Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Wren
Thank you! I did not know that process. I will admit the brake cleaner was a joke, but I knew I was going to have to find way to break the crud up. I will try this process.
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It's the same process as slow rust bluing, but without the need for initial rusting if you already have an "actively oxidizing patina". There are lots of videos out there to watch. After conversion, it will look cruddy, and possibly still rusty. But what looks like rust will be be very loose and powdery. 0000 steel wool knocks this now loose excess oxide off, and polishes the hard layer of bluing that was formed against the metal. All this is done dry, although some insist on "wet carding" with water.
When you are all done, use a good water displacing oil. anything with rust inhibitors in it will ruin all your hard work, as the finish is quite delicate in this dry state. I have found that plain kerosene is the absolute best. Dunk your parts, or brush on liberally for a barrel and let it set for for an hour or so. Following this use clean oil (again no detergents or rust inhibitors) for your first oiling. After this initial oiling the finish is "set" and you can use whatever gun oil you like or prefer for normal maintenance down the road.
Your frame looks like it has been refinished before. You can preserve its current weathered look and "patina" with the above boiling. If it looks too neglected, you can bring up the finish just a touch with a single careful iteration of rust bluing to make the weathering and age look more uniform, without taking away aged appearance.