Rusty wood

[Frank46]

And no I haven't lost my mind, its just out wandering. Seriously. I have one of the greener police guns I bought awhile back. Was pulling off the barrel band (had to cut through the screw) and underneath it was rusty wood. Also in the barrel channel. I used a small stainless steel brush to carefully brush out the rust that had migrated from the barrel onto the wood. Would like to keep the forend as one day I hope to get it rebarreled. So how do I go about making sure that the rust is all gone
and not rust the new barrel. Thanks, Frank

[3006guns]

The rust was formed by moisture trapped under the fore end. The rust on the wood is from the barrel. It's not "cancerous"...once you remove it, it's gone. Use 0000 steel wool and oil to remove rust from the barrel. Treat the wood with a good stock finish and reassemble. Just don't get caught in the open during a rainstorm and if you do disassemble, dry, warm it up and re-oil the metal.

[KCSO]

How to never ever have this problem...

When you reassemble the gun heat some beeswax to liquid and paint it into the fore end and on to the buttstock before you put on the butt plate. Assemble the gun quicklyy before the wax gets too solid and wipe off the excess. the barrel channel and butt are now sealed against moisture and if you drop the gun in the river you can fish it out and dry it off without having to tear it down. This is how i finish all my trade guns that are subject to a lot of wet weather or canoe use.

[John Boy]

How to never ever have this problem...
Wipe the metal with Eezox ... http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=5457.0 Be sure to look at the last set of pictures

[Frank46]

That's what I love about this site. Ask a question and get a variety of answers. Thanks guys, Frank

[Blackwater]

I've done a couple of jobs like this for friends. The rust was from the metal/wood contact, and shouldn't be too deep. It's likely just in the surface pores, and "stuck" to the wood with the "glue" of whatever type oil the former owner/s used. To "melt" that "glue," you'll need a solvent that'll dissolve it so you can get it and the rust off the wood. Try a mix of acetone, mineral spirits and laquer thinner. That should do it, but if not, try other solvents. Wet a good, tough rag with the solvent mix and apply liberally to the wood where the rust is stuck on the wood's surface. You'll need to repeatedly apply the solvent every 20 min. or so because it'll evaporate. Eventually, the chemical action of the solvent will start "melting" the goo/rust mix, and softening it. When the crud begins melting, use the rag, a medium to soft brush (toothbrush maybe?) or whatever you have handy that won't score the wood too badly, and combine the abrasive action of the rag/brush/whatever with the solvent (keeping the wood wet with the solvent mix) and you ought to be able to clean the wood. Some 0000 steel wool ought to get the last vestiges of it, when wetted good with the solvent, when you get down to the very last traces of it. Then let the wood dry completely for maybe a couple or three days, and come back with a fine sandpaper to make sure there's no rust left in the wood.

Don't get in too big a hurry, and just set in to do it right, and you ought to be able to restore it to "original" with whatever dings it's accumulated through its years of use.

That's how I'd do it anyway. Leaving rust in the wood and just covering it up just isn't my idea of gittin' it done. Rust is insidious stuff, and I just wouldn't trust a coverup job or a barrier of oil or grease between a brand spankin' new barrel and that old rust. Just my 2 cents' worth, of course.

[Frank46]

Just reread my last post on rusty wood. Sounded kinda sarcastic. Such was not my intent. Everyone has a different way of dealing with a problem like this. Thanks again. Frank