Rust problem

[PIKELAKE]

I'm having a problem with a stock that I colored with AQ. When I use AQ I have always just used baking soda to neutralize the AQ and never have had a problem. The latest stock has continued to rust the barrel (stock side) barrel pins. trigger plate etc. When I noticed the rust I thought maybe I forgot the soda. I treated the stock again especially the barrel channel.  After about a week, the rust returned and this time, I used ammonia and scrubbed the barrel channel. It has been about 3.weeks and guess what? The rust has returned. Not as bad as before but....... What can I try next? Any metal that touches the stock rusts and even the brass fittings discolor somewhat. The AQ was a new bottle that bought back in March and added some older stuff I had for years just to have one container. The AQ is still working I guess and is too hot. Any ideas ?  Thanks,  JZ

[ironwolf]

  My question would be whose AQ are you using.  I've found that the commercial versions with Hydrochloric added are exceptionally nasty.  Try a home brew with only nitric acid and water.   Never had a problem at around 7-10%.

   Kevin W.

[RichG]

house hold ammonia worked great on my last build. just wipe metal parts down and rinse with water. less mess than baking soda.

[RichG]

it will work on the stock also

[davec2]

Here's a related one for you....I stained a stock with ferric nitrate in ethanol.  No acid used at all.  Neutralized it anyway with baking soda and water...twice... and dried the stock well before the finish was applied.  Even put a thinned coat of the finish in the lock mortice, barrel channel, under the butt plate, patch box, and in all the inlet areas.   About a month after the rifle was done, I noticed the patch box spring was rusted.  I pulled the lock and it also had a lot of fine, red, internal rust.  So did the lock bolts and the trigger and some on the barrel.  Cleaned everything up, everything got a thin wipe down with CLP and put the rifle back together.  A month later the same thing.  I still haven't figured it out.

[Jim Kibler]

Best to keep any iron nitrate stains out of inlets.   Traditionally you would never see it in inlets.  Not even patchbox cavities.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

That explains why inlet cavities are always in the white!!!  Thanks Jim...an epiphany!!

[PIKELAKE]

Like I posted, this was not the first time I have used AF but it is the first time I've had this result. There was no way to predict these results till the rifle was complete. Do think the old timers didn't use AF in the barrel channel and other mortise's because they knew they would have rust problems or because those areas were just not obvious. The AF was a commercial mix and I did try household ammonia to neutralize it; rust, rust, rust. I'll figure it out because there is a reason for this reaction and a solution somewhere to this rust Thanks anyways,    JZ