Post by woodyz on Jul 13, 2014 12:40:51 GMT -7
Unconventional Gun Cleaning Practices
I do some things different then most sometimes, maybe even wrong to some peoples thinking.
After reading about a women who washes her Glock collection in the dish washer I decided to share some things I do.
Around here we work on motors/engines/blocks and heads and I have always used a “hot tank” to clean the gunk and rust from engines/parts and other cast iron and iron pieces like cookware and yes traps and snares and gun parts.
This method uses a 3’ deep oblong metal tub. A battery trickle charger and a liquid solution depending on the item being cleaned. I use water and apple cider vinegar for dutch oven and cast iron cookware. I use a solution of kerosene and transmission oil to clean some metal parts and yes gun metal too.
Ever have/find an old black powder rifle someone let set until it rusted together? This process will clean it up and allow you to separate the stuck parts and see if what is left is usable.
The basics are the tank itself is grounded to the ground wire from the battery charger. The liquid of choice is put in the tank to a depth that will cover the part(s) to be cleaned. And the part(s) are suspended in the liquid so they do not contact/touch the metal tank. I use an old fish/French fire basket suspended in the liquid for small parts. The parts to be cleaned and/or the basket holding small parts are connected to the hot side of the battery charger.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT NONE OF THE PARTS TO BE CLEANED AND CONNECTED TO THE HOT SIDE TOUCH ANYTHING CONNECTED TO THE GROUND SIDE.
Let this hot tank run a few hours, UNPLUG THE CHARGER and take the parts out of the tank to a cleaning area. All of the gunk and rust will either be gone or reduced to a liquid state and can be rinsed off with water and a little light scrubbing with a good stiff brush. If not after rinsing cook it in the tank another hour or so.
Auto parts do not matter but gun parts and cookware should then be dried in your oven at 350 for a few hours. Cookware then wiped down with some cooking oil and baked again.
For gun parts after the cleaning and oven drying all of the pores in the metal are open, just like your skin after a hot shower or bath. The perfect time to oil them before they cool completely down. When they cool the pores in the metal will close.
I have also striped all of the metal parts from guns and placed them into the bottom of the bath tub where I pour boiling water over them. If extremely dirty and gummed up I will add some arm and hammer and some apple cider vinegar to the bath water.
NOTE: Plug the tub so the water and your small gun parts don’t go down the drain.
I will then sit next to the tube and use a stiff nylon bristle brush on the parts.
Because this process also opens the pores and deep cleans the gun parts I will then put them into a soaking tube with some gun oil/kerosene/transmission fluid or favorite oil and clean at the same time solution.
WHAT IS A SOAKING TUBE you ask?
I take a 5’ piece of heavy wall 2 ½” diameter pvc pipe with at least one end with a screw on cap. I put my really needs a soaking gun parts in the tube. Especially barrels and black powder parts, fill with my cleaning/oiling solution cap it and lay it in the bottom of the bath tub. Then pour boiling water to cover the tube and let it sit a while.
NOTE: DO NOT OPEN AND OR POUR THE USED SOLUTION DOWN THE DRAIN. WATER/ARM AND HAMMER/VINAGER CAN GO DOWN THE DRAIN BUT NOT ANY CLEANING SOLUTIONS/MIXTURES.
I mentioned kerosene several times I like to use it as a degreaser for tools and parts it cleans and lubricates at the same time.
I you look at Walmart/wherever you can find a tin of silver or jewelry polish that is a cotton soaked in petroleum product just like gun cotton. Gun cotton has many fine uses. Just one of them is polishing your silverware.
Some of this goes into all of my kits that have gun cleaning supplies. Pinch some off rub it over the dirty parts or push it down the barrel and it gets clean. Do not throw away the dirty used pieces. These will light from a spark much better than a cotton ball in KY jelly.
For lead foiling there is nothing that equals good old HOPPES #9 GUN Cleaner.
Just some things I do.
I do some things different then most sometimes, maybe even wrong to some peoples thinking.
After reading about a women who washes her Glock collection in the dish washer I decided to share some things I do.
Around here we work on motors/engines/blocks and heads and I have always used a “hot tank” to clean the gunk and rust from engines/parts and other cast iron and iron pieces like cookware and yes traps and snares and gun parts.
This method uses a 3’ deep oblong metal tub. A battery trickle charger and a liquid solution depending on the item being cleaned. I use water and apple cider vinegar for dutch oven and cast iron cookware. I use a solution of kerosene and transmission oil to clean some metal parts and yes gun metal too.
Ever have/find an old black powder rifle someone let set until it rusted together? This process will clean it up and allow you to separate the stuck parts and see if what is left is usable.
The basics are the tank itself is grounded to the ground wire from the battery charger. The liquid of choice is put in the tank to a depth that will cover the part(s) to be cleaned. And the part(s) are suspended in the liquid so they do not contact/touch the metal tank. I use an old fish/French fire basket suspended in the liquid for small parts. The parts to be cleaned and/or the basket holding small parts are connected to the hot side of the battery charger.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT NONE OF THE PARTS TO BE CLEANED AND CONNECTED TO THE HOT SIDE TOUCH ANYTHING CONNECTED TO THE GROUND SIDE.
Let this hot tank run a few hours, UNPLUG THE CHARGER and take the parts out of the tank to a cleaning area. All of the gunk and rust will either be gone or reduced to a liquid state and can be rinsed off with water and a little light scrubbing with a good stiff brush. If not after rinsing cook it in the tank another hour or so.
Auto parts do not matter but gun parts and cookware should then be dried in your oven at 350 for a few hours. Cookware then wiped down with some cooking oil and baked again.
For gun parts after the cleaning and oven drying all of the pores in the metal are open, just like your skin after a hot shower or bath. The perfect time to oil them before they cool completely down. When they cool the pores in the metal will close.
I have also striped all of the metal parts from guns and placed them into the bottom of the bath tub where I pour boiling water over them. If extremely dirty and gummed up I will add some arm and hammer and some apple cider vinegar to the bath water.
NOTE: Plug the tub so the water and your small gun parts don’t go down the drain.
I will then sit next to the tube and use a stiff nylon bristle brush on the parts.
Because this process also opens the pores and deep cleans the gun parts I will then put them into a soaking tube with some gun oil/kerosene/transmission fluid or favorite oil and clean at the same time solution.
WHAT IS A SOAKING TUBE you ask?
I take a 5’ piece of heavy wall 2 ½” diameter pvc pipe with at least one end with a screw on cap. I put my really needs a soaking gun parts in the tube. Especially barrels and black powder parts, fill with my cleaning/oiling solution cap it and lay it in the bottom of the bath tub. Then pour boiling water to cover the tube and let it sit a while.
NOTE: DO NOT OPEN AND OR POUR THE USED SOLUTION DOWN THE DRAIN. WATER/ARM AND HAMMER/VINAGER CAN GO DOWN THE DRAIN BUT NOT ANY CLEANING SOLUTIONS/MIXTURES.
I mentioned kerosene several times I like to use it as a degreaser for tools and parts it cleans and lubricates at the same time.
I you look at Walmart/wherever you can find a tin of silver or jewelry polish that is a cotton soaked in petroleum product just like gun cotton. Gun cotton has many fine uses. Just one of them is polishing your silverware.
Some of this goes into all of my kits that have gun cleaning supplies. Pinch some off rub it over the dirty parts or push it down the barrel and it gets clean. Do not throw away the dirty used pieces. These will light from a spark much better than a cotton ball in KY jelly.
For lead foiling there is nothing that equals good old HOPPES #9 GUN Cleaner.
Just some things I do.
