Mark,

Another great and informative video.  

Thanks,

Al

I broke into the piggy-bank and found some tools that’ll work…

Bert H. said

Another easy method to determine if you have a solid copper penny (pre-1982) is to drop it from about 12-inches on to a counter top and listen… the copper pennies have a pleasing ring, while the newer copper plated zinc pennies have dull dead sound.  I can sort through a mound of pennies very quickly without the need of a magnifying lens to read the mint mark date on them.  

Yeah but Bert I’m a retired Army tanker… since I’m in my upper 60’s I can’t see worth a damn and given my 20+ years in the Army I can’t hear out of one ear and deaf in the other.

So with sight and sound marginalized you got any recommendations for smell or taste (COVID not withstanding)?

Brass key stock (also sold by Brownells), ground into whatever shape & size works best, can be used along with copper pennies; I use the 1/2″ width to make punches for sight removal or adjusting.  Of course brass is harder than pure copper, but still much softer than steel.

Relatively soft rust that’s still red & granular isn’t so very hard to remove by abrasion, but the kind that’s so old it’s turned black, crusty, & very hard is something else–almost a different substance.  When it occurs on a flat surface, esp. the flats of a brl, I’ve used a razor blade held at a very low angle, almost but not quite flat, & with oil of course, to scrape down the thickest patches of it.  Can be done without scratching the surrounding surface (IF done carefully enough!) because the rust patches stand higher than the unrusted surface.  No job, obviously, for the heavy-handed. 

TXGunNut said
I’m also learning (finally) to simply walk away and let the oil and solvent work.

Heat also helps–like the heat of a light bulb held close to the surface, in a goose-neck lamp or some other fixture.  

TXGunNut said
I generally start out with a nylon toothbrush to get the loose stuff out of the way and to work the oil/solvent into the affected areas. That helps me get a better idea of what I’m up against. I’m also learning (finally) to simply walk away and let the oil and solvent work. Kroil is truly an awesome substance, I even like the way it smells.

 

Mike  

Mike, I’m with you on the toothbrush.  I was taught to soak a paper towel or rag then wrap the corroded area and let it sit for days or even weeks.  Then use the oil and wool.  One other thing is to not only wipe the particles off the metal surface but clean them out of the wool too. What we call volcanoes, areas where the rust has built up like a mountain range, can be cleaned in the same manner but instead of wool I use a sharp piece of oak and with a lot of patience pick away at the volcanoes.  Once the area is flat there will be a spot but it looks better than a thick glob of rust.