marsh trapper
40 Cal.
Ive recently acquired a beautiful southern mountain rifle with iron furniture that is turned brownish, i would like to clean it and have it look as the day it was installed. Ive tried never dull to no avail. Thanks for help
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Best polish for iron furniture
- Thread starter marsh trapper
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Pete G
76 Cal.
Furniture was typically browned. A light rubdown with a thin oil and you are good.
64Springer
75 Cal.
Naval Jelly, steel wool and elbow grease.
Rubbing in one direction is better than swirl marks.
Rubbing in one direction is better than swirl marks.
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Polish iron ? Just oil it ...
If it's an original you'll ruin the collector value by removing the finish.
user 34300
54 Cal.
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Naval Jelly has no place near a gun. Pure destruction.
MLs are supposed to be brown. Original gun? Please stop.
MLs are supposed to be brown. Original gun? Please stop.
64Springer
75 Cal.
The guy wants to remove the rust from his steel parts.
HIS steel parts.
Naval Jelly would work very well for removing rust from HIS steel parts.
Perhaps folks can focus on what the OP wants rather than what other folks prefer.
I know, novel idea.
HIS steel parts.
Naval Jelly would work very well for removing rust from HIS steel parts.
Perhaps folks can focus on what the OP wants rather than what other folks prefer.
I know, novel idea.
You can wax iron as the last step in finishing, if you want. It's not durable, but it makes it look really nice for a while.
But as for method, I second the #0000 steel wool and oil light rub as the first step.
But as for method, I second the #0000 steel wool and oil light rub as the first step.
user 34300
54 Cal.
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What rifle? Junk or high value collectable? Maybe it was made by Beck, Armstrong, or the Hawken brothers. Maybe it was owned by Geroge Washington of David Crocket? It might be worth $1,000,000 for all we know.
Say it is an important rifle. The thing is we are very temporary caretakers of historical artifacts that can never be replaced. None of them truly belong to us. We get to enjoy (rent) them for a few years only. These guns could be hundreds of years old. An unmolestedly example gives us a glimpse into the hand of the long dead guy who made it and how he did it. Destroying that is theft from future generations. If a person owns a significant historical artifact he has the responsibility to preserve it. And then there is the decimating of monetary value of a collectable to consider. Naval jelly and sandpaper do not have any place near an important gun, they just don't.
I hear this business about his gun and he can do what he wants too often. Sometimes that demonstrates ignorance and poor judgement to proceed.
Preserving and stabilizing antique guns is a highly specialized business. IT it not something that can be done properly based on internet advice.
BTW, Evapo-rust is an excellent non destructive rust remover. Boiling parts converts rust to rust blue and encourages the crusty to fall away.
Perhaps the OP could post a picture of the rifle so better advice can be given?
Say it is an important rifle. The thing is we are very temporary caretakers of historical artifacts that can never be replaced. None of them truly belong to us. We get to enjoy (rent) them for a few years only. These guns could be hundreds of years old. An unmolestedly example gives us a glimpse into the hand of the long dead guy who made it and how he did it. Destroying that is theft from future generations. If a person owns a significant historical artifact he has the responsibility to preserve it. And then there is the decimating of monetary value of a collectable to consider. Naval jelly and sandpaper do not have any place near an important gun, they just don't.
I hear this business about his gun and he can do what he wants too often. Sometimes that demonstrates ignorance and poor judgement to proceed.
Preserving and stabilizing antique guns is a highly specialized business. IT it not something that can be done properly based on internet advice.
BTW, Evapo-rust is an excellent non destructive rust remover. Boiling parts converts rust to rust blue and encourages the crusty to fall away.
Perhaps the OP could post a picture of the rifle so better advice can be given?
Soak in evaporust overnight, scrub with toothbrush and rinse. It will be grey and frosted. Sand with emery paper and transmission fluid, working through the grits and switching direction 90⁰ at every grit change until all previous marks are removed. File out deep pits that didn't clean up with 120 grit and blend before advancing to finer grits. When you get through 2000 grit, take it to a stitched felt wheel loaded with Tripoli and carefully polishbwhat you can. Detail the insides and inside corners shoe-shine method with a cotton rag treated with Tripoli. DO NOT round the sharp edges.
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preemptive 
I wonder how many originals ever had that kind of polishing treatment? Way overkill. Several of the original rifles I've seen, including my family heirloom, have rounded edges at the corners of the barrel flats and they are not from wear, they're too uniform for that. That's the way they were made. It's true there are lots of edges that should not be rounded, like the lock plate edges. And if you want to ruin a lockplate, use a buffing wheel on it. Unless you possess a degree of skill way beyond most of us I guarantee you'll dish out every screw hole in the thing. Any of us who have seen many guns that have been "refinished" on a buffing wheel have seen this. All the polishing should be done by hand with a backing plate.
appalichian hunter
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Hell use a belt sander. and get it over with.
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sandblasting as an alternative?
Why not, that's exactly what L&R does. 80 grit by the looks.
Renaissance wax is what I was told to use by Jim Supica, former NRA Firearms Museum curator.
Johnny Tremain
Silversmith in training
I use 4 aught steel wool and then wax mine.
Old guns were often white, although browning seems to have been very popular in ninetieth century rifles.
Old brown, acid or neglect is hard to remove. Beauty is only skin deep but brown runs clean through. Well not exactly but blue and rust removers barely touch it.
You need a fine sandpaper 4-600 grit, or even finer, and time
If it’s an old gun it will hurt the value, but personally that wouldn’t bother me.
It’s your gun, you want it to look it’s best in your eyes
Old brown, acid or neglect is hard to remove. Beauty is only skin deep but brown runs clean through. Well not exactly but blue and rust removers barely touch it.
You need a fine sandpaper 4-600 grit, or even finer, and time
If it’s an old gun it will hurt the value, but personally that wouldn’t bother me.
It’s your gun, you want it to look it’s best in your eyes
I'd like to see your rifle! Can you post some pictures? May help with cleaning suggestions as well
