How can I fix this..or why I hate the USPS

[Bob F]

Well the USPS did it again.  I received my sons engraved barrel today, the package was rewrapped in saran wrap and soaking wet!  When I opened it, this is what I found.



The barrel is about 45-50% coated in rust and the tang is 100% coated.

The bore is also coated in a light rust.  Is there anything I can do to fix this or is it a do-over type of thing???  This is his first build on his own and I know he is going to be devastated when he sees it

[Brian]

There are many much more knowlegeable on this than I am who will chip in I'm sure, but I would think it's fixable.  If it was only in the mail for a few days it can't have been rusting for all THAT long (even with the postal service as it is), so this should not have eaten into the metal too badly.

Can you tell if this is "surface rust" or if it has actually taken a bite into the metal?

For now I'd wipe it off, clean it up, and get something on it to stop the rust.  Maybe use one of those green scrubbie things with some WD-40 to get that rust off it.  Then wait to see what suggestions come along to polish it up.

And run a bunch of patches through the bore to get that rust out of there - and get some WD-40 or something in there.  Anything that displaces moisture.

[Roger Fisher]

Have you checked the bore??? 3M Scotch brite or 4 o wool tightly on the jag thru the bore Pull the breech plug to check up to a light. 

[Bob F]

Well, I just finished a thorough scrubbing with scotchbrite pad and WD40.  I got most of it off to the point where he should be able to remove the rest when he cleans up the barrel.  There are a few spots near the breach end where it is pitted pretty deep on the top flats.  I ran a bunch of WD40 soaked patches through the bore and then finally came out clean.  I am going to pull the plug and check it against a light as suggested.

When I showed it to him he was pretty upset, but after cleaning it up he said, "Well, I can always do it iron instead of brass like I planned.  At least then the pitting will look like it belongs."  He has spent hours polishing brass so I hope together we can get it polished up some more.

Thanks for all the help....Bob and Matt

[t.caster]

Gosh, some guys go to great lengths to get that natural patina!

[Brian]

You are right Tom for sure - but I can imagine the "shock" of opening a package expecting to see a nice clean barrel and seeing that rust!  Somebody in the post office needs a slap upside the head!  Wrapping wet metal in saran wrap indeed!  Idiots!  Some people barely have the IQ to find their way home after dark.

[Berks Liberty]

Bob,

Where did you get the barrel from? 

Jason

[Bob F]

The barrel is a GM .45 that I got from Dixons.  I had someone do the engraving (my son's initials and No.1) and breechplug.  The sad part is that I know the engraver was especially proud to be helping with my son's first build and even added some nice scrolls around hiis intials.

I knew something was wrong when I saw the package wrapped in saran wrap.  When I took off the saran wrap the heavy duty tube was just saturated with water and so was the packing inside protecting the barrel.  My stomach just sank when I saw all the rust.  I know when it was mailed and I am amazed at how fast the rust attacked the steel in just 4 days.  It would have been better if they didn't wrap it in saran wrap and it was able to dry out.

Now when I want to rust brown things I have to do it in the bathroom for moisture this time of year.  Next time I'll just coat it in LMF and mail it to myself!!

[Stophel]

The problem was that you used the post office.

I would not dream of sending a gun or barrel through the post office.

And yes, I have had damage sending through UPS, but it was taken care of relatively quickly.

[Bob F]

It was sent UPS but returned USPS.  NEVER again....if this package was this wet I could just imagine what the letters near it looked like, paper mush!

[shooter93]

Blue Wonder...the stuff works.

[Brian]

With all due respect, how did the idiots get it wet!  It's mail for heaven's sake!  How would "mail" get wet??    That's insane!

[Bob F]

My guess is that it sat in a bin on a loading dock somewhere along the way and the careful, always customer-centered postal employees.....went out for a L-O-N-G coffee break or lunch.  Either that or it was quitting time and where it sat it sat until the next shift showed up!

[Mike Brooks]

Just draw file it out, no problemo....I'd be more worried about the inside.

[keweenaw]

When I'm shipping a barrel to an engraver, or when it's being returned, they are always extremely well oiled as they should always be final polished before the engraving.  Not only do I saturate them with oil but I wrap the oiled barrel in saran wrap before I package it up.  While there is simply no excuse for the postal service to get a package wet, I always operate under the assumption that they, or UPS, will.  Besides clean steel will rust in no time at all even in a warm but humid room.

Over the years I've found that engravers greatly appreciate receiving stuff that is perfectly polished as they don't like to do polishing any better than the rest of us.  Besides, they typically charge out jobs by the hour and their rates are higher than mine.  One engraver that I use said it's almost impossible to believe how rough stuff can be when he gets it.  In one case the pieces were so roughly worked out that they still had dykem on them from the initial layout.

Tom

[smallpatch]

Bob,

I know that we expect others to treat our stuff the way that we would, but that just isn't the case.  It's too bad really.

However, I don't think it's that serious.  How are you going to finish the barrel??

If you're going to brown it, you'll need to clean it up any way.  The barrel doesn't look like it had a high polish on it to begin with.  So clean it up with some 220 grit backed with a good flat board, or the like.  You'll probably need to change the paper often.

If you're going to polish it, do the same thing, then progress to finer paper.

Like Mr Brooks said, the inside is much more critical.  I hope you've already oiled that.

That being said, steel wool wrapped around a wooden dowel should get rid of the surface rust.  Clean well and check for pitting. 

Last question.... did you have it insured??  If the barrel is damaged beyond repair, and it was insured, they should make it good.

Hope this helps.

[Bob F]

We cleaned it up best we can until it gets finished and checked and coated the bore with WD40. My son will drawfile the barrel and post some pics afterwards.

Thanks for all the help. I was so mad at the post office yesterday that the first postman I woupd have ran into was going to get an earful!

[Beaverman]

We cleaned it up best we can until it gets finished and checked and coated the bore with WD40. My son will drawfile the barrel and post some pics afterwards.

Thanks for all the help. I was so mad at the post office yesterday that the first postman I woupd have ran into was going to get an earful!

Thus the term going postal!!!!!!!!!! hope all turns out well for you and the son!

[Bob F]

You know the old joke......What does a flag at half mast at the post office mean.....



.....they're hiring!