Rusty armor

[emtthor]

Hello all. I have a steel suit of armor that I have not done anything with for a while. It is now very rusty and pitted. I have tried wire brushes, different polishing compounds, and chemical rust removers. My next step is sand blasting. If that works then I am going to try and use gun blue on it.
I would love any suggestions for removing the rust and preventing it once gone.
Maybe once I get it cleaned up my wife will let me display it again.

thanks so much
Mark

 

[Dracosfire83]

Coke(the soda) and aluminum foil work wonders on rust as for the gun blue if you do choose to I could only recommend hot bluing cold is to unreliable and a lot of work. Another option would be to use a clear coat.

 

[emtthor]

Thank you, I will try that.

 

[Cal]

Well after you get it cleaned up and polished the only rust revention is maintenance with either oil or silicone.

 

[hc8719]

I have a suit of armor as well. Take some mineral oil and a scotch brite pad (no off brands, they're too slick) and go to town. Use mineral oil to prevent further rust, though it does stay oiling, another alternative is Ballistol, often used as a gun oil.

If there are leathers internally holding the armor together, avoid getting petroleum based oils on them, such as mineral oil, as they break down the leather fibers.

If there is leather, and it has been left untreated as long the steel, lightly coat it with PURE neatsfoot oil 2-4x a year

 

[samurai169]

I have several steel suits of armor. I'm lucky enough to keep mine on display. It sounds like you have tried to get rid of the rust in some detrimental ways and simply removing the rust will only accentuate these attempts. You are going to need to resurface with sanding those areas at least. If you plan on only displaying the suit then clear coat is a good option if you plan on wearing it not so good since the clear coat will wear off. Oiling regularly is best once you refinish it. You can use a power sander on a drill it will quickly remove your rust and damages cause by your attempts take it down to 320 grit at least if you have a grinder get a polishing wheel for it with some polishing compounds to bring it back to new finish. Then decide on how you want to maintain it. Depending on how humid your home is will also determine how oftain you need to oil the surface. At least once a year in my case. You should also post some pictures so we can see exactly what you're talking about and the finished product with how you attained it for others. Good luck.