Tools

How to remove rust from a tool with apple cider vinegar

I live in Michigan and work in an unheated shop.  In the winter, when I use a space heater to work, condensation forms on metal surfaces and rust happens.  I try to keep my tools oiled but once in a while I miss something.  There is a real simple way to remove rust that is dirt cheap and very effective.  In fact, you may even be surprised.  Apple cider vinegar is a safe and easy way to remove rust.   Note, it may well remove finishes such as bluing so you just want to do this on bare metals.

Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid at a low concentration.  All you need to do is let your tool, or whatever, sit in the cider while you do other work.  In general, warmer is better.  I’d shoot for 60-70F or it will take forever but I wouldn’t bother boiling the cider either. It was 62F when I fixed these needle nose pliers and it took about half an hour.

Be sure to do this outside or some place well ventilated.  If you don’t, the vapors can cause rust.  I do most of my work out in my drive way to avoid causing problems.

So, here are a decent but rusty pair of small Ace needle nose pliers with plenty of surface rust.  All I needed to start was cheap apple cider vinegar (Spartan is a store brand here) and a small plastic container.  The one caveat is that the pliers can’t have oil or grease on them so I did spray them with brake cleaner to remove any oils before the next step.  You could use whatever cleaner or solvent you like.

 

So I just submerged the tool in the vinegar.  I’ve used everything from wall paper tubs to cups to bowls and so forth.  After a while you should see foam around the metal from tiny gas bubbles coming up and this means it is working.  It may take 5-10 minutes before you see any bubbles because this is a slow reaction.  If you never see bubbles then it may mean either there is oil on the metal, the remaining acetic acid is too weak (if you are re-using vinegar over and over the acid gets used up so there is less and less of it per given volume) or it is too cold.  I would not bother doing this under 50F or it will take forever.

 

In this example, i was about 30 minutes before I pulled the pliers out.  In general, the warmer the solution the faster it will react.  It was 62F when I did these and I didn’t bother heating anything.  Look at how foamy the rust looks and the steel has turned a grey color.  The rust will come right off.  I used 0000 steel wool to remove it.  If the tool needed more time, I could dunk it back it.   In my case, the tool was definitely done.  I then hosed the tool down liberally with WD40 to remove the vinegar and avoid rusting.  If you want to pour boiling water on it you can but you need to get something on there fast to prevent rust.  In general, I just use WD40 followed by CLP or oil because the acid in the vinegar is so weak and I’ve not had a problem with rust later.  If I was using a stronger acid, then I would be worrying more about neutralizing, then rinsing, applying WD40 and then oil.

 

Here’s what it looked like after I oiled it.  After that, I just put it away – it was that easy!  I do this a few times a year at least and the process has worked just fine.

When I was done, I put the vinegar back in a separate container to use again.  If you want, you could throw it out.  It will slowly weaken with repeated use.  If I have any doubt about effectiveness, I toss the cider and use some that is fresh.

I keep this just in the garage and well away from the kitchen.  The point is that you don’t want people consuming contaminated vinegar so label it and keep it away from the kitchen, pantry, etc.

 

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Germany plus Historical East and West, Sniper / Precision Rifles

Video: Walther WA-2000: The Ultimate German Sniper Rifle by Forgotten Weapons

The first time I saw the Walther WA-2000 I fell in love.  Wow.  It was the most amazing looking sniper rifle I had ever seen and I’ve only seen one once years and years ago.  Like the HK PSG-1, the WA-2000 was developed in response to the 1972 Munich Olympic Games incident.  Development started in the lates 1970s and only 176 rifles were produced between 1982 to 1988.  When it was sold in the 1980s it never really took off because it was incredibly expensive – only 15 were imported into the US.  The one I saw was around $10K if I remember right.  Today, the price has skyrocketed – $70K for the first gen with the wood stocks and $40K for the second gen with the synthetic stock.  With prices like that, unless I hit the lottery, the odds of my owning one is zero 🙁

I watched Ian’s video on the WA-2000 and, as usual, he does the best review of the rifle I have seen.  He goes over the history, interesting design characteristics, disassembles it and then takes it shooting.  Wow.  I would love to shoot one of these.  One misconception I had before the video was that the rifle was only chambered in 7.62X51 when it was actually available in .300 Win Mag and 7.5×55 Swiss.  The rifle in the video is a .300 Win Mag unit.

