drying barrel

[AgesofDays]

with the wood stove going now ,after cleaning my barrel I lay the barrel across the top to dry any remaining moisture left there before applying oil is this an alright idea ? ive done it maybe 6 times the barrel gets hot enough that I use welding gloves to take it off then let it cool awhile before puting the oil to it just started to think was this such a wise idea?

 

[Landngroove]

I would keep a close eye on it when it is on the stove. If it got too hot it could warp, or bend.

 

I think it's agood idea but like the gent said do not let it get hot. Warm is okay - but hot mmay lead to changes in the metal as well as warping issues.

 

[Birddog6]

My guestimate (I have not tried your method) would be the barrel has already flash rusted by the time you have applied the rust inhibitor. Now being you are using a woodburner, most likely the surrounding air is dry & almost no humidity in the air at all, so this may be very minor rusting.
I do know for a fact that if you clean a barrel with hot water & let it dry, it imediately starts to rust once the water is gone & the longer it sits prior to a rust inhibitor being applied, the more it rusts.
Now we are talking micropic forms of rust starting and a good rust inhibitor will kill this imediately, thus no harm is done.

I did however clean one this way back in the mid 70's, bucket & barrel in hot soapy water cleaning & flushing it in & out, took the barrel out & rinsed it with hot water, left it to dry. Well, I got distracted somehow before I got finished with it (don't remember what happened) & never got back to it til the next day before realizing I had not protected the bore after rinsing it. That bore to this day is still etched. Now it didn't rust bad mind you, but it doesn't have that mirror bore look & never will have again. And it didn't affect the accuracy of it at all, well, best I could tell off a bench.

But for me, No, I would not heat the barrel. Nor do I use hot water in one, as cold water & some Ballistol afterwards does fine for me. Lots of guys use hot water & like that method & that is fine.....

Lots of dif. ways of cleaning them, ya have to find the one You like & waht works for You....
:thumbsup:

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I set mine by the stove or lay the barrel on the top for awhile, don't let it get so hot you can't handle it.

 

[Mad Professor]

Pour some isopropanol dry gas down the barrel followed by wet patch with the same then a dry patch. The water gets flushed and the dry gas evaporates real quick in a warm barrel. A couple minutes next to the wood stove and it's ready for some bore protectant. I don't get flash rust this way but sometimes notice the dry gas losens some stuff up the water did not take care of.

P.S. don't spill the dry gas on yourself, it will "burn" certain parts if you know what I mean :shocked2: Also, do this away from the woodstove as it's quite flamable.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

After you clean your barrel with hot soapy water flush your barrel with clean hot water than imidiatlly patch dry to pervent flash rusting. After two maby three patches they should be clean, now apply your favorite oil and patch out the execess. I do this and my barrels never rust and are always squeeky clean.
:hatsoff:

Oh hay what part of northern VT are you from?
My sis moved south to east concord right on the Conneticut river, Funny how the flat landers call that part of the country the kingdom :shake:
We all know Island Pond north is the true Kingdom.
My friends had a deercamp near Louis pond. But are about to lose it because it is now public land. Kinda sad all that woodchuck huntin' history gone because the VT legestlature thinks that all those deer camps are a eyesore, I sure did have fun as a kid chasin whitetail around those swamps and bogs.