How to remove surface rust (?) on grip.

[deaglebranddeagle]

Hello guys!

I just impulse bought my first Kahr off gunbroker. Everything looks great except when I took off the grips, there was a bunch of gunk. I cleaned up what looked like carbon buildup, it was black and came right off with a wet rag. Some black specks were left over however. I hit the black specks with some mpro9 gun cleaner and it did not seem to do much. I took some pictures:

Pictures:
http://imgur.com/a/hVSMp

http://i.imgur.com/onQsiZS.jpg

How do you guys recommend I get rid of these spots?

Thank you in advance!

[muggsy]

Spot remover? :) Seriously, try a little Hoppes on some 0000 steel wool. Rub gently.

[berettabone]

If that doesn't work, I would use a Dremel, a felt tip, and some polishing rouge. Buff em off.........................

[DavidS]

Try as best you can to limit your polishing to the area covered by the grips. Where you polish could easily develop a shine and will look different than the matte finish.

[b4uqzme]

I cleaned up my frames with a low-abrasive cleaner called "Barkeepers Friend" using a green plastic scrubber. It took off the marks but did not change the finish. The product is made to clean stainless steel appliances without scratching or marking. I bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond...gotta do something when she drags me in there. :)

[muggsy]

You might also try a "Magic Eraser" manufactured by "Mr. Clean". I've seen that little white sponge perform miracles.

[CJB]

nix the Dremel... I'd go for good ol' Soft Scrub and Elbow Grease

Caution: you might not get those out. If they're pits you'll have to have the frame re-beaded. Not a huge big deal, but ... ya know... sometimes the best way out. Any gunsmith with a compressor and glass bead machine should be able to do it for minimal labor, and even less if you do the stripping of the parts before hand. OTOH, Harbor Freight bead blaster (about $40) does the job if you have access to compressed air.

[b4uqzme]

nix the Dremel... I'd go for good ol' Soft Scrub and Elbow Grease

Caution: you might not get those out. If they're pits you'll have to have the frame re-beaded. Not a huge big deal, but ... ya know... sometimes the best way out. Any gunsmith with a compressor and glass bead machine should be able to do it for minimal labor, and even less if you do the stripping of the parts before hand. OTOH, Harbor Freight bead blaster (about $40) does the job if you have access to compressed air.

Good point. But clean the grime out of the pits and you'll probably find it looks pretty darn good. So I'd recommend any of the cleaning methods above before a dremel or a bead blast.

JMHO.

[berettabone]

Why is everyone so afraid of a Dremel?????????????????????????? A bit of rouge, a felt pad.................it doesn't take off very much metal, if any. Lepps:)

[b4uqzme]

Why is everyone so afraid of a Dremel?????????????????????????? A bit of rouge, a felt pad.................it doesn't take off very much metal, if any. Lepps:)

Because it IS gonna change a matte stainless finish.

[berettabone]

It's under the grips so no one will see it, and any other suggestion that I've seen will do the same thing.:behindsofa:

[tv_racin_fan]

I use a brass bristle brush and Hoppes #9.

[CJB]

Ditto!!!

[Sgt 127]

Ballistol and a bronze brush. Finish up with grey scotchbrite pads if you want to blend the finish a little.

[SlowBurn]

I've never had to get spots off a gun, but I left a big knife in its leather scabbard too long and it got some corrosion. I used the Birchwood Casey wipes I keep for quick field gun cleaning, and the spots were gone after a couple of applications. That's not what they're for, they're supposed to prevent corrosion. But it worked.

[CJB]

There's another way. This won't work on blued guns unless you want to do a total refinish.

You can galvanically remove rust using a solution of distilled water and washing soda, aka sodium carbonate - NOT SODIUM BICARBONATE (baking soda), and some plain steel or iron as the anodes. You can use any non galvanized steel or iron, but not stainless steel as the anode.

Bucket of distilled wayer, lots of washing soda disolved in it. Set up the iron anode in the solution close to your frame, Attach positve from a battery charger to the sacrificial anode steel, and negative to your frame. Turn on the charger. It'll take a few minutes but you really cant over do the process as it does not harm the base steel, only the rust - which flakes off all on its own.

[CJB]

And, you can make sodium carbonate from sodium bicarbonate easily at home. Just put your sodium bicarbonate in the over at over 250 degrees for a few hours. Carbon dioxide and water vapor will be given off and the remains are sodium carbonate. Easy peasy.

[Sgt 127]

Bucket of distilled wayer, lots of washing soda disolved in it. Set up the iron anode in the solution close to your frame, Attach positve from a battery charger to the sacrificial anode steel, and negative to your frame. Turn on the charger. It'll take a few minutes but you really cant over do the process as it does not harm the base steel, only the rust - which flakes off all on its own.

Are you sure about the polarity? It would seem you are plating iron onto the stainless.

[blfuller]

Never use steel wool to remove surface rust on stainless. Doing so will imbed steel particles into the stainless and promote surface rust. Use a coarse Scotchbrite pad or try some Flitz metal polish. Also a pink eraser removes some surface rust as well.

[CJB]

Are you sure about the polarity? It would seem you are plating iron onto the stainless.

I have never done this. Its what the tool collectors say online. They get old tools, old micrometers, old vices, old pumps... and derust them this way.

I know that the guy who pulls the rust out of motorcycle tanks also does the same.... his process is electrolytic, and it takes the rust out without damaging the underlying steel, and without damaging the painted finish.

[CJB]

Probably ought to add, I brought my neighbors tank to him, and he had it back in about three weeks, good to go, derusted, and lined. His degree is chemical engineer, but his passion is motorcycles, so... thats what he does.

[marshal kane]

I would just give the frame a coat of good gun oil and let the grips cover the pits. Loss of the matt finish through excessive cleaning would irritate me more than a few pits under the grips. IMO, what I see in your photo is really minor. YMMV

[muggsy]

Holy crap! I'm beginning to think that CJB is actually Mr. Wizard. :)

[CJB]

Thanks Muggs.

Also have been playing with soda-blasting - which works great on rust, and will not change the finish of stainless a whole lot.... ya know shiny stainless... it will, but it won't amount to a hill of beans on already blasted stainless.

I got the BIG box of baking soda - cleaning grade - and that little Harbor Freight hopper/blaster. Works like a CHAMP on nasty scaly aluminum, making old Harley carburetors look new again. Plus, the clean up is with water!

OMG.... I should not probably say this, but.... if your local service station has a decent coin operated air compressor, you can cobble together a locking schrader to standard air hose fitting..... bring your part _and_ the Harbor Freight hopper down to the local station, plug onto it, put yer coins in... and get a surprisingly ok finish, even if you have to do it in the dark while a pissed off church bus full of nuns is wavin' their crucifixes at you because they need some tires filled and they're late for bingo. Just sayin!

[CJB]

http://www.harborfreight.com/portable-abrasive-blaster-kit-37025.html

You can get these for about $25 (even though they're on sale for $34 and change). Just gotta get the right coupons and go on the extra discount days.

I've got one of those, and its been worth the $25 or even $34.... you can get sand, glass-bead, soda.... whatever you desire (short of used comdrums) to blast your way into matte-finsih bliss.