Here’s the cool 23:49 video from Forgotten Weapons:

Now if you want to learn some more about this amazing bullpup sniper rifle, check out:

Ian does amazing reviews of rare and historical firearms.  I highly recommend signing up for his newsletter and supporting him.  Click here for his website.

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Uncategorized

How to remove the Zastava M92 PAP Pistol’s Factory Thread Cover

A few folks have asked how to remove the factory installed thread protector from their M92 PAP pistols.  Zastava does actually thread the pistols and it’s a 26mm diameter x 1.5mm pitch left hand thread (M27x1.5LH is the short cut way to write it) under that cover. These things were installed for importation, ruin the look of the pistol and, fortunately, are very easy to remove if you take your time.

Now I used a Dremel with a cut off wheel.  You could just as easily use a hand file.  For me, I used the thread cover to protect the threads and did not worry if it got scratched.  Cut a little and try to turn the thread cover.  It will turn clockwise to be removed once the weld is broken.  Note, if you decide to use a Dremel and are new to them, practice with your cut off wheel on some scrap metal before doing your pistol.  They can hop around unless you know how to hold and maneuver them.

I prefer cordless Dremels with removable batteries so I can swap them at any time but any rotary tool will work. You’ll need at least an abrasive cutting disc to cut through the small spot weld.
I couldn’t take the photo and cut but you go slow with the cutting disc and only remove enough weld for the thread protector to freely turn.
Not a very clear photo but you can see the remaining weld on the thread protector.
Here’s the remaining weld on the front block. Note, don’t toss your thread protector as you can use it to safeguard your threads as you grind down the remaining weld.

   

Next, I put the thread protector back on and used a stone wheel in the Dremel to clean up the remains of the weld on the gas block.  Again, if you are new, practice first.  The stone wheel may look simple but they can make a mess real fast if you lose control.  I’ve been using Dremels since 1985 – trust me when I say you should practice first.  Also, I like Dremels and have used them for years.  They have tons of corded and cordless models plus there are other rotary tools on the market if you expect to have very limited use and want to save money.

I used a small stone and light pressure to remove the rest of the weld. Putting the thread protector back on will keep you from damaging the threads. Grinding wheels like to hop around if you aren’t very careful.
While the steel is shiny and clean, use your favorite cold blue to stain the steel. I like Brownell’s Oxpho-Blue liquid.
Burnish it with steel wool, repeat and apply oil.
Done. By the way, you can get the M92 muzzle break detent assembly from CNC Warrior – they actually make them.
Here it is again with better lighting,

I hope this helps you out!

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Sniper / Precision Rifles

Video: H&K PSG-1: The Ultimate German Sniper Rifle by Forgotten Weapons

When the H&K Präzisionsschützengewehr (German for “precision shooting rifle”) PSG-1 came out almost 30 years ago, I thought it was the most amazing rifle I had ever seen.  Chambered in 7.62×51 it was the West German’s response to a decided lack of effective sniper rifles in their police forces after the Munich attack at the 1972 Olympics.  The PSG-1 was a true precision rifle.  All PSG-1 rifles must be able to put 50 rounds of match ammo into a 3.14″ (80,,) circle at 300mm which makes it a true one MOA rifle.  As cool as it was, there were problems.  It was incredibly expensive ($10K when it came out), complex, one and only one scope option, and a reputation for being very finicky.  I’ll probably never get to own one and for that matter I would rather buy other things with that much money but it is a fascinating piece of firearms history.

Ian at Forgotten Weapons, who is both very knowledgeable and a great presenter, teamed up with a James D Julia auctions to make this video.  He provides a rich history of the rifle, an overview of features and then goes into a very detailed disassembly with commentary about each part.  For example, he compares the PSG-1’s bolt to a plain G3-style bolt and highlights the differences.

   

  

The video is 20:36 long and totally worth it if you are a fan of the PSG-1:

Here are links to websites with additional info on the PSG1:

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Tools

Buy a big Neiko 10048A set of quarter inch driver bits and not worry about having the right one when you encounter something weird

You know the quarter-inch bit really gives you amazing flexibility 4 installing or removing different types of screws, bolts and even using some tools such as Spade bits and step drills. With them you can overcome the problem of having the right type of screwdriver to install or remove specialty security screws or even things such as Torx and Allen heads.

