Author Topic: LMF keeps rusting?  (Read 2452 times)

Offline Bigmon

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LMF keeps rusting?
« on: August 29, 2023, 08:44:48 PM »
I really like the results of the LMF browning, other than this one problem?
So after several coate, carding, steel wools.  Then scrubbing in a paste made of soda.  Then hot water rinse and finally heating and oiling as described in the directios.
All lloked just great so I assembled the lock, oiled it up and say it aside.
Now a few days later I checked it and it is all rusted up again??
I believe I read on here once some time ago to rinse in ammonia?  If so does that mean immerse, soak for an hour, a week, what? 
I can't have this lock just keep on rusting?
What am I doing wrong?  I used to use the other browning that required heating and didn't give me the same results, but it didn't keep rusting?
Thanks to all....

Offline Roger B

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2023, 10:01:16 PM »
LMF brown is good stuff & hard stop from rusting. I usually heat the parts & apply motor oil or ATF (whatever I have) very generously  with a swab. It smokes, so do it outside. It seems to me that opening the "grain" of the steel a bit results better penetration of the oil & helps to stop rusting. That is after some treatment with baking soda to neutralize the acid.
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Offline Scota4570

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2023, 12:04:25 AM »
If count on about a week of after rusting.  I assemble the rifle, admire it, and a couple of days later take it apart to card the new rust.

Offline kutter

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2023, 12:06:02 AM »
Yes it has a real tendency to after rust. Both with Rust Brown and when used to Rust Blue as well.

I mostly Rust Blue with it and have used it for many yrs.
The after rust problem was always there sometimes worse than other times for unkn reasons.
I tried all the tricks like bicarb soda bath, ammonia bath, warm oil soak, and others.
They worked somewhat but never completely to satisfaction. Always some color still wiping off on a clean oiled cloth when wiping down the bbl or parts later on.

Then I tried coating the metal with this stuff.
Winsor & Newton Drying Linseed Oil

I had it on the bench for wood finish purposes but gave it a try.
With the barrel or parts done with their last carding but still clean of any other coating of preservative, I wipw a coating of this all over the metal surfaces.
It doesn't have to be particularly heavy. Just make sure you cover everything. I sometimes scrub it into hard to reach corners.
Then hang the bbl/parts for a day or 2.

The oil will dry hard or nearly so in that time depending on temp and humidity.

Then I go over the parts with a cloth with plain gun oil or even Mineral Spirits on it to remove the hardened Linseed Oil.

That's it..

Put what ever gun oil/grease/preservative you want on the metal now.
I haven't had any after rust using this method.

Plain Boiled Linseed Oil doesn't seem to work the same.
This 'Drying Linseed Oil' maybe has something in it from it's processing procedure that makes it work.

If working strictly with Rust Bluing with Laurel Mtn soln..another way to kill the tendency of it to after rust is to apply a single cycle of
Mark Lee's Express Rust Blue on the bbl or parts right after the last carding of the Laurel Mtn Rust soln.
The last cycle of L/M being completed (boiled,,carded) and the parts/bbl are still warm from the boiling water you can usually take advantage of that  and swipe a coat of the MArk Lees Express blue right on it  and then back into the boiling water for 10 min or so.
If the parts cool down, warm them a bit with a propane torch and swab the soln on.

Pull them out of the water after 10 min or so and card one final time.
After that you are done and the L/M will not cause you any after rust problems.

I still use the above Linseed Drying Oil technique on them as a habit though..

Offline Scota4570

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2023, 03:20:43 AM »
I should have added, if I boil browned parts, they do not after rust. 

Offline Levy

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2023, 03:39:53 AM »
If you boil rust browned parts you may end up with rust blued parts. James Levy
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Offline mikeyfirelock

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2023, 06:10:13 AM »
I give my parts a really good dose of WD40.. then wipe with paper towels thoroughly.   
Might need to repeat following day. This generally does the trick, and leaves a good finish.
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Offline Frank

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2023, 08:21:12 AM »
Neutralize with ammonia.

Offline A.Merrill

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #8 on: August 31, 2023, 01:31:14 AM »
 I always wash parts with ammonia. Small parts I soak in a bowl with ammonia.    Al
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Offline TommyG

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #9 on: August 31, 2023, 01:54:06 AM »
Try some Windex, the real deal with ammonia in it.  I got this tip from Wayne's (Stoner Creek)recipe for french greying.  Tried it on a barrel I did recently with LMF just to see if it would stop the rust after carding.  Carded the barrel after 2 LMF applications, liberally sprayed with Windex and hung it overnight, absolutely no rust the next morning. 

Offline Bsharp

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #10 on: August 31, 2023, 02:16:12 AM »
The directions say Baking Soda, I then coat it with RIG gun grease.

RIG is a rust inhibitor.

