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Advice - cleaning old rusty relics

jclapp
My buddy just got ahold of some old rusty relics that vary from a pair of dueling pistols to an old percussion sixgun. Lots of rust. Whats the best method for cleanign these up. I think his intention is to put them into a shadow box for decorative purposes.Thanx,The OTHER Postal.
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Comments

4 comments

Date Votes
  • hacker
    be aware that any cleaning will harm or destroy collector value if the guns have any. you might want to have them evaluated before messing with them.
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  • fergusonmorse392
    evaluate, for sure!!! take some pictures, or look for an appraiser:
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  • leeblackman
    A soft bristle tooth brush and some gun oil.
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  • rhmc24
    What the others have said is true enough. The objective should be to remove loose rust but not get down to bare metal. I would remove non-metal parts and clean with fine steel wool and kerosene, mineral spirits or paint thinner. Another possibility would be to use a fine wire brush. Allow to dry, free of above fluids and free of oil. Remove non-metal parts and heat to above 200 degrees F to drive out moisture. While hot, coat with floor wax to seal surface. When cool coat with more wax. After it dries rub with a rag. Carefully done this will non affect value and will improve appearance for display. Email for more old gun restoration info to rhmc24@swbell.net. Hope this helps.
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