Flintlock Pistols With Rare Safety Frizzens, c1740

Philip · 22nd April 2016, 05:16 AM

Using oil on an iron or steel surface is better than no protection at all. But think of the downsides:
1. It comes off on your fingers (or soils your curatorial cotton gloves) as you handle the piece. Worse, it can smear onto the wood stock and over time cause it to darken in places when accumulations soak into the grain.
2. Over time, it can harden and form a nasty gunk which is likely to cause its own set of problems, as has been discussed heretofore.
3. On guns that are displayed out in the open (i.e. on wall mounts or atop a shelf) and are not periodically wiped, oil attracts dust and while it slowly dries out, the dust attracts atmospheric moisture like a wick, and the metal eventually rusts.

You can avoid these problems by using a high-quality wax in lieu of oil. "Renaissance Wax" is a popular brand, but I have had excellent results with more mundane equivalents, like a good carnauba-based automotive wax, or the household standby, Johnson's paste wax (designed for furniture, it's good for the stock as well). Remove oil from surface before waxing, and use a toothbrush or toothpick to remove excess buildup from crevices and screw slots after wiping with a soft cloth. A wax finish lasts a long time, I've gone several years before having to renew it (although I live in an arid part of the country, you might want to do it more frequently if your climate is damp or you live by the seashore).

A good time to wax a gun is when it's all apart, you can catch the underside of the barrel, the parts of iron fittings that nest in stock recesses, and of course the screw threads. Oil still has its place, to lubricate the mechanical contact points. If you make it a point to scrub and clean the bore, do the same as you would do for a sporting gun, but it's best to reserve that operation for when the barrel is detached from the stock so that bore cleaning solvent (and the suspended rust and gunk) don't drip onto the wood.

rickystl · 23rd April 2016, 05:38 PM

Hello all. I'm usually on the Ethno Forum, but glad I ran into this great Thread.

Dana: Those are a great looking pair of pistols. And I'm glad you found a solution to the cleaning issue. They sure turned out nice. So much better without that old, hardened oil. Your decision to clean the metal parts in the fashion you did sure gets my vote. And thanks to all for the knowledge on the saftey frizzens. Most interesting.

Here is the stainless scrubber that Philip mentioned. It does in fact work better and faster than steel wool. Terrific item.
And I really like Renaissance Wax. That is what I usually use. But have also used a good quality carnuba wax with similar results as Philip mentioned.
For inside of barrels after cleaning, I still use old fashion gun oil. It will evaporate over time, but their is no build-up so it's easy to run a solvent patch down the barrel and re-apply the oil.
Actually, with all the newer, high-tech gun cleaners on the market today, it's starting to get a bit hard to locate the regular old fashin gun oil. Which is also what I use with the stainless scrubber to clean the gunk of metal parts.

Anyway, thanks for starting this Thread Dana. Georgious pistols!!!!

Rick.

Fernando K · 23rd April 2016, 10:39 PM

Hello everyone
In principle, I doubt the method recommended by Rick remove rust blued keeping. Rust, in any case, is mixed intimately with the blued, and the elimination of one leads to the eluiminacion of both. What is shown is like a sponge steel, and even a softer material, such as aluminum, works by friction.
I know only two methods to remove rust abrasion loss com metal and chemical, less aggressive method.
Affectionately. Fernando K

Philip · 24th April 2016, 05:59 AM

Admittedly, when I was first shown the stainless steel gun scrubber, I did have my doubts. I thought of similar-looking products used to scrub pots in the kitchen and THOSE can be deadly! However, when I visited a local gun collector and saw him using it on a fine blued barrel that had speckled surface rust from long neglect, I was sold. The stuff really removed the rust with nary a scratch to the bluing. This fellow taught me to spray WD-40 onto the surface first, the lubricant served to flush particles away from the work. Just wipe clean with a rag after the rust is gone.

fernando · 24th April 2016, 01:46 PM

WD-40 is a fine resource. No only i spray the rusty areas with it but also soak the implement i use for the scrubbing. It is my idea that, when i use more 'radical' methods, like fine steel wool, the product somehow reduces its asperity.

dana_w · 24th April 2016, 05:20 PM

Someone over polished the silver on the pistols whose photos I have posted here, but that was before they were covered with the nasty linseed oil. The ammonia removed the tarnish from the silver along with the dried linseed oil. I wouldn't normally recommend using ammonia to clean silver furniture on antique weapons.

It is best to be extremely conservative when it comes to "cleaning" antiques. In most cases leaving valuable antiques just as time made them is probably best. It is heartbreaking to see the damage that has been done with buffing wheels and polishing compound.

I have had good luck removing rust with clean 0000 steel wool. The steel wool should be replaced frequently during the process. Adding WD-40 to the mix is controversial with some because they believe rust particles can more easily become suspended in the oil and scratch the surface.

Thanks for the info Philip and rickystl, I'll give the stainless steel gun scrubber a try on something inexpensive and see how it goes.

