Flintlock Pistols With Rare Safety Frizzens, c1740

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

Philip · 27th April 2016, 06:31 AM

Dana,
I don't know what the atmosphere is like where you live, but for those of us in the greater Los Angeles basin, we have no problem with silver becoming dark and tarnished. It's as certain as death and taxes, and it doesn't take long, either! Even though I live close to shore with the afternoon sea breezes and no smog to speak of overhead, all of my silver-mounted weapons develop a patina. I've come to appreciate the lustrous blue-black patina that forms evenly on sword hilts and scabbard mounts exposed to the air, and I never clean it off. A gentle rubbing with an old wool sock to lighten up the high points of a chased design is all I do if I need to photograph something, or show the piece to a visitor.

23rd April 2016, 05:38 PM	#1
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	#3
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.

27th April 2016, 06:31 AM	#7
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	tarnish Dana, I don't know what the atmosphere is like where you live, but for those of us in the greater Los Angeles basin, we have no problem with silver becoming dark and tarnished. It's as certain as death and taxes, and it doesn't take long, either! Even though I live close to shore with the afternoon sea breezes and no smog to speak of overhead, all of my silver-mounted weapons develop a patina. I've come to appreciate the lustrous blue-black patina that forms evenly on sword hilts and scabbard mounts exposed to the air, and I never clean it off. A gentle rubbing with an old wool sock to lighten up the high points of a chased design is all I do if I need to photograph something, or show the piece to a visitor.

23rd April 2016, 10:39 PM	#2
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	#4
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	#5
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	#6
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