For the most part when I am using Phillips bits I stick with name brands such as DeWalt, Irwin, Milwaukee and so forth. What I have found is that cheap bits aren’t always very rugged and round the tips over very quickly compared to name brand higher-quality bits.

For security/tamper-proof bits and specialty bits, I have this large set from Neiko.  The below set has served me well so far when I hit the “oh man, do I have a bit for that” moments when working on cars, guns and electronics:

In case you are wondering, here is what Neiko reports about their 10048A bit set:

The 100-Piece Security Bits Set Security bits set contains many of the most common tamper proof type security bit sizes, including tri-wing bits, torx bits, spanner bits, and hex bits. Security bits set contains: 1 – wing nut driver. 1 – magnetic bit holder. 1 – socket bit holder. 1 – 1/4-Inch sq. x 1/4-Inch hex x 1-Inch extension. 1 – 1/4-Inch sq. x 1/4-Inch hex x 2-Inch extension. 3 – clutch bits (No. 1, 2 and 3). 3 – torque bits (No. 6, 8 and 10). 3 – spline bits (M-5, 6 and 8). 4 – tri-wing bits (No. 1, 2, 3 and 4). 4 – square recess bits (No. 0, 1, 2 and 3). 4 – spanner bits (No. 4, 6, 8 and 10). 6 – metric hex tamper proof bits (2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6). 6 – SAE hex tamper proof bits (5/64, 3/32, 7/64, 1/8, 9/64 and 5/32). 8 – Phillips bits (0, 1, 2{5} and 3). 8 – pozi drive bits (0, 1, 2{5} and 3). 9 – slotted bits (3, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7 and 8). 9 – metric hex bits (1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 5.5, 6 and 8). 9 – torx bits (T-8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 35 and 40). 9 – torx tamper proof bits (T-8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 35 and 40). 10 – SAE hex bits (1/16, 5/64, 3/32, 7/64, 1/8, 9/64, 5/32, 3/16, 7/32 and 1/4). Set includes plastic storage / carry case.

Based on my experience, for the price it is cheap insurance and it has saved me more than once so you might want to consider a set.

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Iraq, Military

Video: Rare Weapons of Saddam’s Iraq 1979 to 2003 by jmantime

       

I like jmantime’s videos – lots of photos, organized and set to music.  He assemble this video around the weapons found in Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s reign between 1979 and 2003.  The video ranges from Tariq handguns and Tabuk rifles all the way up through through tanks, the Babylon Gun, rocket launchers and so forth.  This video is only 14:39 video and worth the time given all that he has assembled.

I mainly focus on firearms:

  • Tariq 1, Semi-automatic pistol, 7.65x17mm
  • Tariq II, Semi-automatic pistol, 9x19mm
  • Tabuk, Assault RIfle, 7.62x39mm  [Their licensed version of the Yugo M70]
  • The Golden Tabuks they found in palaces
  • Tabuk, Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR), 7.62x39mm
  • Al-Kadesih, Semi-automatic Marksman Rifle, 7.62x54R [Their version of the Dragunov]
  • AI-Quds, Light Machine Gun, 7.62x39mm [Their licensed version of the Yugo M72B1]

From there it covers tanks, self-propelled guns and so forth.  All in all, it’s a neat video with lots of photos that jmantime collected.

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Tools

Irwin Lock-n-Load Quarter-inch bit extensions can save your bacon

Irwin make some very nice quarter-inch drive extensions in different lengths that you can use for extending your reach of everything from screwdriver bits, socket drivers and even step drills. I have even stacked the units for getting into really bizarre locations. I have use them for everything from reaching down inside butt stocks to loosen Frozen bolts, to truck firewalls, to holding Spade bits while drilling custom holes for recoil absorbing mercury cylinders, and so forth.

They are not very expensive and are definitely something I would recommend keeping in your toolbox for those times you have to reach something that is set way back.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Humor

Video: Race Car Driver Jeff Gordon Scares The Hell Out Of An Internet Troll: Test Drive 2 Prank

Here’s the follow up prank video to the first test drive with Jeff Gordon.  Oh man, too funny.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

When Strength and Quality Matter Most