Cool! I did have a good day!
Not sure on the barrel, I will measure it when I get home.
lol
Where were you digging for this stuff? Where you were when I left ?
Yes, where you left me. You shouldn't have given up so easily, I told you that you've been spoilt!
Hmmm....I feel another free day could become available......
As promised, pictures of the results of my new citric acid cleaning method.
I decided to try this after seeing someone else recommend it. I used a 10% solution of citric acid, (100g in 1 litre of water). For these magazines, I cut the top off a 2 litre plastic soft drinks bottle, stood that inside a bucket, made up 2 litres of 10% citric acid solution, and dropped the mags in.
Here is a reminder of what the mags looked like. Almost unrecognisable, covered in big chunks of rust, not just a thin coating!! This really was a hefty test of this method. I doubt even electrolysis would have shifted the rust off these mags as it was just so thick.
I couldn't risk knocking excess rust off like I would normally do..........the walls of the magazines are just too thin. So, then went in like this.
So. I left the magazines in the solution for 48 hrs then took them out. Disappointingly the big chunks of rust were still in place.
It looked like a total failure.
They were still heavily rusted up.
Then I moved my finger along one and the rust started dropping off. I rubbed a little harder, again, just with my gloved finger, and big chunks of rust just wiped off.
Grabbing a tough scourer, I gave them a damn good rub.
I was amazed at the result.
Sten mags, in the ground for 70+ years, looked like they were beyond all hope of saving........
I heartily recommend this method to all relic hunters and collectors. Less expensive and fiddly than electrolysis, and a heck of a lot less toxic than oxalic acid !!!
Cheers
Steve T
Love it!
Enfield mag is in the electro tub!
That's very impressive Steve! Where do you buy citric acid? I take it you're not just squeezing lemons. I use a solution called Deox C. It's expensive so only the really good stuff goes in it. I need something for a bath full.
Wilkinsons, in the home brew section, or any home brew place, and some pharmacies. Wilko's is best place though as it is 70p for 50g, and you don't get accused of being a drug addict
(Drug users use it to aid the dissolving of heroin).
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