Cleaning Brass Furniture

[Packrat]

I do polish my 1803 Harpers Ferry, don't shoot it as much as I used to, Brasso

 

[COTNTOP]

FLITZ

 

[RIDE-RED350R]

I know some prefer patina and that's cool. My taste is shiny and fresh looking.

Last spring I picked up an old TC Hawken from my LGS. I stripped and refinished the stock and while it was a part I polished the brass up to like new condition. I used Mother's Mag polish and a cotton cloth by hand as well as polishing heads and a Dremel in places.

Before...

 

[RIDE-RED350R]

After...

 

[RIDE-RED350R]

When done I applied a coat of Renaissance Wax in hopes of preserving the shine. Project was completed in March and I just had her out.of the safe last week. Still looks good

 

[springfield art]

I do polish my 1803 Harpers Ferry, don't shoot it as much as I used to, Brasso

I see where Brasso now comes in plastic containers; when I was in the Army it was metal all the way! Not the same somehow....

 

[springfield art]

I see where Brasso now comes in plastic containers; when I was in the Army it was metal all the way! Not the same somehow....

 

[SlidePicker]

Brass. It causes corrosion between the grains of the alloy. Cartridge cases crack because of that. Not a problem here, where we don't talk about things like that.

 

[SlidePicker]

Brass. It causes corrosion between the grains of the alloy. Cartridge cases crack because of that. Not a problem here, where we don't talk about things like that.

I was answering a question about ammonia. Posts and replies don't necessarily show up in order.

 

[Nobody85]

Let it fade . It will only fade so much. I have a 160 year old revolver and, the trigger guard is the same patina as my 1970s Hawkin. Looks especially good if it has any nicks or engravings too.

 

[Ben Meyer]

Yep. Flitz and some elbow grease is all you need.

FLITZ

 

[colimr]

I was answering a question about ammonia. Posts and replies don't necessarily show up in order.

Thank you that was my post

 

[beyu]

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

I BELIEVE (correct me if I'm wrong) that Brasso and other similar polishes contain ammonia. AND ammonia is said to make brass cartridges brittle, therefore reducing cartridge life?

 

[Trapper Scott]

I BELIEVE (correct me if I'm wrong) that Brasso and other similar polishes contain ammonia. AND ammonia is said to make brass cartridges brittle, therefore reducing cartridge life?

I've used it for years in my cartridge reloading and have never seen any brittleness in my brass except for the brass that has been loaded too many times. Once the brass has reached the end of its life cycle (Brasso or not) it can and will crack, that's why it's important to inspect every piece carefully every time it is recycled. It doesn't take much Brasso (one or two tablespoons) at all in the media to have the desired effect of shiny brass. There are other reasons that will cause the brass to crack also.

 

[shaman]

UPDATE:

I had to leave town for 48 hours, and I left the furniture soaking in white vinegar. I just pulled everything out, and there has been a huge change for the better. The worst of the gunk, the black crud, has dissolved. What's left is a splotchy light-brown stain that I recognize from cleaning smokeless brass. Another trip through the vibratory cleaner should take it off.

BTW: Brasso's main ingredients are ammonia, silica abrasive, and oxalic acid. The latter is slightly more aggressive than the acetic acid in vinegar.

 

[Billy Boy]

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

At Ft Sam, we used it in our coffee..

 

[RIDE-RED350R]

I'm no expert in metallurgy, but I would guess that not all brass is formulated the same and will have different levels of resistance or susceptibility to the chemicals in Brasso? I would think that brass for cartridge cases would be a softer alloy than the brass components of a rifle. Take modern Henry rifles for example. Their brass receivers have the same tensile strength as their steel models. It's quite hard. Brass cartridge cases on the other hand I would think are a softer alloy to tolerate pressure while being able to expand and seal the chamber when fired as well as tolerate being resized to fire again.. Maybe I'm way off base, just a thought

 

[RIDE-RED350R]

But what I can say is that the Mother's Mag polish worked very well for me and it didn't take a long time or alot of elbow grease. I was surprised how fast those parts shined up

 

[SOLANCO]

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.

Blitz cloth for brass two for $8.50 on Amazon. No idea if they are still a good product.

 

[SOLANCO]

When done I applied a coat of Renaissance Wax in hopes of preserving the shine. Project was completed in March and I just had her out.of the safe last week. Still looks good

Good to know. One of the things we learned about brass in basic training is that it does not want to stay shined.