Worked for over 30 years.
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Offline Stoner creek

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #11 on: August 31, 2023, 03:35:34 AM »
I did a barrel this summer that did the same thing. I treated the barrel and left it overnight. That rascal didn’t want to stop rusting. Baking soda paste didn’t stop the rust. I finally carded it back with maroon scotchbrite and neutralized it with Windex with ammonia. Oiled it with synthetic oil and it did the job. Let me say that the chemical will run out of strength sooner or later so patience might be the best solution.
 Not really the same effect as my 3 hour miracle finish. In this application the cold brown is used to simply etch the metal so that the cold blue will attach. In each application the chemicals can be neutralized very easily with Windex.
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Offline Mule Brain

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #12 on: August 31, 2023, 05:27:39 AM »
I have had the same problem more than once. I ended up deploying my secret weapon that I use on rusty antiques.
It really works and has a great look as well. I just use a rag and rub it on barrels, locks, everything that won't stop rusting

I tried boiled linseed oil, motor oil etc..  didn't stop it 

 

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Offline kutter

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #13 on: September 02, 2023, 12:50:34 AM »
There's Windex w/Ammonia-D,,and Windex Ammonia Free.
The stuff with Ammonia-D has no Ammonia compounds at all listed in the ingredients on it's MSDS sheet.

It's long been a question of why it's sold with that name. (The 'D' supposedly? stands for Drackett, the company that makes the stuff)
Maybe not enough in it to make it necessary to list it? A marketing tool only and nothing more?
Don't know.

I tried it to stop after rusting and it failed as well.

As long as you can stumble across something to stop it and it works for you, that's good!
Some good ideas here..

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #14 on: September 02, 2023, 04:29:44 PM »
Jumping through all the stop rusting hoops, most of my barrels keep rusting for a few weeks, one went on for a couple of months and finally stopped.

Offline Zack

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #15 on: September 03, 2023, 06:38:53 AM »
I am just finishing up retrofitting a .40 cal Rice barrel onto my old Cabelas's Blue  Ridge Rifle.    Got a new bottle of LMF browning solution and am going to start browning tomorrow.

This post came in timely.  I've got it all: ammonia, WD-40, motor oil, BLO, Windex, Rig.....................We'll just see what works.     
« Last Edit: September 03, 2023, 09:00:50 AM by Zack »

Offline Bigmon

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #16 on: September 03, 2023, 11:01:42 PM »
To me, it is great stuff.  Just hard to stop the rust process.  Then I did the ammonia rinse / soak.  Seems to have worked.
I was just suggest waiting befor assembling the gun, just to be sure.

Offline J.M.Browning

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #17 on: September 03, 2023, 11:25:51 PM »
I just finished a Barrel - baking soda 0 results - new motor oil ,used motor oil 0 , Dyed bees wax with bone black , applied in unison with heat gun . A buff - rub with corse paper - brown grocery bag .
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Offline PIKELAKE

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #18 on: September 05, 2023, 10:02:33 PM »
You might give this a try. A few of us use Sta-Bil fogging oil and it works quite well.   JZ
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Offline Rmjchas

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #19 on: September 05, 2023, 10:43:31 PM »
When I use LMF for rust bluing the last boil kills the solution, and it goes hot right into a motor oil soak for 2-3 days.

For browning, the barrel gets a 2-3 day soak in full strength household ammonia cleaner, then into a motor oil soak for 2-3 more days. 

blued or browned, after the oil soak, I rub on a couple of coats of paste wax.  Following that routine I have never had a problem with after rust.  Your mileage may vary...

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #20 on: September 05, 2023, 11:34:13 PM »
I haven't submerged a barrel in ammonia (probably where I went wrong) but always submerge all my smaller parts in ammonia for a day or so and don't get after-rust. 

Offline Darkhorse

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #21 on: September 15, 2023, 01:32:11 AM »
I use paste wax on the outside surfaces of ALL my firearms and have been for over 20 years. I'll never go back to gun oil as a rust preventative. try it you might like it.
I don't recall having a problem stopping the rust and I use LMF. After carding I take it into the bath tub and wash it down good with baking soda, then a good coat or two with paste wax.
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Offline Dphariss

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #22 on: September 15, 2023, 06:30:09 AM »
I use something that did not afterrust.
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Offline ronaldrothb49

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Re: LMF keeps rusting?
« Reply #23 on: September 26, 2023, 06:06:03 PM »
Just finishing a rifle and used LMF. Using the instructions I got from LMF. Made a solution of warm water and baking soda to the point the water won't absorb any more, wiped that on barrel and let it try. Then used warm water on the barrel and let it dry. Used a heat gun to heat a section of the barrel and then wipe a 1 to 1 mix of Linseed Oil and turpentine on the heated area. Stops it every time.