12 pounder Bronze cannon

[Westmount Battery]

How to polished two very large 1810 (18 cwt ) Bronze Smooth bore cannon?
Gilles

 

[Eterry]

Hire a Cub Scout troop??

 

[Westmount Battery]

Ok for a troop of Scout but any chemical you recommended?
Gilles

 

[Old Hawkeye]

I don't think chemicals is the way to go on something that big in bronze. I would get a power buffer, a muslin type buffing wheel, & use a polishing compound with a grit made for brass or aluminum. Might need a couple grits depending on how shiny you want it. Wheels & compounds used for polishing guns for bluing would be a place to start looking. Google power buffers, polishing bronze, buffing wheels, etc. & you should find something to use. Good luck!

 

[Westmount Battery]

I don't think chemicals is the way to go on something that big in bronze. I would get a power buffer, a muslin type buffing wheel, & use a polishing compound with a grit made for brass or aluminum. Might need a couple grits depending on how shiny you want it. Wheels & compounds used for polishing guns for bluing would be a place to start looking. Google power buffers, polishing bronze, buffing wheels, etc. & you should find something to use. Good luck!

Merci Beaucoup for the help.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Brasso with pulverized jeweler's rouge mixed in, use a soft rag (cotton diapers)well saturated with the brasso mix, liberally apply to cannon let dry then buff with power buffer and a sheep skin pad. Also have plenty of cold beer on hand.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Don't forget the elbow grease.

wm

 

[Phil Coffins]

I don’t think you should give the beer to those Boy Scouts till after the polishing is done!

 

[Westmount Battery]

Thanks for the good advises of course the beer is for me.
Merci beaucoup Gilles

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Bronze is generally an alloy of copper and tin. It does need the aggressive abrasives that some metals require to polish up. However, I am curious why the old guns should be polished at all. They must have quite a well worn patina now. I would try a small out of the way place with some mild polishes before adding any coarse abrasives. It could be, such abrasives are not required. they could remove too much detail and round off any crisp details, which would be a travesty for such old items.

 

[artkodiak]

How to polished two very large 1810 (18 cwt ) Bronze Smooth bore cannon?
Gilles

I would question polishing, given historical considerations, as well. However, if you're set on polishing them, I would use Flitz with a couple od Mother's polishing wheels/cones before using anything abrasive (to include polishing compounds). Then, I would be cautious in using minimal abrasives and work up from there.For what it's worth from a former career USCG mariner.

 

[toot]

leave the patina on it. it took yeas to get it to that point. leave it alone. one cleaning and it will look FARBIE. JMHO.

 

[SOLANCO]

Brasso with pulverized jeweler's rouge mixed in, use a soft rag (cotton diapers)well saturated with the brasso mix, liberally apply to cannon let dry then buff with power buffer and a sheep skin pad. Also have plenty of cold beer on hand.

Fabric store here carries cotton diaper fabric under the name diaper flannel. Use it to clean my glasses.

 

[Westmount Battery]

OK we are not sure what to do that wy we are asking the forum.
Gilles

 

[JCKelly]

Chemicals - Whatever you do, don't leave any ammonia on it. Ammonia CRACKS copper alloys given time.
But why, Oh WHY would you ever remove the old patina in the first place? Ruins the collector's interest, makes it look like a modern replica. Can not be fixed.
Here is a 12 pound Napoleon, from a midwestern fort. I took the picture to illustrate the pattern of the tin-rich phase in this 90% copper, 10% tin alloy.
Please do not clean yours with anything more than a little soap & water.
Please,
You owe this to the next generation to own your piece of history.

 

[nightwolf1974]

We need pics.....We need pics....We need pics

 

[Westmount Battery]

 

[Zonie]

Your cannon seems to be suffering from corrosion that is forming copper chloride. It may be "bronze disease" which can be very difficult to stop.

This link describes possible treatments for it. " methylated or white spirit " is denatured alcohol.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/caring-for-your-copper-brass-bronze-and-other-alloys/
A paper that delves deeper into treating bronze disease is in this link from Brown University

https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/courses/greekpast/4867.html
If you try to physically scrub the green corrosion off, the entire gun will lose the patina it has developed over the years. In my opinion, that would be a great loss.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Not up on all the details about bronze patina or bronze disease, but that cannon needs rescued. Whatever has happen is not attractive nor what I think of when I invision a nice bronze patina. Even if you take it back to shiny and let the aging process start all over again would be better than what has happened. Really cool cannon that deserves to age gracefully. Actually I think taking it back to how it was when "in service" would be pretty cool.

 

[Commodore Swab]

Flitz