Colt 1861 Relic

[hawg]

I used an automobile battery charger. I had watched a couple of U tube videos and that is what they recommended. I would check on it and scrub the loose black oxidation off with a nylon bristle brush and wash it good before putting it back in the bucket. I even changed the solution once during the session. I was surprised that it didn't remove more. I had used this method years ago on motorcycle parts and it worked a lot better overnight. Perhaps I need to use a different sacrificial anode, I tried an old lawn mower blade and a piece of a bed frame. They both ended up covered in rust, so something was happening.

When it's working properly the sacrificial piece will dissolve. Maybe you weren't getting a good connection.

 

[Rex B]

Best anode for electrolytic de-rusting is a stick of graphite from ebay or maybe a welding shop.

 

[J-Bar]

Well, I soaked it for a month in penetrating oil. Still frozen. I then used electrolysis for a week. It took off the red rust, but the black rust wasn't touched. I used a scotch bright pad to remove the loose black soot. The electrolysis brought up the serial number 11956, that makes the date of production to be 1863. I mounted the original grip frame and found a pair of old horn grips to see what it would look like.
View attachment 1089693

You have accomplished more than I expected. At this point I would antique and mar the grip frame to match the age appearance of rest of the gun and mount it for display.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I'd call it "done".