Removing black staining from raw steel parts

Zoltan · Oct 14, 2020

I'm working on cleaning up several old WWI era firearms, and some of the raw steel parts have a lot of black staining on them. I assume this is from surface corrosion, as I've commonly seen it on other old firearms as well. While I very much love and plan to keep the patina on the blued parts, I'd really like to get the raw steel parts looking new-ish again.

Is there any easy way to remove that staining and bring it back to the original, shiny steel?

budman93 · Oct 14, 2020

I wouldn't do anything other than a normal cleaning and oiling. Removing patina from original old guns is never a good thing. Shiny steel will look wrong on a gun that is otherwise worn and patinaed.

bbrown · Oct 14, 2020

Zoltan said:
Is there any easy way to remove that staining and bring it back to the original, shiny steel?

I seem to recall someone saying, a long time ago, something about "lipstick on a pig". That's not meant to be an insult, BTW.

Zoltan · Oct 14, 2020

bbrown said:
I seem to recall someone saying, a long time ago, something about "lipstick on a pig". That's not meant to be an insult, BTW.

*Shrug* It's my time, and it's worth it to me.

AssMan · Oct 14, 2020

Dremel. If you're going to do it, may as well go all the way. (for the record, I'd just clean it by hand and not worry about the "patina")

DutchV · Oct 14, 2020

You could use 0000 steel wool and whatever light oil you like. That will clean things up with the least damage.

Magnumite · Oct 15, 2020

Good advice from some credible people in the thread. They are your gns and it is your time.

Keeping it well oiled and wiped down may lift some of that blackening. Try keeping it wet with Kroil.

OR

Get a couple of those long term storage plastic gun socks, put the barreled action and metal parts from each long gun into its own bag and dump a quart of ATF or Kroil in each bag. Let it sit about a month.

slsc98 · Oct 15, 2020

Zoltan said:
...Is there any easy way to remove that staining and bring it back to the original, shiny steel?

“Do The Least Harm First” and go at it in a progressive fashion; if you’ve not already done so:

“For metal parts, use Simple Green to remove oils, grease, and dirt. Soak rusted components in diesel or kerosene for 3-5 days to soften the rust. After the soak, use copper to scrub the rust away. A copper pan scrubber works well. Avoid scrubbing with steel brushes or coarse steel wool as it can scrape away the finish.“ ( https://gunnewsdaily.com/how-to-restore-antique-firearms-and-guns-beginner-guide/ )

To date, I have not found a rust-removal product that is entirely safe to use on historic metal surfaces. The problem is that most rust removers can’t tell the difference between iron oxide and iron metal, and will leave an etched surface even where there is no rust. Some products do seem to come close, though. Often they require extremely close attention and precision – too much for most of us operating on a home workbench.

In short, there are no magic solutions that are risk-free and I advise against their use on anything you value. Most surface rust can be removed by first lubricating the area with a light penetrating oil and cleaving it off with a sharp scalpel held at a very low angle to the metal. It requires close attention, a steady hand, and some patience, but if you are careful, you will probably get most – if not all – of the surface rust off without leaving a scratch. When done, remove any remaining oil with mineral spirits.

Cleaning Barrels and Other Metal Parts

[Please note: I believe that it is essential to practice any new technique on a sacrificial piece first, before applying it to something irreplaceable.]

Use nylon or animal-bristle bore brushes. Avoid using brass or steel brushes because such hard materials can scratch, but also might (under certain conditions) cause galvanic (bi-metallic) corrosion (specifically when using a copper-alloy brush on ferrous metals) by leaving a slight metallic smear behind. Use mineral spirits to soften accretions. Work in fresh air or a well ventilated area. (Are there other solvents that are stronger? Yes, but they are difficult to work with safely.) Swab clean with a cloth patch.

Use only extremely fine abrasives such as oil-free 0000 steel wool. Use only if absolutely necessary to remove stubborn rust or other accretions. Work slowly and watch constantly for any changes to the surface. There is always an element of risk in such work. If you are at all uncertain, hire a conservator or qualifi ed gunsmith before causing irreversible damage. When cleaning brass parts, never use products that contain ammonia.

Ammonia can damage old copper alloy materials by corroding them from the inside out. In addition, such products may include abrasives, which may prove too harsh. Elbow grease and mineral spirits should be tried first. If something slightly stronger is needed, try applying small amounts of wet tooth powder with a cotton swab and rinse with water. So – a general comment about commercial rust removers.

( https://gundigest.com/more/classic-guns/simple-guidelines-for-antique-gun-care )

AFTER ALL THE ABOVE, if still heck bent on obtaining “white metal” again you can always use phosphoric acid.

Being friendly honest - If you’re not already familiar with how to use phosphoric acid one probably shouldn’t be using in on vintage firearms parts but, hey, they are YOUR gun parts so, you can Google it. (Phosphoric acid is one of the main ingredients in dark colas and I used it to De-rust refurb a spare wheel for the wife’s ‘66 GTO that a buddy literally dug out of a clay-mud hillside where the steel had languished for who knows how many decades and when I was done it looked as if it’d come from the factory in ‘65-‘66 but, all that said, I’m hard pressed to think of a situation where I’d resort to much else other than copper wool and oil on any gun parts.

But again, they are YOUR gun parts and no one else’s ...

Best o’ Success and ...

Go. With. Patience.

Removing black staining from raw steel parts

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