Tweet
Hi everyone. I just wanted to share my adventure of trying save a really old shot gun. Most people would have just left it the way it was but I wanted to see if I could bring it back to life using electrolysis.This is my first time trying this.
A little history. The gun was found half buried in the dirt around the Tombstone AZ area by an elderly guy many many years ago. He had to sell off his estate and a local guy picked it up along with some other guns. I found the local guys ad and purchased the gun from him as a parts gun. http://imgur.com/a/ZtJCk
From seeing the pictures and it in person it was mainly surface rust, no major pitting and was going to make it into a working gun again. I did a lot of research on how to do electrolysis and watching videos on You Tube on how to do it.
Here is all the necessary things for the electrolysis. (I am not responsible for anyone who does it my way and burns down there house or gets zapped! Thanks) I did this process for 48 hours. It might take a lot less depending on the rust. Do not do stainless steel and this is not suitable for non-ferrous metals.
A container to set the gun in. Washing soda. They have it at wally world for like $3. http://imgur.com/a/bZomm
Battery charger. You need one that has a continuous 12 volt/2 amp flow. I got mine from Harbor freight for $44 with a two year warranty. http://imgur.com/a/cQoQe
Ok one thing about the new battery chargers they need a positive draw to work so I had to hook up the charger to the battery and from the battery to the gun. http://imgur.com/a/L0N6a
You can also use an old school charger and hook it right up to the gun and metal piece. They do not need the battery. You also need a piece of sacrificial metal. Its best to try to surround the gun with a long piece of metal to draw out the most rust.
WARNING WHEN THIS IS GOING THROUGH THE ELECTROLYSIS PROCESS IT MAKES A GAS CALLED HYDROGEN!!!! So please do this in a well ventilated area or outside. I want to keep people safe.
Ok you get your container and fill it almost full of water. Then for every gallon used put a tablespoon of the washing soap to the water. Mix it all up and set in the gun and the sacrificial piece.( DO NOT LET THEM TOUCH!!) I used a drum brake backing plate for the first part. http://imgur.com/a/G2IXp
Ok now to hook up the the negative battery terminal to the gun. I wrapped bailing wire around the handle of the gun and let it stick out the water six inches. I then used a copper wire (an old extension cord) to go from the battery to the bailing wire on the gun. Do not let the copper touch the water. It will let off some super harsh chemicals during the process. I wrapped the copper wire around the battery charger clamp and left it alone for now.
Then to set up the positive side I wrapped the copper wire in a hole in the drum plate and wrapped it around the clamp of the charger.
Ok everything is good to go. Now clamp on the negative clamp and then positive clamp to the battery. Then you plug in the charger. And science starts to go to work. http://imgur.com/a/G2IXp
Now make sure not to touch anything when the charger is plugged in. You can get zapped! When turning off the process just unplug the charger and then detach the charger clamps from the battery. Here it is after twelve hours. http://imgur.com/a/LOpw1
I added another piece of metal on the right side of the gun wired to the brake disk to help out that side. Now you can keep at it with the same water but I changed it out with new water and new soap too. I was able to get the action to move. http://imgur.com/a/0pe6Y
Here is what was left from the rust. http://imgur.com/a/HwqwI
The drum plate and other piece wasn't doing as good so I found some rebar. New rebar u shape. http://imgur.com/a/LguhJ I left it going for another full day and it came out looking like this. http://imgur.com/a/gJjuP
I put some fresh water and used a plastic bristle brush and scrubbed of the black residue. The electrolysis did a great job of getting the rust off. I sprayed it down with wd40 and went to town taking it apart. http://imgur.com/a/U2BlD
I had no problem with any screws. They all came out pretty easy. The internals posed a problem when I had found that the main spring was broken. But I got the guts out. I sprayed the internals down with rem oil and started to scrub it down with the wire brush. They came out really good. Compared to what they were in when I first started. http://imgur.com/a/JqXQ1
So I cleaned up the parts as good as I could and put it back together. Now I am just waiting for my parts arrive. http://imgur.com/a/nOHdc
I just got done bluing the gun. It is a really easy process and if you want it to look good you have to take your time. But I didnt want it to be too perfect but look good for its age. I purchased the birch wood/Casey kit for $18 at sportsman's warehouse. It comes with a degreaser, blue and rust remover and the bluing liquid. wet sand paper and steel wool.
