Brass Cleaner

[Mike Henderson]

Is there a product like Evaporust for brass? I'm specifically looking for something to soak brass items in for cleaning. I know about Brasso but Brasso requires a lot of hand rubbing. I want some product that I can soak the brass items in and have them come out "clean" with the corrosion removed, even if they're not shiny.

Mike

[Rich Engelhardt]

Salt and vinegar mixture will make it sparkle.
Works on copper also.

[roger wiegand]

I've used a mix of Spic-N-Span and ammonia for years, for things like dipping old tubas in the bathtub. Had less success with the salt/vinegar thing, but maybe I didn't get the proportions right--or didn't use it right-- is it a dip or are you talking about making a rubbing paste of it? The ammonia dip treatment won't make the brass shiny, you'll get a clean, dull brass look, but it will remove the oxidation layer and quickly bring it to a point where it's easy to polish.

[Tom M King]

I use a buffer and red rouge. The Baldwin lockset and knocker on this rental house had peeling and flaking lacquer on it that felt terrible. I got all that off and buffed it at the same time on a buffer.

[Keith Outten]

Geez Tom, that sure is a beautiful entrance!

[Jim Koepke]

I've used a mix of Spic-N-Span and ammonia for years, for things like dipping old tubas in the bathtub.

Be very careful doing this. Some varieties of Spic and Span contain bleach. Mixing it with ammonia could be lethal.

jtk

[roger wiegand]

Be very careful doing this. Some varieties of Spic and Span contain bleach. Mixing it with ammonia could be lethal.

jtk

I'm only a biologist, but I know at least that much chemistry! I'm still working on a 20 year old box of spic and span, from before there was more than one kind, For all I know they've changed the formula to eliminate the phosphates (it used to be largely trisodium phosphate) and it may no longer work. Ammonia is the key ingredient for brass de-tarnishing.

[Jim Koepke]

I'm only a biologist, but I know at least that much chemistry!

Great, hopefully now a few more folks do.

jtk

[Stan Calow]

Brasso is the traditional retail product to use for this.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Concoctions aside....
I use my Dillon case tumbler (https://www.dillonprecision.com/s000226) to clean things like brass pieces/parts.

An hour in there and they come out looking great. No muss/no fuss/no having to rinse & then dry anything off.

Harbor Freight, Midway and a few other places see cheaper versions.

[Mike Henderson]

Brasso is the traditional retail product to use for this.

Yep, I'm familiar with Brasso, having served in the Army. I'd like to find a product that I can soak brass parts in, similar to the way you can soak rusted parts in Evaporust.

Mikw

[Patty Hann]

Try ketchup ...really.
I place my copper bottom RevereWare pots upside down and smear cheap ketchup all over the copper and let it sit for an hour or so.
The I rinse the ketchup off and most of the oxidation is gone, I'd say at least 90%.
I then use a copper polish with a little elbow grease (not too much is needed) to shine it up. Brasso would work in the final step also but I don't care for Brasso.
(Just using the polish without the ketchup pre-treatment would be a lot of hard polishing)

[Mike Henderson]

Thanks for the suggestion, Patty. I'll give it a try. I suppose it's the acid in ketchup.

Mike

[George Yetka]

https://www.thereloadingstation.com/products/brass-juice-case-wash

I wet tumble reloading brass. This stuff gets it very shiny. I would try this 4 oz or so to the gallon of warm water.

[Patty Hann]

Thanks for the suggestion, Patty. I'll give it a try. I suppose it's the acid in ketchup.

Mike
Yep...it's pretty much like the vinegar w/ salt that you make a paste of (lemon juice would work too).
But getting the paste the right consistency so it doesn't "fall off" is hit or miss (I got frustrated trying to get it right) .
The ketchup is already "pre-mixed" and pretty much stays put, even on the sides (if you don't put it on too thick).
And the longer it sits there the more it dries out (but stays wet in the middle a little longer), so then it really stays put.

[Keegan Shields]

Like George, I also tumble brass for reloading. I use dish soap (for the carbon and dirt) and Lemi-Shine (citric acid) to make the brass shine... because who doesn't like sparkling shiny brass?

https://www.amazon.com/Lemi-Shine-Dishwater-Detergent-Concentrated/dp/B002NUX8V8

[Karl Andersson]

As my roommate and I learned in my less-than-hygienic first bachelor months after college, tomato sauce (spaghetti sauce), left in a pot for a day or three with a little water, will leave your pots bright and shiny as well. Tomatoes themselves are mildly acidic and sauce is thinner and cheaper by volume than ketchup, so it may work well as a 'dip'. For a good wipe-off brass cleaner, I use "Colonel Brassy" - dad used to sell it in his antique shop- it works with just a little rubbing, isn't abrasive, and doesn't leave that white residue that Brasso leaves.

[Kev Williams]

While you can't soak anything in Nevr-Dull, for basic brass cleaning it's great stuff--

I found this piece of probably 40+year old 1/32" thick brass that looks pretty bad-
502221

-grabbed some dish soap, cleanser and a toothbrush and started scrubbing-
502222

--it didn't help much--
502223

so I grabbed the Nevr-Dull, and just used the old piece on top,
502224

this took about 15 seconds of rubbing,
502225

got it to look like this after about another 30 seconds of brisk rubbing--
502226

--not too bad, and you can see by the piece of wadding on top of the can and the paper towel that it definitely gets the oxidation off.
I could probably have this whole plate shining like a mirror in less than 5 minutes. I love the stuff, been using it forever...

Just can't soak stuff in it ;)

[Bill Howatt]

Nevr-dull is indeed great stuff. First heard of it at a table-saw tune-up seminar at a wood show for cleaning light rust off the table.