Cleaning Brass

[sse]

Well gents, I just acquired a trio of brass accoutrements that needed a major cleaning job. I used Brasso and this worked amazingly well, but there are still a few tough spots really going slow.

Is Brasso the only option for tough brass cleaning jobs? Any other ideas??

Thanks, sse (and happy 4th)

 

[bob1961]

try some heinz kethup.....that what we use to polish up our brass plaques by our 9-11 monument......................bob

 

[Just Jonna]

Lemon works really well, too, although I'm not sure it's actually 'better' than the Brasso. Try quartering a lemon, squeeze out most of the juice, and rub the inside of the lemon skin with the flesh still on it on the tough spots.
Hope that helps,
Jonna

 

[roundball]

Buy some bottles of "White Vinegar" at the grocery store, they're real cheap.
Put all the brass parts in a bowl or pail and completely cover them with the white vinegar...let them sit for a few days and you'll be amazed.
I bought an old used TC Hawken to refinish and the brass had a terrible old brown patina on it...a week covered with white vinegar dissolved everything off, then mere minutes with brasso made them look showroom new.

 

[sse]

Hmmm...lots of ideas here, but I was wondering if instead of Heinz ketchup I could go with store brand?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Thanks, sse

 

I've used the vinegar method and it works well.

 

[sse]

One piece was really bad and I soaked it in vinegar overnight. Most of the worst came off, then I used Brasso on it and it cleaned up even better. The vinegar worked pretty well.

Thanks, sse

 

Why are you cleaning it? If it is an origional gun it dosen't necesarily need a cleanup of the protective coating. If it is a new gun you are about to scare the game off!!

just wondering!

 

[riarcher]

:cry:
People are a strange lot indeed. ::
I've been rubbing the Windex dampened pathes of my swab-between-shots just to acquire the "patina" that your trying to get rid of! ::
Wouldn't it be nice if you could e-mail it to me and save me the grief? :haha:

 

[roundball]

It is funny how people view things differently...I think the old dirty brown patina looks yukky, uncared for...keep mine showroom ready, can see my teeth in the brass, and 99% of the deer I take are 25-35 yds away, hasn't bothered a thing

 

[sse]

Hey you guys, HOLD ON there. The deal: I got a capper, flask (CVA cylindrical style) and powder measure off of eBay in a package deal. Each of these pieces wasn't just discolored, they were caked with something! Yecchh!! So, I figured I'll clean them up real good and I'll be the one who gives that "character" over time. Needless to say these are for the field or range and not for use at the rondy.

My only muzzleloader is an Early Hawken Fullstock with browned iron furniture. The T/C which I used to have, but sold, regrettably, had nice old discolored brass, as I'm sure you are familiar. IF I had a longrifle with older discolored brass, I'm with you, wouldn't touch it.

I learned this lesson several years ago in another context. I got some old hickory shafted golf clubs, left handed, no less. The heads were well rusted and the shafts were a nice darkened varnish. Well I told the guy to brush off the metal and sand and re-finish the shafts. Well, he did the first shaft (head on his shoulders, there) and called me. The re-finished shaft was beautiful, nearly white in color, but he had second thoughts about doing the rest. I immediately realized that the shafts should stay as they were. Hard learned lesson.

Thanks for all the help on this little task.

Happy 4th, sse

 

[shmrck1]

SSE
Mix it all together and it should do the job
I am snake_eyes

 

well now that ya got all the "gunk" cleaned off'm and they's all nice and shiney. Go shoot the swan. When ya go ta cleanin,,use a oil free spit swab down the bore first, save that patch.
When she's all clean and dry and put ta bed,you bring out that first patch,put 2 drips of water on it and rubit around that shinney brass. keep yer darn fingers offin it! By mornin you'll see a "patina" on that brass. If ya like it, rub a few drips of oil on it. If ya don't,,cleans off real easy.

 

[sse]

Well thankee there, tack-er-oo. Don't know if my spit has all the desirable qualities of buckskinner spit. Might have to wait 'til r'ingb gits back and send out a specail delivery. Hae to git the right "spit"-ina.

sse