This guys video was really helpful. Do this in a good ventilated room, the rust and bluing remover smells like crap. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe0BxYvMazg
Here it is with my same year take down version. http://imgur.com/a/X3MpB
I picked up some 320 sandpaper and makeup remover cotton squares to help out with the application process. I had one container of water to use steel wool with and another for halting the bluing process. The mag tube was really well not pitted but it was ruff. I hit it with the 320 wet sand paper and got it pretty smooth. I didn't get all the pits out. I think it gives it character. http://imgur.com/a/ETwe4
Once I got it sanded down good I used steel wool and water to buff it out. Then I used the degreaser on it. I cleaned off all the crap off of it and used the rust and bluing remover. I let that sit on each part of the for 30 seconds before sanding and cleaning it off. Then I hit it with alcohol before I put the bluing agent on it. I left the bluing stuff on for a minute each time. Then you dunk the part in cool water to stop the bluing process. Now I only did half of the tube at a time. Its sort of a pain to try to do the whole damn thing at the same time. Here it is with the spring plug just as a reference as how much it changes color with just two passes with the blue stuff. I did 6 coats to get it too a good medium dark color. http://imgur.com/a/YlSBV
One I got that done I started on the receiver. I used 1500 sand paper to give it a light buff it didn't need much. Got it all cleaned up did the same thing I did for the mag tube I did and then started to slap on the blue. I did six coats on this also. Here you can tell the difference of treated and bare metal. http://imgur.com/a/IGmpz
Once I got the receiver done I started on the barrel. I hit the barrel with the 320 grit to smooth it out and after that used the steel wool to buff it out. Here it is with half done. With one coat. http://imgur.com/a/wQ0G7
I did six coats on the barrel. Now for the little parts. I hit them all up with 1000 grit sand paper and took off all the bluing. http://imgur.com/a/wX10k
I did three coats on them and they turned out great. http://imgur.com/a/DM29z http://imgur.com/a/oHTu8
Now with all the bluing done its time for a picture of it almost complete. http://imgur.com/a/yWHKe
Thanks everyone for following my process of saving this old gun. Its been a pleasure showing you folks this. Thanks.
A little history. The gun was found half buried in the dirt around the Tombstone AZ area by an elderly guy many many years ago. He had to sell off his estate and a local guy picked it up along with some other guns. I found the local guys ad and purchased the gun from him as a parts gun. http://imgur.com/a/ZtJCk
From seeing the pictures and it in person it was mainly surface rust, no major pitting and was going to make it into a working gun again. I did a lot of research on how to do electrolysis and watching videos on You Tube on how to do it.
Here is all the necessary things for the electrolysis. (I am not responsible for anyone who does it my way and burns down there house or gets zapped! Thanks) I did this process for 48 hours. It might take a lot less depending on the rust. Do not do stainless steel and this is not suitable for non-ferrous metals.
A container to set the gun in. Washing soda. They have it at wally world for like $3. http://imgur.com/a/bZomm
Battery charger. You need one that has a continuous 12 volt/2 amp flow. I got mine from Harbor freight for $44 with a two year warranty. http://imgur.com/a/cQoQe
Ok one thing about the new battery chargers they need a positive draw to work so I had to hook up the charger to the battery and from the battery to the gun. http://imgur.com/a/L0N6a
You can also use an old school charger and hook it right up to the gun and metal piece. They do not need the battery. You also need a piece of sacrificial metal. Its best to try to surround the gun with a long piece of metal to draw out the most rust.
WARNING WHEN THIS IS GOING THROUGH THE ELECTROLYSIS PROCESS IT MAKES A GAS CALLED HYDROGEN!!!! So please do this in a well ventilated area or outside. I want to keep people safe.
Ok you get your container and fill it almost full of water. Then for every gallon used put a tablespoon of the washing soap to the water. Mix it all up and set in the gun and the sacrificial piece.( DO NOT LET THEM TOUCH!!) I used a drum brake backing plate for the first part. http://imgur.com/a/G2IXp
Ok now to hook up the the negative battery terminal to the gun. I wrapped bailing wire around the handle of the gun and let it stick out the water six inches. I then used a copper wire (an old extension cord) to go from the battery to the bailing wire on the gun. Do not let the copper touch the water. It will let off some super harsh chemicals during the process. I wrapped the copper wire around the battery charger clamp and left it alone for now.
