating surtfaces to a high polish. Thanks all.

 

[user 34300]

Evapo-rust is the best solution to rusty parts I have found.

 

[holzwurm]

All the above are righteous ideas. But I wanted to keep the exterior 60 year old dark brown patina. Carefull disassembly and hand treatment of the serious internal rust worked for me. Also, the pieces now work smoothly and crisply. Whoever finally acquires this piece will appreciate my attention to detail

Thank you all for your ideas

 

[J.D.]

Not being a rock hound or ammo reloader, I don't have these pieces of equipment. So I do cleanup with small files and stiff cardboard abrasive finger nail files. A dremmel comes in handy too. Great for bringing mating surtfaces to a high polish. Thanks all.

Tongue depressors and popsicle sticks bought at craft sections of big box stores, coupled with double stick tape and various grits of sandpaper work very well to provide a greater variety of grits for those jobs requiring some precision, when removing rust, or working in small areas on stocks.