Brass

[Dude]

I use Wright's Copper Polish. An interesting side note - it also cleans off water spots from glass.

 

[James Kibler]

I should probably keep opinions to myself, but I don’t think much looks worse than brass mounts polished to a degree that they rival a 57 Chevy bumper.

 

[Polecat_Tom]

When I got discharged from the Navy I stopped polishing brass.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Simichrome has another excellent use. Glue a scrap of leather to a small (2" x 6") board, and rub a few small dollops of the Simichrome into it. It is one of the best strops I've found for putting an excellent edge on knives, chisels, etc.

However, don't be like a friend of mine and try to use it like a sharpening stone, trying to shave off the surface by pushing the blade into the stone - drag that edge over the leather with good bit of downward pressure!

Polecat, you went into the wrong branch of the Navy, as airplanes don't have any brass to polish.

 

[sturmkatze]

Somebody has to play the part of the greenhorn.

Well, it’s mostly on the Bess. Ncos don’t cotton to lazy soldiers. Unless, of course, they are amairicun soldiers and then rust and corrosion are the norm. Mine was a rescued amairicun musket… took a lot to get it un rusty and such.

 

[Polecat_Tom]

Polecat, you went into the wrong branch of the Navy, as airplanes don't have any brass to polish.

Apparently, as the Navy I was in you either painted it or polished it. Actually, it wasn't too bad as I was an Operations Specialist in the Gulf of Tonkin.

 

[sturmkatze]

I should probably keep opinions to myself, but I don’t think much looks worse than brass mounts polished to a degree that they rival a 57 Chevy bumper.

Camouflaged paint on a ML looks worse. WAY worse.

 

[Dude]

Apparently, as the Navy I was in you either painted it or polished it.

A workmate had been a submariner. He had a story of his crew polishing a large piece of brass, and it was a big job. After their time off they took over the sub from the previous crew, who had painted the brass black so they wouldn't have to polish it. So his crew stripped off the paint and polished it just to pi$$ them off.

I'm not into the highly polished mirror like brass, but that's how it turns out after filing it all smooth and to proper contour, removing machining and file marks, then polishing. Once it's dulled to a warm gold I think it looks about right.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

mustard like....

 

[aussie pete]

My brass was raw when I build my rifle. I took it down to 800 grit, then used Brasso to polish it.
Every year of two I use some Brasso on it. Too many years in the Army, I like sparkly.

Yeah. Just the opposite, Johnny Tremain. So many years in the Army! 23 years of polishing brass has done it for me; while firearms are maintained to a strict level, brass is into a natural decline toward aged patina on all my muzzle loaders. The smell of Brasso gives me flashbacks. Heck, I don't shave any more either!

Cheers, Pete

 

[charlesk]

I use 320 grit then 400 grit, then I use a slow speed stropping wheel with Autosol metal polish.

 

[reddogge]

My son's rifle done in 1980 was the only brass mounted rifle I've ever done and we let it age naturally. I admonished him since he was just a boy to NEVER polish it. It looks great today.

 

[SOLANCO]

Basic training Fort Knox 1966 in old WWII barracks. If it was metal we Brasso'ed it. Surprised we did not have to Brasso the armored vehicles.

 

[SOLANCO]

Basic training Fort Knox 1966 in old WWII barracks. If it was metal we Brasso'ed it. Surprised we did not have to Brasso the armored vehicles.

Just remembered, we painted the rocks bordering paths.

 

[morehops52]

When it was new I would polish it up every so often. Flitz and auto polishing compound worked well. I got over it and haven't polished it in decades.

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

Well, it’s mostly on the Bess. Ncos don’t cotton to lazy soldiers. Unless, of course, they are amairicun soldiers and then rust and corrosion are the norm. Mine was a rescued amairicun musket… took a lot to get it un rusty and such.

I was in during mid to late 70s, with the 1/10 Cav at Ft. Carson, CO. If it moved, salute it. If it didn't, whitewash it! Spent time racking the rocks in front of the Troop HQ building. Good times had by the NCOIC!

 

[FlinterNick]

Do you leave brass in its natural state or polish it to a shining sparkle? If you polish, what do you use?

I start with 150 and end at 320 with most brass, then i hit with a blending wire wheel to give it a nice matte finish.

Personally i don’t like brass super smooth and shiny, it doesn’t age well.

 

[sturmkatze]

I was in during mid to late 70s, with the 1/10 Cav at Ft. Carson, CO. If it moved, salute it. If it didn't, whitewash it! Spent time racking the rocks in front of the Troop HQ building. Good times had by the NCOIC!

Different than reenactors. They seem to feel it a badge of honor to have a crusty musket

 

[Pete G]

Different than reenactors. They seem to feel it a badge of honor to have a crusty musket

I think that most reenactors aren’t serious shooters. I know that I wouldn’t shoot a live round out of some of the stuff I have seen at reenactments.

 

[Scota@4570]

Polishing with a power wheel will round off details and dishes out screw holes. Power polishing is shunned by quality builders. On the other hand lots of guys want the brass to gleam, to each his own.

Brass was scraped rather than filed or sanded, historically.

I remove all evidence of casting by whatever method works best. Usually that is files. I then use sandpaper to take it to the 320 level. All sanding is done with a solid backer block. I then blend with maroon scotchbrite pads. Finally I go over it with brass black or cold blue to make it black. I then rub back with scotchbite or pumice and oil, on the places where it would have naturally have worn spots from handling. After that I forget is exists as far as polishing.

JIm Kibler demonstrated and abrasive stick the formed to the work by being friable. I think it was a video for the Colonial rifle. The sticks worked fast and maintained the contours of the brass. I have been meaning to try them.