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Disclaimer


This article is for entertainment purposes only.  Please refer all firearms work to a qualified gunsmith.  Do not attempt this work unless you are a qualified gunsmith.

Disclaimer:  I am not a professional gunsmith, just a shooting enthusiast and hobbyist, as well as a tinkerer.  If you are unsure about any of the following procedures, please defer to a qualified gunsmith.  Please thoroughly read, and fully understand these instructions before proceeding.  Where ever possible I used the names for parts as found in the owner’s manual.  For polishing I use wet/dry 400, then 600 grit emery paper wetted with Hoppe’s gun oil.  To remove metal I use a jeweler’s file, then polish as above.  For stoning I use a hard Arkansas or ceramic stone.  To polish pivot pins I use oiled 600 grit emery paper, or oiled automotive crocus cloth.  Work slowly and carefully and check functioning frequently.  It’s always easy to remove a little more metal, but adding metal is very difficult.  Some of these procedures require special tools, and only work when using those tools.

Rust Removal via Electrolysis .PDF

by Roy Seifert

You can remove rust from metal using electrolysis, and it will not harm the bluing.  The main advantage to this method is it gets all the rust in hard to reach places.  You will need:

  • A plastic container that will hold the part and electrolysis solution.

  • Steel rod.  DO NOT USE STAINLESS STEEL AS THIS WILL PRODUCE HARMFUL BYPRODUCTS.

  • Water

  • Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda.  Washing soda can be found in your local grocery store with the laundry detergents.  If you cannot find washing soda, pour some baking soda {sodium bicarbonate} into a pan and heat it over low-medium heat.  Water and carbon-dioxide will cook-off leaving washing soda {sodum carbonate}.)

  • Battery charger or other high amperage power supply.

Cautions: 

  • Please wear eye protection and rubber gloves when working with this solution as it is very alkaline and can cause irritation. 

  • Do NOT use stainless steel for the electrode as this will produce harmful byproducts.

  • The electrolysis process breaks down water into its component parts, Hydrogen and Oxygen, which can be explosive.  Work outside or in a very well ventilated area. 

  • Be sure your battery charger/power supply is unplugged before attaching or touching the leads.

In the container, mix 1 tablespoon of washing soda for each gallon of water to make up your solution.  Be sure the washing soda is thoroughly dissolved.  Place a steel rod (do NOT use stainless steel) either through the part to be cleaned (use o-rings to prevent the part from touching the rod), or place numerous rods around the inside of your container.  Connect these rods with wire; these will be the anode.  You must be sure that the part to be cleaned is not touching the rod(s).  Suspend the part in the solution with steel cable or wire so that it makes a good electrical contact with the part; this will become the cathode.  Connect the negative lead (black) to the part being cleaned (either to the part itself, or to the suspending cable or wire), and connect the positive (red) lead to the rod(s), then plug in the charger.  You will immediately begin to see bubbles; this is Hydrogen and Oxygen as the water breaks down.  Allow the part to "cook" for 3-4 hours.  The time is dependent on the size of the part, amount of rust, and the current of the power supply.  After you remove the part, immediately clean and dry it off, then coat it with a good quality gun oil or rust preventative oil.

I tried this process on a 1911 frame that had a lot of surface rust all throughout the inside.  I set the frame upside down on wooden blocks in the electrolysis solution and placed a rod with o-rings through the magazine well.  I connected a 1.5 amp trickle charger and left it for about 4 hours.  When finished, the frame was completely free of rust, and the bluing was intact.

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