stripper clips

[crankycalico]

I just got a box of those Swedish surplus stripper clips. The light grease on them did not do a whole lot to prevent surface rust.

Does anyone have good suggestions for cleaning them up, or am I looking at a few weekends of rubber gloves, light oil, and steel wool while watching old war movies?

[244]

You might be able to convert some of the rust via boiling. It would help get some of the grease off too.

I'd be tempted to use a brass brush instead of steel wool for any persistent rust.

An acid will eat rust too, but you have to be careful. A soak in warm citric acid would be my starting try if boiling and a brass brush did not work well enough.

Send some to me and I'll let you know which methods works best!

[BK7saum]

Are you wanting to preserve any blue/finish let? If not, I'd drop em in a tub of evaporust. It will remove any other finish, but the rust will disapper.

I might boil to remove grease, then use evaporust and follow up with a cold blue treatment if they are in really bad shape.

[georgerkahn]

I got some similarly rust/grease'd stripper clips, and what I did was submerge them all for two or three days in a canning jar of mineral oil (e.g., paint thinner). Amazingly, upon checking the jar, without any agitation, etc., about a 1/4" layer of darkness appeared in solutions bottom. I then shook the solution for a few minutes, dumped the oil, and repeated. It looked like 99% of the grease was gone, but pitting and the like from rust remained. I had bought some brass brushes on 1/8" shafts for the Dremel, and these were used on said rust. (My only disappointment was the brass didn't hold up very long -- these were super el cheapo brushes bought at a gunshow vendor's table, so I wasn't out much.) I re-rinsed them back in the mineral spirits.
I have a Hornady ultrasonic cleaner, and, with their parts cleaning solution, in warm distilled water, cleaned them in this. Upon removal, and severe rinsing, I dried them as best I could with an old towel; let as much moisture as I could see evaporate; and, sprayed a very generous coat of G96 on them. Bion, some look as good as new; the others where pitting still shows may not be as pretty, but every one worked.
Good luck!
geo

[country gent]

Is it grease or cosmoline on them. The cleaning solution for cosmoline was kerosene. The ultra sonic cleaners would be good and fairly quick with little follow up work. A vibratory case polisher with fine corn cobs might clean them up a lot with a couple hours run time. But corn cob will need to be blown from under spring and from grooves. I have some stripper clips for a NRA High power bolt rifle and have cleaned the clops in this manner. Grease would need to be removed first.

[crankycalico]

not sure what the grease/preservative is. Been using a rag soaked in good old #9 solvent and its been working rather well. I was surprised a good many had no rust on them.

So far the rust is coming off and merely leaving dark staining, or super light red stains. Still not sure what step is next.

Im thinking a lemishine soak for the worst rusted ones just to see how that works out. But a preservative for after words I can use a tad of help with.

[BUCKEYE BANDIT]

Synthetic 2 Cycle ?? works wonders on stored steel molds.

not sure what the grease/preservative is. Been using a rag soaked in good old #9 solvent and its been working rather well. I was surprised a good many had no rust on them.

So far the rust is coming off and merely leaving dark staining, or super light red stains. Still not sure what step is next.

Im thinking a lemishine soak for the worst rusted ones just to see how that works out. But a preservative for after words I can use a tad of help with.

[poppy42]

If. It’s cosmoline I found a good recipe for a cleaning solution. It was mineral spirits Marvel mystery oil and I believe there was another ingredient which eludes me at this current time. I wrote it down someplace but as I’m old I can’t remember where I put it. It is however, readily available on the Internet. It works quite well I can attest to that . I’ve used it more than once on the mil-surp eastern block pistols I’ve bought that were packed in cosmoline. I can’t see why it wouldn’t work on any of the type of grease. It required very little effort as long as the items was soaked long enough. I followed up with a little break clean for a final cleaning to remove any residual. The solution can even be stored in reuse for quite a long period of time . I’ve also used automotive parts cleaning solution ( not carburetor cleaner I tried that and it doesn’t seem to work so well ). As for the rust that’s another story. I would clean off any heavy rust and if any dark spots remain I would treat the clips in OSPHO. OSPHO is a brand name for what’s basically phosphoric acid and it neutralizes rust. OSPHO can usually be found in any decent hardware or farm supplie stores. I’ve even found it in Home Depot and Lowe’s .
Anyway I hope any of this helps. Good luck
Goo

[crankycalico]

these are plain steel, so would the OSPHO still work well?

[244]

Phosphoric acid converts rust to a dark spot. I cannot tell you the chemical name, but it is a type of phosphate. I have seen it sold in an aerosol as a "rust converter" and as a liquid as a metal preparation solution to paint. Phosphoric acid will turn brass pink (leach out the zinc) very quickly and will eat away some metals.

Boil them to remove the grease, brush the still rusted parts, rinse in acetone, and then a quick bath in phosphoric acid (per label instructions), and then a light coat of oil should do it.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Naval Jelly is one brand name for one co's Phosphoric Acid product.

You can buy it on Amazon etc., as just Phosphoric Acid, no brand name needed. Dry chemical might be easiest to ship.

And the stuff's used in Beer Making etc. so it's safe to drink a weak solution of it, not nasty stuff.

[poppy42]

these are plain steel, so would the OSPHO still work well?

Most definitely. That’s what it’s made for. I used it extensively When I repaired horse trailers. I’ve use that on several tools and even used it on an old rusty knife I found before putting edge back on it

[shortfal]

I do not think I saw it mentioned here. EVAPORUST. Awesome product.

Pete

[crankycalico]

would Krud Kutter from rustoleum work?