[clamman]

A friend of mine brought me a old Glenfield 22 and asked me to cold blue it. Upon inspection I discovered some yahoo spray painted it. I removed the paint and found out why. It's because it rusted and pitted. I called him and said this one cannot be done, it would look like crap. He said "don't matter to me just reblue it." What? Well he's a good friend so, what the heck. I told him I would but don't you dare tell anyone. I did a test spot and it seems as if the bluing is not penetrating the craters in the barrel after proper prep and applying the cold blue. My question is what can I use to clean the pits?
Oxpho? Naval jelly? I really don't want to do this job, but he is aware what it's going to look like. I guess I need to learn to say no lol.

 

[packetsplace]

Try some CLR. I have used it with good sucess on rusty/pitted steel.

 

[gerard488]

Has anyone here used electrolysis on gun barrels? I`ve used it on other rusty stuff and it seemed to work . Might need to plug both ends of the barrel first

 

[clamman]

CLR won't work. Last thing you want to do is introduce oil before bluing. Neither will electrolysis. Maybe a sonic bath. thanks for the input though.

 

[Redd]

I don't have much experience, but what about wire brush on a dremel and then polish it out? I had a friend that did that with an old totally jacked 700 in 30-06 and it turned out real nice.

 

[CHW2021]

Maybe scrub it with steel wool and use paint stripper of naval jelly as a last resort.
I have been "coerced" into redoing a bunch of Katrina guns, all have been a challenge. My best results have been to go over the metal with the wire wheel on my bench grinder and remove all crud/rust/finish and cold blue with Oxpho. Recently I was made aware that real gunsmiths can blue over case hardened matals after acid treating/washing the surface and getting a matte finish with hot bluing; I have wondered what acid treating the metal prior to Oxpho would do for a finish. Maybe I'll try that with muratic acid for the next gun.
The only finish type that will hide pitting to some degree will be the "dura coat" type spray and bake.
Good luck and at least you get someone elses gun to try your hand at and not your own.

 

[clamman]

I think I'll use the dremel with the wire brush and then Oxpho rust converter. I just stopped going over it with 180/220/400 emery cloth and it looks much better, so far. Going to rain all day tomorrow so I should be able to do the final polish/clean then. The things I do for free...............

Oh, I'm at work so I guess I am getting paid lol!

 

[CHW2021]

I understand, I am lucky if my friends pay for or get supplies for me. Get the large brush for the dremmel, it helps and don't forget the safety glasses!

Since you sanded it you may want to wirebrush across the sandpaper marks to reduce their appearange.
If you are redoing the stock, I have gotten good results with "tru-oil", it builds and dries quick and looks good on sporting guns.

 

[clamman]

Dang it after reading your post I remembered that i need a new wheel. Thanks. Luckily, the stock is OK. You're right about the Tru-oil. I just finished a Remmy 510 (for me) and that stuff is fantastic. I've been re-doing guns for around 20 years and that was the first time i used that product. Love it.

 

[Bindernut]

If you need to get down to clean steel, try either a molasses bath (google it), a vinegar bath, or one of the selective-chelation rust removers like Metal Rescue or Evaporust. They will dissolve the oxides, including any old bluing, and leave you right down at the bare metal surface.

Note: Notice I said it will remove bluing (which is just an oxide coating) as well, so I accept no responsibility for anyone trying these methods to get some pepper rust off of a blued firearm and finding it "in the white" when they pull it out of the tub.
Only do this on something that you want to get down to raw metal for refinishing!

 

[soundguy]

CLR won't work. Last thing you want to do is introduce oil before bluing. Neither will electrolysis. Maybe a sonic bath. thanks for the input though.

CLR isn't an oil.. its a acid based rust rust/calcium remover.

CLR Calcium, Lime Rust

you may be thinking of CLP

 

[clamman]

CLR isn't an oil.. its a acid based rust rust/calcium remover.

CLR Calcium, Lime Rust

you may be thinking of CLP

Oops, you're right. I was thinking CLP. Sorry!

 

[goofy]

If you want it done right find a gunsmith who does hot bluing if you prep the steel first then it should only cost around $25 for him to put it thru a batch.
Cold blue is only good for touch up because it will not last long and the rusting will start all over.
So you are wasting your time working on it only to cold blue it.
Mike

 

[Helix_FR]

Try evaporust. It removes everything even into the pits. Otherwise best thing is to bead blast it. I agree with mike too, cold blue is a joke and will only drive you nuts trying to get it right.

 

[goofy]

Those old .22 have allot of steel so getting out all the pitting(95+%) is easy.
And as Helix said bead blasting is the best way to go if you don't want to sand for hours.
So prep away but try to get it hot blued.
Mike

 

[GunHugger]

Not worth the trouble in the first place, COLD blue won't hold up anyway.

Paint was the better choice IMO.

Or proper prep and hot blue if the gun was worth the cost and work and a Glenfield 22 is not..

 

[goofy]

1/2 of the guns I restore are not worth it when you are talking about cost to value but when you add sentimental value (grand pops gun that was handed down) there is no question of cost to restore so it stays in the family to be passed down.
You can not put a value on sentimental guns that has been in the family and passed down to the next generation.
No matter what the gun is.Or who made it.
Mike

 

[GunHugger]

While I agree goofy, the OP made no mention of sentimental value so I didn't either in my reply. Just the facts jack.

Nothing wrong with a good gun paint like Brownells sells or any of the other gun paints available today.

Yes, I like a good bluing job but IMO an old Glenfield 22 that is all pitted and rusted is not worth the cost and the work involved for it to be done correctly. And it will still be "reblued" and will not be worth any more in the end.

I have a few old 22's that have been passed down to me. They are rusted, old and ugly but I would never reblue them and remove all the wear that my grandfather and father put on them. Their sentimental value increases with the wear and rust that is now a nice brown.

I just painted a Marlin 22, made in the 80's that my brother in law ruined by never cleaning or giving any care at all. It was so ugly that he gave it to me. I spent hours removing all the rust thinking I would have it hot blued but in the end decided to use gun paint and am real happy with the result. First time that I ever painted one.

 

[carver]

A friend of mine brought me a old Glenfield 22 and asked me to cold blue it. Upon inspection I discovered some yahoo spray painted it. I removed the paint and found out why. It's because it rusted and pitted. I called him and said this one cannot be done, it would look like crap. He said "don't matter to me just reblue it." What? Well he's a good friend so, what the heck. I told him I would but don't you dare tell anyone. I did a test spot and it seems as if the bluing is not penetrating the craters in the barrel after proper prep and applying the cold blue. My question is what can I use to clean the pits?
Oxpho? Naval jelly? I really don't want to do this job, but he is aware what it's going to look like. I guess I need to learn to say no lol.

Cold blue is for touch up only, and will not last. If he doesn't care what it looks like then paint it, or parkerize it. For that matter buy a can of truck bed liner, and paint it with that! But I would try to get all the rust off before painting it.

 

[Hawg]

CLR won't work. Last thing you want to do is introduce oil before bluing. Neither will electrolysis. Maybe a sonic bath. thanks for the input though.

Electrolysis will work.