Cleaning tarnished brass

[Asterix2012]

Hi guys 

 

This is just an idea at the moment and I am looking for your thoughts 

 

Could steradent tablets be used to clean tarnished brass etches?

 

My reasoning is based on something my old dad used to do when I was a kid (quite a few years ago)

 

He was a prolific tea drinker and he would clean teaspoons marked with tannin from the tea in a steradent solution, this wa very effective in producing shiny teaspoons 

 

So logically you might get a similar result with tarnished brass 

 

However old teaspoons are not made of brass so one potential pitfall is there may be an adverse chemical reaction, or the tarnish may simply not be removed 

 

And there might be a residue which affects soldering or painting

 

What do you think?

 

[Marshall5]

I use 'Shiny Sinks' (the blue bottle) which is citric acid based for cleaning brass etch after soldering.  I also use citric acid solution for cleaning brass live steam loco fittings.  Citric acid crystals can be obtained from a pharmacy or home brew shop.  By dissolving them in water you can make the solution as concentrated or as dilute as you wish - don't forget to rinse the etch thoroughly afterwards. Others have recommended 'Bar keeper's friend' but I haven't tried it myself.  Hope this helps.

Ray.

[doilum]

Prefer to clean individual components with a fibreglass brush immediately before soldering. Large parts can be cleaned with 2000 grade w/d paper used wet with a little washing up liquid.

[Dickon]

A soak in jeweller's 'clock cleaning solution'  works very well even on heavily tarnished brass.  Various such brews are available on eBay.

Edited November 7, 2020 by Dickon

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Full fat Coca Cola or brown sauce.

 

Mike.

[Peppercorn]

Some time ago, I recall an article by Bob Alderman in the Gauge 0 Guild Gazette in which the writer 'road tested' two types of cleaner for just this purpose. One was called 'Viakal' but I can't remember the name of the other one. Age... I'll seek it out in my somewhat chaotic filing system and let you know in due course. In the meantime here's a photograph of a scrap of tarnished brass before the application of Viakal and a second that had Viakal applied for five minutes. I hope this is of some use.

Edited November 7, 2020 by Peppercorn
additional info

[Hilux5972]

White vinegar works well. 

[Deano747]

On 07/11/2020 at 09:05, Dickon said:

A soak in jeweller's 'clock cleaning solution'  works very well even on heavily tarnished brass.  Various such brews are available on eBay.

Hi All

 

Jeweller's solution is Horolene watered down 1 part to 7 water. I bought a litre thinking it was used out of the tin so I have a lifetime supply now!! 

My other methods are Viakal and Garryflex abrasive blocks of various grades. I'm not a fan of fibreglass pens but they do have good uses.

I also use various chinese rotary polishing tools in the Proxxon hand drill.

 

Regards and stay safe,

Deano.

[Ian Major]

On 06/11/2020 at 16:56, Asterix2012 said:

Could steradent tablets be used to clean tarnished brass etches?

 

Asterix2012, it appears nobody can answer your specific question because I would guess  it has not been tried in a modeling environment before.

 

My gut instinct is that Sterodent may have other chemicals which would have an adverse effect. I suspect that it could be a more expensive option than, say, citric acid. 

 

Why not try it out on some scrap brass (including painting it) to see what the results are and then report them back to this community?  Good luck with it, I await with interest.

 

Ian.

 

 

Edited November 8, 2020 by Ian Major

[chris p bacon]

I now use an ultrasonic cleaner with PCB cleaner and degreaser in to clean all the flux & crud off after building.  Before priming I use 'Shiny Sinks' on panelling etc.

 

[dpgibbons]

Steradent might work as it appears to contain both a degreaser and weak acid. 

 

But I don't see much need to go past the classic brass paint prep combination of Flash (clean/degrease), Viakal (weak acid to remove tarnish) and Shiny Sinks (scourer), as these are all cheap, readily available and well proven.

 

For removing light tarnish, the weak acids found in Viakal, limescale removers and some foodstuffs should all do the job. However I would be very careful with an aggressive brass cleaner such as Horolene; its active ingredient is ammonia, which will corrode brass on extended contact.

 

If you decide to experiment, do test it first!

[Deano747]

7 minutes ago, dpgibbons said:

Steradent might work as it appears to contain both a degreaser and weak acid. 

 

But I don't see much need to go past the classic brass paint prep combination of Flash (clean/degrease), Viakal (weak acid to remove tarnish) and Shiny Sinks (scourer), as these are all cheap, readily available and well proven.

 

For removing light tarnish, the weak acids found in Viakal, limescale removers and some foodstuffs should all do the job. However I would be very careful with an aggressive brass cleaner such as Horolene; its active ingredient is ammonia, which will corrode brass on extended contact.

 

If you decide to experiment, do test it first!

Thanks, noted on the warning about Horolene. I know a damn good wash after use is essential!

 

Regards

Deano

[5050]

I've never found either Shiny Sinks, Bar Keepers Friend or Viakal on sale anywhere.  Can anyone provide possible sources please?

[Wellyboots]

22 minutes ago, 5050 said:

I've never found either Shiny Sinks, Bar Keepers Friend or Viakal on sale anywhere.  Can anyone provide possible sources please?

 

The cleaning products aisle in supermarkets and places like The Range, Wilko, Rober Dyas. I've got Shiny Sinks and Viakal in Sainsbury's in the recent past.

[chris p bacon]

25 minutes ago, 5050 said:

Can anyone provide possible sources please?

 

Just doing a quick search of Tesco shows this.

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/272178776

 

I'm sure Lidl do a similar cleaner in their household range but I haven't been there for quite a while

 

Tesco also stock 'bar keepers friend' 

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/295789670

 

Wilco has 'Shiny Sinks' 

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/shiny-sinks-290ml/p/0224088

 

 

[5050]

Must admit I've not seen it in the branches I've been to. Perhaps I should start wearing my specs again!

 

Oh, and we don't have a Tesco in Wakey.  Must be the only place of any size in the country without!

[spamcan61]

On 07/11/2020 at 09:42, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Full fat Coca Cola or brown sauce.

 

Mike.

On a similar theme I use tomato ketchup.

[doilum]

1 hour ago, 5050 said:

Must admit I've not seen it in the branches I've been to. Perhaps I should start wearing my specs again!

 

Oh, and we don't have a Tesco in Wakey.  Must be the only place of any size in the country without!

You'll have to join the poor people in Pontefract!

[polybear]

3 hours ago, 5050 said:

I've never found either Shiny Sinks, Bar Keepers Friend or Viakal on sale anywhere.  Can anyone provide possible sources please?

 

I believe all are available in Home Bargains

[Barclay]

I would agree with other comments here that the parts are best cleaned individually just before use with a fibreglass brush. For something ready assembled that needs a clean before painting then lots of mildly acidic or abrasive things will clean brass. This Tenshodo/Pacific Fast Mail GP35 had an overnight soak in white vinegar followed by a scrub with a toothbrush and CIF cream cleaner. Of course they don't stay that shiny for long which is why for etches I would advocate cleaning immediately before soldering.

 

 

Edited November 9, 2020 by Barclay

[doilum]

And I should have added: once complete and clean, apply a coat of etch primer!