Salt Wood. Why not use automotive undercoating?

[mannyrock]

Dear Guys,
 
    Been looking at a salt wood Browning t-bolt.   It is a beautiful rifle with only two spots of salt corrosion on the metal.  One is pretty large, about 1 inch by 3/4 inch.  The other is only about the size of a dime.  The large majority of the big spot is covered by the stock, with just a little peeking above the edge of the stock.   The gun is for sale really cheap.
 
    I know that I can sand the metal down on these two bad spots and make them look OK.  After that, though, there is the issue of the salt stock going foreward.   Automotive undercoating is specifically designed to keep salt from penetrating into metal.  So, why couldn't I just degrease the entire rifle, put masking tape all over the receiver and barrel, trace out and remove the tape in the entire area where the stock  shadows or touches the metal, and then spray this exp[osed metal with black automotive undercoating?  It will definitely stick to the metal and definitely seals out salt.   You will not be able to see it, because it will be covered by the stock.
 
   Any comments are appreciated.
 
 
Mannyrock

[gunnut69]

The salt wood problem has been around for a long time. Don't know if undercoating has been tried but everything eventually fails, witness the myriad rusty chevy pickups, most of which were undercoated. The only certain cure is to replace the wood. It's a good fix for the urge for a custom 22..

[.22-5-40]

Hello mannyrock...The problem isn't just with the metal...I too have a saltwood  T22..bought back in mid 70's.  Always careful with it..after about 10 years..finish around buttplate started to flake..then noticed slight rust where stock & action met.  Had custom stockmaker relieve inletting & fill with matching accraglass...He couldn't budge buttplate screws..frozen tight.  Re-finished stock..with in-the-wood type oil finish..all is well...for about two years..noticed what looked like sawdust all over stock surface..it was the remains of dried finish coming out of wood pores!..that salt in there must be sucking moisture in & lifting finish.  Love the gun..it's always been a tackdriver...I'm thinking of having new stock made.

[briarpatch]

If the gun is cheap enough I would buy it. Even those I have seen with damage was way to high for me.

[gunnut69]

I bought a T-bolt 22 many years ago and it doesn't appear to be a salt wood gun but ?.. I bought a salt gun a year or so ago to build into a custom 22 rifle.. We spend a lot of dollars on custom centerfires but use 22's thousands of hours more than all the custom centerfires put together.. Mine has several spots of pitting under the wood line.. I'll get a friend with a mig to weld them shut and with luck and pre-heating we should avoid warpage.. The stock will likely be claro as I have a fondness for fiddleback. A nice skeleton steel butt plate and gripcap with a clasic ebony nosecap. finish off with a checkering pattern, perhaps some carving on the border of the patterns..??..

[geezerbiker]

Lee liquid alox is used as a rust preventive and it's the same stuff GM calls Zbart.  Wipe a little on those unseen rust spots and you won't have to worry about them getting worse.

Tony

[gunnut69]

I'd know though!! I'll try to get some pics when I finally get this started. Kinda depends on when my welder buddy can do his magic.

[Rangr44]

Hmmmmmm....... Salt Wood.......... I KNOW  ! !   Encase it in concrete !  . 




.

[gunnut69]

The only sure cure is fire.......