Doug Wicklund from the NRA Museum wrote this article on Caring For Your Collectable Firearms:
http://www.nramuseum.com/media/94096...vationinfo.pdf

Fernando K · 24th April 2016, 05:43 PM

Hello everyone

Just to say something. To rust, to the form of craters or pits, and these are not removed with abrasive methods (steel wol) working on the surface. The oxide formed is a foreign body, and promotes the formation of new oxide, although the appearance is stable. No fixed oxide, though their work is very slow. Only a chemical means, removes rust from the depths of a pit or crater. For example, electroplating the method. Think of the sea saved artifacts have deserved a chemical treatment for preservation

Affectionately. Fernando K

22nd April 2016, 05:16 AM	#1
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	the alternative to oil Using oil on an iron or steel surface is better than no protection at all. But think of the downsides: 1. It comes off on your fingers (or soils your curatorial cotton gloves) as you handle the piece. Worse, it can smear onto the wood stock and over time cause it to darken in places when accumulations soak into the grain. 2. Over time, it can harden and form a nasty gunk which is likely to cause its own set of problems, as has been discussed heretofore. 3. On guns that are displayed out in the open (i.e. on wall mounts or atop a shelf) and are not periodically wiped, oil attracts dust and while it slowly dries out, the dust attracts atmospheric moisture like a wick, and the metal eventually rusts. You can avoid these problems by using a high-quality wax in lieu of oil. "Renaissance Wax" is a popular brand, but I have had excellent results with more mundane equivalents, like a good carnauba-based automotive wax, or the household standby, Johnson's paste wax (designed for furniture, it's good for the stock as well). Remove oil from surface before waxing, and use a toothbrush or toothpick to remove excess buildup from crevices and screw slots after wiping with a soft cloth. A wax finish lasts a long time, I've gone several years before having to renew it (although I live in an arid part of the country, you might want to do it more frequently if your climate is damp or you live by the seashore). A good time to wax a gun is when it's all apart, you can catch the underside of the barrel, the parts of iron fittings that nest in stock recesses, and of course the screw threads. Oil still has its place, to lubricate the mechanical contact points. If you make it a point to scrub and clean the bore, do the same as you would do for a sporting gun, but it's best to reserve that operation for when the barrel is detached from the stock so that bore cleaning solvent (and the suspended rust and gunk) don't drip onto the wood.

23rd April 2016, 05:38 PM	#2
rickystl Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO area. Posts: 1,630	Hello all. I'm usually on the Ethno Forum, but glad I ran into this great Thread. Dana: Those are a great looking pair of pistols. And I'm glad you found a solution to the cleaning issue. They sure turned out nice. So much better without that old, hardened oil. Your decision to clean the metal parts in the fashion you did sure gets my vote. And thanks to all for the knowledge on the saftey frizzens. Most interesting. Here is the stainless scrubber that Philip mentioned. It does in fact work better and faster than steel wool. Terrific item. And I really like Renaissance Wax. That is what I usually use. But have also used a good quality carnuba wax with similar results as Philip mentioned. For inside of barrels after cleaning, I still use old fashion gun oil. It will evaporate over time, but their is no build-up so it's easy to run a solvent patch down the barrel and re-apply the oil. Actually, with all the newer, high-tech gun cleaners on the market today, it's starting to get a bit hard to locate the regular old fashin gun oil. Which is also what I use with the stainless scrubber to clean the gunk of metal parts. Anyway, thanks for starting this Thread Dana. Georgious pistols!!!! Rick. Attached Images

24th April 2016, 05:59 AM	#4
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	practice diverges from principle Admittedly, when I was first shown the stainless steel gun scrubber, I did have my doubts. I thought of similar-looking products used to scrub pots in the kitchen and THOSE can be deadly! However, when I visited a local gun collector and saw him using it on a fine blued barrel that had speckled surface rust from long neglect, I was sold. The stuff really removed the rust with nary a scratch to the bluing. This fellow taught me to spray WD-40 onto the surface first, the lubricant served to flush particles away from the work. Just wipe clean with a rag after the rust is gone.

23rd April 2016, 10:39 PM	#3
Fernando K Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 671	Hello everyone In principle, I doubt the method recommended by Rick remove rust blued keeping. Rust, in any case, is mixed intimately with the blued, and the elimination of one leads to the eluiminacion of both. What is shown is like a sponge steel, and even a softer material, such as aluminum, works by friction. I know only two methods to remove rust abrasion loss com metal and chemical, less aggressive method. Affectionately. Fernando K

24th April 2016, 01:46 PM	#5
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	WD-40 is a fine resource. No only i spray the rusty areas with it but also soak the implement i use for the scrubbing. It is my idea that, when i use more 'radical' methods, like fine steel wool, the product somehow reduces its asperity.

24th April 2016, 05:20 PM	#6
dana_w Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Southeast Florida, USA Posts: 436	Someone over polished the silver on the pistols whose photos I have posted here, but that was before they were covered with the nasty linseed oil. The ammonia removed the tarnish from the silver along with the dried linseed oil. I wouldn't normally recommend using ammonia to clean silver furniture on antique weapons. It is best to be extremely conservative when it comes to "cleaning" antiques. In most cases leaving valuable antiques just as time made them is probably best. It is heartbreaking to see the damage that has been done with buffing wheels and polishing compound. I have had good luck removing rust with clean 0000 steel wool. The steel wool should be replaced frequently during the process. Adding WD-40 to the mix is controversial with some because they believe rust particles can more easily become suspended in the oil and scratch the surface. Thanks for the info Philip and rickystl, I'll give the stainless steel gun scrubber a try on something inexpensive and see how it goes. Doug Wicklund from the NRA Museum wrote this article on Caring For Your Collectable Firearms: http://www.nramuseum.com/media/94096...vationinfo.pdf

24th April 2016, 05:43 PM	#7
Fernando K Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 671	Hello everyone Just to say something. To rust, to the form of craters or pits, and these are not removed with abrasive methods (steel wol) working on the surface. The oxide formed is a foreign body, and promotes the formation of new oxide, although the appearance is stable. No fixed oxide, though their work is very slow. Only a chemical means, removes rust from the depths of a pit or crater. For example, electroplating the method. Think of the sea saved artifacts have deserved a chemical treatment for preservation Affectionately. Fernando K