how do you avoid flash rust when pan drying?

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Forklift

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Hi all,

Took my Dragoon out for a test spin today (more on that later). I had it under hot running water, scrubbed it down looking great. It's in the oven now for about 7 minutes to dry out (175 degrees) and I look in and it's got rust developing. Taking it out now to scrape that off, but how in the heck do I avoid it? I haven't put any oil on, just trying to dry it off before then.
:what:
A little help please?
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again. DO NOT clean your guns in hot water
or soapy hot water "The Worst". Always use cold water or cold blue windschield washer soulation. This gets your guns clean, NO rust.
 
Why are you sticking it in the oven!? Use very hot water, dry off with a towel and rags promptly, clean and oil. I don't get rust at all with this method. I also use bore butter, which melts on the hot steel and displaces the residual water nicely.

Putting it in the oven while wet seems a surefire way to rust it up.
 
what he said...skip the oven.a lot of rust-bluing process's require an oven...which should be a clue.I HAVE heard of guys ''seasoning'' a BP barrel by putting it in the oven full of bore butter or wonderlube,but fortunately my ovens not that long.From a friend who was able to do it,the smell was in his oven,and his food tasted funny for a week.Keep the pizza in the oven, not your pistola.
 
I use hot Soapy Water...then I dry with Paper Towel, and pushing little Wads of Paper Towl through the Barrel, and into and out of the Cylinder Bores.

I then dry by setting it dis-assembled in front of an old Fan-equipped Space Heater.

Perfect every time, never any hint of 'flash rust'...

The I Lube all and lightly Oil the exterior while warm.


Everything 'Peachy'...
 
Just that simple, huh? Cold instead of hot...
Click to expand...

Forklift, for 30 years I have cleaned both revolvers and long guns at home or in the field at Rondy's with scaldin' hot soapy water and rinsed with the same scaldin' hot rinse water and not accumulated rust what so ever. The trick I found that works is the scaldin' hot water heating the metal, then wipe good and dry inside and out...then allow the metal's heat to dry the rest. Then oil or lube with your desired method...before you put it away. I rarely lube the outside and no rust accumulates...but I am in the Mojave Desert of So. CA with relativily low humidity... others findins may vary, but I ain't gettin' no rust unless I forget to wipe one dry. Cold water will work fine with black powder,may not with some substitutes...but wipe it dry first or it will rust...then stick it close to a campfire... hope this helps some...
 
Just keep askin' and tryin' yours and others methods...I use what works best for me and will mention anything pertainent only if I've tried or done it...either way I pass on info as it's needed or asked for. I'm a shootist not an author...
 
I have not tried it myself, but I have heard that some folks like to mix 50:50 Balistol and water for cleaning BP guns, and that this would prevent flash rusting. Worth a try anyway.
 
I clean in hot soapy water and don't have rust problems. Seems to me heating in the oven would cause oxidation to accelerate. I dry best I can with paper towels. Set it on the shelf to dry and oil well after 30 minutes or so. Shoot some WD40 in the works to displace any water that gets in there. It's the way I've been doing it for 35 years except when I had my stainless ROA and washed it in the dish washer. :D
 
I use SGs method with a couple of exceptions. I spray with WD40.(The WD stands for water displacement) and use my airhose to blow off any excess. Ive done it that way for years and no rust on any of my guns. They are usually dry after a real hot water rinse and a paper towel. Good luck
 
Forklift, I can tell you are probably a little frustrated. Seems like opinions are like azzholes...everyone's got one and they all stick. I assure you that Gatofeo isn't an idiot. The oven baking process is used by a lot of people with good results. You didn't specify the manufacturer of your firearm. I wonder if your particular firearm has a higher iron content than others.

One key is that the water should be VERY VERY HOT. Also, you should quickly dry as much water off your firearm before you quickly pop it into an already pre-heated oven. It is very doubtful that the heat of the oven is the cause of rust.

...just another person's stinky azzpinion. ;)
 
Yeah, I was frustrated, sure. Understandably so. I recant my statement about the author of that post. If it works for him, fine, but it didn't for me. I'll just have to play around with this Uberti 3rd Model Dragoon and figure out what it likes. Thanks to all who replied.
 
Yes indeedy, the hotter the Pistol can be made via the HOT Soapy Water, the warmer the Metal, when wiped down prmptly, the better the drying.

since it had been Winter, I liked to bake the Puppy, so I use a Space Heater with a built in Fan, and Bake it good.


Lol...


Summer here, heck, just Wash in hot soapy Water, rinse, dry with paper towll in the bores and out, dis-assembled of course, and set the pieces outside in the Sun, and in no time, you will need thick Leather Gloves to pick it back up again...it will be HOT and "dry" as dry can be.


Oil 'er up...and you are done.
 
MikeJackmin said:
I have not tried it myself, but I have heard that some folks like to mix 50:50 Balistol and water for cleaning BP guns, and that this would prevent flash rusting. Worth a try anyway.
Click to expand...

I can't speak to the prevention of flash rust using Balistol 50/50, but I can tell you that it will eat BP fouling and residue off from just about any metal including brass and make your life just a little more simple. Spray it on the frame and recoil shield and let it soak while you clean the barrel, cylinder and nipples, then just wipe with paper towel and Q-tips and yer done.

Snaggletooth said:
I use SGs method with a couple of exceptions. I spray with WD40.(The WD stands for water displacement) and use my airhose to blow off any excess. Ive done it that way for years and no rust on any of my guns.
Click to expand...

Finally!!!!
I doubt that there are many of us on this forum that "Don't" have an air compressor within walking distance of us.

While I was on the road down in Texas this winter I was without an air compressor other than starting my truck and using that one. I figured it was a little impractical to fire up a Freightliner just to have compressed air to blow off a few parts. As soon as I got home I started using my compressor in my shop to dry everything from nipples to barrel, end of problem.

I must say that I'm not a fan of using the oven. A Dragoon cylinder will stay too @#@%$ hot to touch for a looonnnng time. The compressed air trick after rinsing with VERY hot water works great.

Regarding WD-40, I'm not impressed. Ballistol is the nectar of the Gods as far as BP is concerned. Also squeaky hinges, table saw decks, kick stands, wood clamps, holsters, gun stocks etc. I wouldn't be surprised if it cured VD, but I would hope that I never have to find out.

Have fun and if you haven't posted pics of the Dragoon for us, you should.
 
I don't avoid rust. I get small specks of flash rust when I'm cleaning too, but they wipe right off when I dry and lubricate. Then I check for a few days afterward to make sure there is no rust forming (just like do with corrosive ammunition), but I can't remember ever finding any on my Uberti Remington. If you take a look at the pics in the for sale forum, you'll see my system apparently works.
 
One other thing to think about. Everyone's water probably contains both desirable and undesirable elements. Some of these elements may contribute to rusting or oxidation of metals. For example, some folks may have higher salt and sulfur content in their water than others. The OP may have something funky in his water that many of us do not. Heck, even biological contaminants could possible lead to metal oxidation/rust. Something tells me that everyone's water PH on this forum isn't identical.
 
BPH FAN said:
Clembert's a genius! this would explain folks using identical methods and coming up with different results...
Click to expand...

LOL...I'm just waiting for a REAL chemistry genius to come on here and start schooling me on the chemistry of rust. :banghead:

Sadly, I did horribly in college chemistry (but only because I never had chemistry in HS opting for physics classes instead). Apparently, for everyone else it was just a refresher class for them. :cuss:
 
I'm not impressed by WD-40 and I can watch my hot gun rust underneath that stuff after being boiled out. LSA seems to be much better at that job.
 
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