Best Way to Remove Rust From Bluing?

[Load Master]

RUGER GP100 with a couple of small rust spots on the bluing. What is the best way to remove the rust and to treat the spot after word try and match the original bluing? Thanks....

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I have removed rust from flat blued steel surfaces such as a Marlin 39 receiver by
(a) soaking the rust in WD40 for 48 hrs, then
(b) using a new single edge razor blade, carefully shaving the rust off the blue without scratching the metal.

 

[Choctaw]

I have used Kroil with 0000 steel wool to remove surface rust.

 

[edwardware]

Oil, 0000 steel wool, and patience will remove the red oxide rust without removing the blue/black oxide bluing. Some suggest bronze wool, but I expect you'd deposit some bronze in the pitting and have difficulty removing it.

I'd be scared of the razor blade unless I was planning to refinish anyway.

 

[stoky]

Various brews containing phosphoric acid suck the oxygen out of the rust, leaving the iron.
Brownells makes one specifically for guns. Navel Jelly is a relatively mild one. Dupont makes some very strong ones for automotive body work.

 

[Ryanxia]

I have used Kroil with 0000 steel wool to remove surface rust.

I have also done this. Works great on surface rust and if its deep enough you need to give it some elbow grease you can go slowly and just deep enough that you need.

 

[Deanimator]

I got a S&W Model 36 "no-dash" through a lawyer friend who had a client going up the river and who had to dispose of it.

It was in pretty nice condition, but had a few light rust spots on it. I used Shooter's Choice and a copper penny to scrub off the rust. You can barely see where the rust was. You REALLY have to look for it.

 

[outlawjw]

A lead pencil will rub it off useing the lead then wipe down with oil. Light rust all gone

 

[AlexanderA]

Various brews containing phosphoric acid suck the oxygen out of the rust, leaving the iron.
Brownells makes one specifically for guns. Navel Jelly is a relatively mild one. Dupont makes some very strong ones for automotive body work.

Naval Jelly and the like are very effective in removing blueing. In fact they will remove the blueing even before they attack the rust. My last foray in this was to remove the blueing from a Civil War socket bayonet that had been blued. Worked like a charm.

If you don't want to remove the blueing, do like the others have said and use oil and a fine grade of steel wool. Small spots where the blueing has worn through can be touched up with cold blue.

 

[claiborne]

PB Blaster and 0000 steel wool.

 

[Malamute]

Ive had good success with any oil, or Hoppes No 9, and 4-0 steel wool carefully used, and/or a fresh penny with good sharp edges. Ive heard some newer ones werent all copper, if true, I think youd want to have one old enough to be all copper. A brass/bronze bore bruss can sometimes help also. A decent bore solvent should get any penny copper or bore brush deposits off the blued metal. Be careful not to scratch the blue with the steel wire core of a bore brush. In many instances, rust that isnt too deep will come off with little or no visible damage to the blueing, but no guarantees.

 

[J-Bar]

I would start with the least abrasive stuff and move up as necessary. Really small spots of superficial rust can be removed with oil and a Q-tip or toothbrush. You can scrub hard with these or a coarse clean rag and get superficial rust off without damaging blue or metal. I would save the 4/0 steel wool or other abrasives for the more deeply pitted stuff. Birchwood Casey cold blue solution can be daubed on with a Q-tip and then buffed with a coarse cloth or a few wipes with the steel wool.

Go slowly for a more harmonious outcome!

 

[Load Master]

Guys, thanks for all the great suggestions.

I'll take a few photos of the before and after to show what I end up with.

 

[Missionary]

Greetings
ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is the liquid we use. .Excellent penetrating oil that also lubes and nutralizes corrosion. Let it sit a couple house and soak in well.
We start the "rub" with a common "green kitchen pad (no scouring powder). Apply pressure as needed.
If the green pad did not get it then the finest wool we have lightly applied. Patience will aid you here.
Mike in Peru

 

[Big7]

I have used Kroil with 0000 steel wool to remove surface rust.

Kroil is the "stuff" and steel wool is fine if no pitting.

If you have pitting plastic mold polishing stones work good and available in any grit you want
from MSC Industrial Supply work very well. Just be sure to get the harder ones so to avoid
having "low spots" the softer ones produce. The hard ones will stay flat and with a little care, you will never know it.

For the final touch Brownells Oxpho-Blue is far and away the best bluing on the market.
I have used this on complete projects as well as touch-ups for many years.
In addition to a few coats on the bare area, clean the whole thing with acetone or denatured alcohol
and do the whole thing for a perfect match. In other words, if it's oil free this stuff will blue over the original blue.
That's the only thing I've used in the last 30 or so years. I tried them all.

Check out the link below.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...B5F0E62AE91727E6AA28B5F0E62AE91727E&FORM=VIRE

Post some good pictures of the area you are working on and I can help you out for sure.

 

[Shaq]

I had an old Remington 870 that had rust spots on the magazine tube under the forend. It was my first shotgun & I hadn't removed the forend for many years. I used fine steel wool with Break Free & all the rust came off. I didn't re-blue anything; just kept that area greased & checked it occasionally.

 

[Malamute]

Greetings
ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is the liquid we use. .Excellent penetrating oil that also lubes and nutralizes corrosion. Let it sit a couple house and soak in well.
We start the "rub" with a common "green kitchen pad (no scouring powder). Apply pressure as needed.
If the green pad did not get it then the finest wool we have lightly applied. Patience will aid you here.
Mike in Peru

Depending on the brand of green kitchen pad, a true scotchbrite brand pad/two sided sponge can scratch blue, can even scratch glass if one isn't careful.

 

[Curator]

In the museum business, we used Bronze wool and light oil to remove rust from blued surfaces, Steel wool will scratch or thin the bluing or patina. Bronze wool is harder than rust and softer than steel. My personal best oil for removing rust and rust prevention was/is automotive transmission fluid. If there appears a coppery coating after scrubbing with bronze wool simply wipe the surface with a cleaner containing ammonia. You can buy bronze wool from up-scale cabinet makers or places that sell boat/marine paints.

 

[4v50 Gary]

What curator says and I stay away from steel wool. We used steel wool to polish metal and this means scratching the surface. For removing rust, I use a brass stick and some oil like Frog's Lube (which is really just coconut oil with an anti-coagulant and green coloring). To remove the brass left on the blue, use Hoppe's.

 

[bannockburn]

I have had great success using Flitz for removing rust from guns without harming the remaining finish.

 

[outlawjw]

The pencil will work , it may take 2 or 3 passes but when through wipe with clean cloth to remove & then oil. This is what we used in the Navy for guns.

 

[herrwalther]

0000 steel wool and G96. I removed quite a bit of rust from blued surfaces. Most recently a Remington 870 receiver and barrel. Just make sure the surface is wet with oil, not just damp, before using the oil.

 

[GBExpat]

Various brews containing phosphoric acid suck the oxygen out of the rust, leaving the iron. ...

Are you aware that bluing is a form of "rust"?

 

[grampajack]

My method takes a long time, but it's pretty much safe as long as you don't go overboard.

I use Hoppes and fine steel wool to remove the bulk of it. After that, I just coat it in MC2500 and leave it to soak in. Clean normally, and repeat. Over time, the rust will come off.

 

[Jim K]

GBExpat is correct. Which is why folks who claim that this or that product "takes off rust without affecting the bluing" are deluding themselves.

Jim