doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Another rust blue question

Can someone tell me what degreaser product(s) to use before applying the rust bluing chemical? I have the Pilkington Classic American Rust Blue product (if it makes any difference).

Can I use acetone or other readily available products?

Should I degrease the inside of the water tank too? If distilled water is required, I guess it goes without saying that the tank must be very clean.

Thanks in advance.

acetone works great.
Steve

I like to boil them in a TSP solution. Scrub all the tight places, and boil again in the TSP then a boiling rinse.
bill

do the TSP substitutes work? Seems like they would but I'm not sure...local hardware stores don't carry real tsp, only the "tsp substitute".

Also, do you wash the tsp off with anything or just let it dry?

You should be able to get real TSP at a full line paint store. If you do use it, yes rinse it off. I've been using Simple Green for degreasing. I wash the parts down twice and rinse with very hot water. Degrease the boil tank. I originally used distilled h2o for boiling but decided to try my plain tap water, it works just as well. Must be a pretty pure supply. I guess some guys use rain water. Very good info at this link:

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dfg2hmx7_194gwgwmqdh

When using Pilkington's I have got best results with distilled water. I have used tap water (from Portland, Oregon, and Chandler, Arizona) with less than desirable results. The final finish had a purple tint to the blue. When using distilled water the finish has always been a true blue-black.

Automotive brake cleaner is very convenient as it comes in a aerosol can. Evaporates fairly fast and leaves no residue. I like the CRC brand.

OB

Ryan, what I do is plug the bores and clean the exterior with a high-tech yet non-toxic degreaser. It is known as Dawn dishwashing liquid and water. Ideally your water tank would be stainless.

Thanks everyone! I will report how good or bad it goes. My tank is stainless.

What I do is put regular tap water with a little Dawn in the tank and bring it to a boil and drop in the barrel or whatever is getting blued and this will degrease all the nooks and crannys inside and out and the tank so no oil will appear later in the process. Rinse the parts and the tank with tap water and you should be set to go.