AR Sponsor
Posted: 5/18/2013 8:20:46 AM EDT
| A buddy of mine just purchased a much neglected SP-1. It has surface rust around the front sight post and between the carry handle by the rear sight where it looks like the finish is gone. What is the best way to remove the rust ? and what is the best way to touch up after the rust is gone ? Thank's in advance. |
|
Quoted:
0000 steel wool and some CLP or WD40. Patience is a virtue in rust removal. The longer it takes, the less finish you remove with the rust. As for the finish, I've had some good results with high temp spray paints for touching up really small areas. Like BBG grill flat black paint maybe ?? |
|
big 45 frontier gun cleaner
Looks like a scouring pad, but will not damage the blue. Works great on surface rust. I go through several in my shop every year. Big 45 |
|
There are two kinds of finishes on an SP-1 - gray Parkerizing on steel parts and dark gray anodizing on aluminum parts. Starting with the aluminum, it doesn't rust in the ordinary sense, but it can show oxidation in the form of a crusty white build-up. I would go after that with a non-metal scouring pad like the one mentioned above, moistened with water. You can use Birchwood Casey 'Aluminum Black' to darken it again. Matching Colt gray will be a challenge but if you dilute the treatment with water you may be able to darken it in stages.
On the steel parts, I would use that scouring pad again with oil as noted above. Touch-up may not be required, but would be a challenge if it is. It all depends on to what level you plan to go with this rifle - if you want to keep it original, there's nothing you can do for missing Parkerizing that won't look phony. If you just want it to be decent and original as possible, you might rub some cold blue on the bare areas, particularly at joints like at the front sight where it's not so noticeable. You can try the dilution trick like the aluminum black to darken it in stages to see how it's going to look. Personally, if it were mine and it had a good bore with no pitting and all parts in good condition, I would use bake-on coatings to restore it to new appearance. The hardest part would be masking around the barrel to separate the colors at the upper receiver, but that's not really a big deal. |
|
wd-40 with BRASS wool not steel wool, steel wool is too course, use brass wool brownells sells it, wd-40 gets under rust as does Kroil spray and let it sit for a few hours then lightly hit it with brass wool
remove the wd-40 with acetone and alcohol, then alcohol, then paint |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
0000 steel wool and some CLP or WD40. Patience is a virtue in rust removal. The longer it takes, the less finish you remove with the rust. As for the finish, I've had some good results with high temp spray paints for touching up really small areas. Like BBG grill flat black paint maybe ?? Brownells Alumn-hyde is awesome for guns, because it was ... made to be used on guns. Chemical and heat resistant. Costs a bit more, but in all things in life, you get what you pay for. |
|
I had the same problem and found a non acid based rust remover that is enviromentally friendly as well. It only comes in gallon jugs about 25 $ @ home depot,
Its called rust rescue ! Go figure, also purchased a cheap plastic trough at ace hardware used for dipping wall paper before hanging 4 $. The gun does not need to be stripped as this stuff is plastic safe. Just set the gun and or parts in the trough and pour solution in, thats it! If it wont cover it all then rotate in 4 to 12 hours, this stuff works best and fastest in warmer weather Ive used it in cool weather it just takes longer. When the solution turns black rust is gone and the park on my sp1 was still there....Awsome. |
|
Quoted: Quoted: 0000 steel wool and some CLP or WD40. Patience is a virtue in rust removal. The longer it takes, the less finish you remove with the rust. As for the finish, I've had some good results with high temp spray paints for touching up really small areas. Like BBG grill flat black paint maybe ?? Yes. I use it when chopping FSBs. It holds up well. |
|
You ever watch American Restoration? Vinegar was something they used, not sure if it was White or Cider for rust removal
I also read about rust removal in a bike forum and the use of oxalic acid which can be found in most paint depts, they sell it as wood bleach. |
|
Quoted:
You ever watch American Restoration? Vinegar was something they used, not sure if it was White or Cider for rust removal I also read about rust removal in a bike forum and the use of oxalic acid which can be found in most paint depts, they sell it as wood bleach. Apple Cider vinegar works well, I've used it on small fuel tanks. I've never tried this on an AR, but I've used it on other blued rifles; if it's just light surface rust, a pencil eraser will work. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
0000 steel wool and some CLP or WD40. Patience is a virtue in rust removal. The longer it takes, the less finish you remove with the rust. As for the finish, I've had some good results with high temp spray paints for touching up really small areas. Like BBG grill flat black paint maybe ?? And maybe engine block paint, or header paint. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
0000 steel wool and some CLP or WD40. Patience is a virtue in rust removal. The longer it takes, the less finish you remove with the rust. As for the finish, I've had some good results with high temp spray paints for touching up really small areas. Like BBG grill flat black paint maybe ?? yep...used it on my RRA barrel. Not because of rust, they don't parkerize (at least when I bought mine in 2007) under the front site. I removed the fixed sight and put on a Yankee Hill flip sight. The Yankee Hill didn't cover all the non-parkerized are so I cleaned the barrel and gave it a coat of High Temp BBQ flat black. Damn near same color. Held up this long. |
AR Sponsor