Cleaning Brass Furniture

[shaman]

I was looking over my rifle collection the other day, and the though occurred to me that I had not shot my Thompson Center Hawken as it was meant to be ( a .54 roundball rifle) in almost 20 years. Years ago, I bought a Green Mountain drop-in barrel that was rifled for conical bullets, and I shot it that way for some time. Then I bought a modern inline and put the Hawken aside. The original barrel was stashed in the back of the cabinet. It didn't take much to get the barrels swapped out.

Looking over the Hawken, it was far from like-new condition. The big problem was the brass furniture had become tarnished. Years ago, I had encountered the same problem and taken all the brass off the stock and run it through my vibratory brass tumbler and it had all come out bright and shiny. I tried that, but after 24 hours in corn cob, I had little to show for it. My next step was to soak everything in white vinegar. That seems to be getting some of the crud off. Time will tell.

My question for y'all is how do you handle crudded-up brass? Any secrets out there?

 

[smo]

Easy, peasy….Brasso

And a little elbow grease….

 

[user 48679]

I cherish & use my hunting guns with tarnished brass, as it's not as bright as polished brass - an asset in the woods.

 

[COTNTOP]

I clean with Brasso or jewelry polish, then I keep a jewelry polishing cloth handy. Wiping stock with furniture wax will help keep it a mello yello.

 

[SOLANCO]

Easy, peasy….Brasso

View attachment 158437

And a little elbow grease….

Original poster is obviously not a military veteran. In basic training we even took Brasso to the copper tubing in the latrine.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Like it was in the Navy, "Now polish all topside brass".

 

[hanshi]

I rarely ever polish the brass and prefer to let it acquire a patina. When I do polish I simply use Brasso. In the Army back in the 1960s we were issued a "Blitz Cloth". It was just a soft cloth that worked chemically (as I recall) and was not abrasive like Brasso. They seldom wore out and there were guys who used the same cloth for over ten years. Mine got lost between then and now and I don't even know if they are still being made. A Blitz Cloth would be my first AND second choice.

 

[COTNTOP]

hanshi, my wife picked up a cloth for polishing at Wal-Mart. It has two different cloths sewn together, one for cleaning and other for polishing. Has several different uses for me.

 

[flntlokr]

I have used a product called 'Nevr Dull'. It's cotton tow with some sort of chemical. Works on just about any tarnish. I only polish brass on my new builds (show-off), then let them aquire whatever patina they can. I never try to 'age' them; to my eye it always looks phoney (too uniform).

 

[Trapper Scott]

Brasso with walnut hulls in my tumbler gets my cartridge brass super shiny.

 

[leadhoarder]

Brasso with walnut hulls in my tumbler gets my cartridge brass super shiny.

I tried that once but the paper kept tearing rendering them useless.

 

[hawkeye2]

The Blitz cloth is still out there, I'd forgotten about them years ago. I need to pick up one.

https://www.blitzinc.com/collections/polishing-cloths

 

[Rifleman1776]

I rarely ever polish the brass and prefer to let it acquire a patina.

Same here on the factory builts. My two custom rifles get the brass polished. Usually with Simicrome.

 

[shaman]

Thanks all. I've got everything soaking in vinegar for now. I'll let them sit overnight and see where that gets me.

 

[John Spartan]

Many good cleaning products and all will work.
Have done shiny and have attempted the “mellow aged looked” (not shining) but find the mellowing/aged process looks splotchy and unkept. Maybe I’m not waiting long enough.
But anyway my question: After shining has anyone tried coating shined brass lightly with like a wood paste wax to seal it and keep it shiny?

 

[fillwa]

I use a small amount of ketchup on a paper towel. Followed by a damp paper towel to rinse wipe off.

 

[tenngun]

I used to let it tarnish, but I THINK they might have kept it bright in the past. I don’t think it is a hindrance in the woods. So I now shine the brass.
4-0 steel wool, when needed and after a session at the range

 

[Captndan]

Never-Dull. Also use it on my brass cannon.

 

[SlidePicker]

Tarn-X chemically reduces the oxides without scrubbing. It makes tarnished brass bright almost instantly. I discovered to my sorrow that it does the same to blued steel. Tarn-X® Tarnish Remover | For Sterling Silver / Plate, Platinum, Copper & Gold)

 

[colimr]

Does anyone know is it brass or silver that you shouldn't use any cleaning product containing ammonia on ?