Best way to safely remove rust

[Dark Wolf]

I would go slow and see what you end up with. Worst case scenario, you learn about the chemicals you use and gain experience to use on something in the future.

DW

 

[Ajgall]

The time that you would have in it would be a 80 hours.That guns not hiring

If it was a gun he found at the flea market or a yard sale absolutely, but if I’ve read the OP correctly he wants to restore it as a tribute to his dad. If that’s the case the value is sentimental and while it may never to safe to use again depending on the damage to bore it could be cleaned up as a labor of love to remember his dad.

 

[necchi]

but if I’ve read the OP correctly he wants to restore it as a tribute to his dad. If that’s the case the value is sentimental,,

That's what I picked up too,
My post wasn't intended to treat the gun as anything that could be re-conditioned to functioning form at all,
But a proper process done now can/will stop further degradation and leave a piece with the "found as" history of the salvage

 

[Ajgall]

That's what I picked up too,
My post wasn't intended to treat the gun as anything that could be re-conditioned to functioning form at all,
But a proper process done now can/will stop further degradation and leave a piece with the "found as" history of the salvage

Exactly like how people treat “dug relic” guns stabilize and mitigate the damage and prevent future corrosion. If the guns got sentimental value to the owner it may be worthwhile to him. I have a family member with an antique unmentionable that he got from his father’s barn and even though it’s not in safe shape and really only fit to be scrap it was worth it to him to clean it up as a wall hanger

 

[necchi]

a family with an antique unmentionable that he got from his father’s barn and even though it’s not in safe shape and really only fit to be scrap it was worth it to him to clean it up as a wall hanger

We have a few of those in our family;
"these two belonged to Great Aunt Lola",
"this came from Grandpa Everette",,
"this one belonged to Uncle Dunk",,,

 

[DuncNZ]

Firstly soak in a good penetrating oil . if you can get Bronze wool not steel wool use that , Try to find a round bar of bronze or copper and use it as a pressure roller to crack the deep rust off . Use the sharp end of the bar or a copper coin as a scraper to scrape the rust off , maybe try electric rust removal , most important take your time . Relic firearms cleaned up properly can make nice wall hangers and talking points , There is a lot of good advise on rust removal on You Tube , Project farm is my favorite

 

[French Colonial]

Copper scouring pads if your worried about steel wool removing to much

Chore Boy Copper Scouring Pad-2ct - Walmart.com

 

[Feltwad]

To me it is just a straight forward restoration job it looks worse than what it is . First check to see it is not loaded for the surface rust on the barrel take a piece of wet and dry fine and remove the thick and finish with a coarse and fine steel wool forget about the chemicals you may find that the underside of the barrel in the for end will be ok .For the bore most are not has bad has the outside if a smoothbore you will need a honing tool and for a rifle a wire brush for a better job remove the breech plug so you can come at it from both ends with a wire brush . The stock may take a filler or a new piece of wood between the standing breech and the lock remove the grime from the rest of the stock but not the patina and finish with a oil finish. it looks worse than what it is .
Feltwad

 

[nit wit]

What does the inside of the bore look like?
Nit Wit

 

[oldwood]

Let the dead lay as they lay and move on before the next Ottowa war party comes through.

 

[Mattmatt617]

I would have left the Remington and put it in a shadow box as a relic, the rifle could use a bath of electrolysis how do you remove rust with electrolysis - Google Search

 

[Whughett]

Some questions for the OP. Not your dads gun. you say. So how do you suppose it wound up in his back yard buried under a pile of junk.? Stolen and hidden, Not by your dad of course, perhaps Some neighbor hood kid. ?
As to perhaps loaded. The nipple appears to be missing, removed by you or ??

 

[Whughett]

If it was a gun he found at the flea market or a yard sale absolutely, but if I’ve read the OP correctly he wants to restore it as a tribute to his dad. If that’s the case the value is sentimental and while it may never to safe to use again depending on the damage to bore it could be cleaned up as a labor of love to remember his dad.

By the user name , her.

 

[sonofthunder1959]

EvapoRust is the best and safest product to use for this. It will only eliminate rust and bluing but does not need to be neutralized.

Thank you from another forum member (me, who is faced with a similar task). I have zero experience and or knowledge of the EvapoRust product. I have heard the name, but that's a flat IT. Do you by chance have any pointers before I dive into the attempt at rebluing? Thank you in advance...

 

[TNBandit]

Molasses. Lots of antique car restoration guys swear my it. A couple grocery store jars of Molasses mixed with a 5 gallon bucket of water will work wonders on that rust. For the barrel I'd hang it in a capped off section of PVC pipe filled with the same magic solution. Leave it for a week and pull it out and see what you,ve got. It won't hurt the metal.

 

[11Bravo]

Two ways I'd go, either
1. Electrolysis, I have used it and removes all rust and will remove all bluing
2. A 60 minute boil in distilled water, I've done barrels in a rain gutter on the grill, then remove rust with non aggressive brushes, blue can be saved that way.

 

[sheriff john]

KROIL and copper cleaning pad (not the soap type). Simply dribble KROIL on screws, bolts, etc. before trying to loosen. Use it on farm machinery left out for decades. Sometimes let it work overnight, add a bit more. Use it with copper pad for outside and also inside barrels when they look like that one.

Wet-soaked, dried out wood? I haven't a clue, wish I did.

 

[Whughett]

Molasses. Lots of antique car restoration guys swear my it. A couple grocery store jars of Molasses mixed with a 5 gallon bucket of water will work wonders on that rust. For the barrel I'd hang it in a capped off section of PVC pipe filled with the same magic solution. Leave it for a week and pull it out and see what you,ve got. It won't hurt the metal.

Now that’s a new one. What’s in molasses that would react with iron oxide.

Not related to the thread but on the idea of using food stuffs to remove tarnish. In my Navy days I did a stint mess cooking, KP to Army guys. The big dish washing machines had brass spray fixtures and at the end of the day we would remove them coat with ketchup and then rinse. Nice and shiny for the CPOs satisfaction.

 

[DuncNZ]

Molasses. Lots of antique car restoration guys swear my it. A couple grocery store jars of Molasses mixed with a 5 gallon bucket of water will work wonders on that rust. For the barrel I'd hang it in a capped off section of PVC pipe filled with the same magic solution. Leave it for a week and pull it out and see what you,ve got. It won't hurt the metal.

I have a farmer friend who has a large collection of old farm equipment , He sprays the rusty bits with a stock feed molasses /water mix to remove the rust then oils with old sump oil , all these implements are out in the weather with no rust .

 

[SDSmlf]

I have a farmer friend who has a large collection of old farm equipment , He sprays the rusty bits with a stock feed molasses /water mix to remove the rust then oils with old sump oil , all these implements are out in the weather with no rust .

Personally, I tend to treat my guns a little better than farm implements. The guns aren’t quite as stout as the farm implements.