Then to set up the positive side I wrapped the copper wire in a hole in the drum plate and wrapped it around the clamp of the charger.
Ok everything is good to go. Now clamp on the negative clamp and then positive clamp to the battery. Then you plug in the charger. And science starts to go to work. http://imgur.com/a/G2IXp
Now make sure not to touch anything when the charger is plugged in. You can get zapped! When turning off the process just unplug the charger and then detach the charger clamps from the battery. Here it is after twelve hours. http://imgur.com/a/LOpw1
I added another piece of metal on the right side of the gun wired to the brake disk to help out that side. Now you can keep at it with the same water but I changed it out with new water and new soap too. I was able to get the action to move. http://imgur.com/a/0pe6Y
Here is what was left from the rust. http://imgur.com/a/HwqwI
The drum plate and other piece wasn't doing as good so I found some rebar. New rebar u shape. http://imgur.com/a/LguhJ I left it going for another full day and it came out looking like this. http://imgur.com/a/gJjuP
I put some fresh water and used a plastic bristle brush and scrubbed of the black residue. The electrolysis did a great job of getting the rust off. I sprayed it down with wd40 and went to town taking it apart. http://imgur.com/a/U2BlD
I had no problem with any screws. They all came out pretty easy. The internals posed a problem when I had found that the main spring was broken. But I got the guts out. I sprayed the internals down with rem oil and started to scrub it down with the wire brush. They came out really good. Compared to what they were in when I first started. http://imgur.com/a/JqXQ1
So I cleaned up the parts as good as I could and put it back together. Now I am just waiting for my parts arrive. http://imgur.com/a/nOHdc
I just got done bluing the gun. It is a really easy process and if you want it to look good you have to take your time. But I didnt want it to be too perfect but look good for its age. I purchased the birch wood/Casey kit for $18 at sportsman's warehouse. It comes with a degreaser, blue and rust remover and the bluing liquid. wet sand paper and steel wool.
This guys video was really helpful. Do this in a good ventilated room, the rust and bluing remover smells like crap. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe0BxYvMazg
Here it is with my same year take down version. http://imgur.com/a/X3MpB
I picked up some 320 sandpaper and makeup remover cotton squares to help out with the application process. I had one container of water to use steel wool with and another for halting the bluing process. The mag tube was really well not pitted but it was ruff. I hit it with the 320 wet sand paper and got it pretty smooth. I didn't get all the pits out. I think it gives it character. http://imgur.com/a/ETwe4
Once I got it sanded down good I used steel wool and water to buff it out. Then I used the degreaser on it. I cleaned off all the crap off of it and used the rust and bluing remover. I let that sit on each part of the for 30 seconds before sanding and cleaning it off. Then I hit it with alcohol before I put the bluing agent on it. I left the bluing stuff on for a minute each time. Then you dunk the part in cool water to stop the bluing process. Now I only did half of the tube at a time. Its sort of a pain to try to do the whole damn thing at the same time. Here it is with the spring plug just as a reference as how much it changes color with just two passes with the blue stuff. I did 6 coats to get it too a good medium dark color. http://imgur.com/a/YlSBV
One I got that done I started on the receiver. I used 1500 sand paper to give it a light buff it didn't need much. Got it all cleaned up did the same thing I did for the mag tube I did and then started to slap on the blue. I did six coats on this also. Here you can tell the difference of treated and bare metal. http://imgur.com/a/IGmpz
Once I got the receiver done I started on the barrel. I hit the barrel with the 320 grit to smooth it out and after that used the steel wool to buff it out. Here it is with half done. With one coat. http://imgur.com/a/wQ0G7
I did six coats on the barrel. Now for the little parts. I hit them all up with 1000 grit sand paper and took off all the bluing. http://imgur.com/a/wX10k
I did three coats on them and they turned out great. http://imgur.com/a/DM29z http://imgur.com/a/oHTu8
Now with all the bluing done its time for a picture of it almost complete. http://imgur.com/a/yWHKe
Thanks everyone for following my process of saving this old gun. Its been a pleasure showing you folks this. Thanks.
Comment