cleaning brass (as in etched kits)

[Enterprisingwestern]

Brown sauce is good for cleaning etched brass.

 

Mike.

[N15class]

Thatz the vinigar In it.

[Don Alexander]

I find Shiny Sinks is the best of the cream type cleaners. Most of the supermarkets have stopped selling it but I found it in Wilkinsons a few months back.

I also use an ultrasonic cleaner and occasionally white vinegar.

[oldrog73]

Shiney Sinks is still available from Tesco.

A soak in CocaCola will remove tarnish from metal - you may have cleaned pennies in it at school.

Surgical Spirit will remove oil and grease.

[billbedford]

That's the phosphoric acid in the Cola. Phosphoric works even better if it is heated, say with the tip of a hot soldering iron………..

[PeterR]

Hi,

 

Thank you for the replies; I found some 'Shiny sinks' in 'Poundland' at Yate for information - it was 97p  per container.

 

Yours Peter R

[Trebor]

That's the phosphoric acid in the Cola. Phosphoric works even better if it is heated, say with the tip of a hot soldering iron………..

 

A use for that warm bottle of flatcoke rolling around the floor of the car... hurra

[oldrog73]

Hi Everyone

I went to buy some more Shiney Sinks last week only to find that my local Tesco no longer stocked it! I resorted to Google and ended up on Mumsnet where the mums were irate because Tesco, Sainsburys and Waitrose had stopped stocking it. However they told me that Wilkinsons still stocked it (which is true) and also that Hob Clean and Barkeepers Friend are the same stuff - and Tesco stock Hob Clean.

oldrog

[chaz]

OK, I'm sure all the chemicals suggested work well, but what's wrong with going over the frets with a fine grade of emery cloth or wet and dry? Will bring any brass parts up to as bright a shine as you could wish.

 

Chaz

[Kenton]

 

what's wrong with going over the frets with a fine grade of emery cloth or wet and dry? Will bring any brass parts up to as bright a shine as you could wish.

Chaz

Possibly one problem - Some of the more well thought out etches have small parts and only minimal tags holding them on the fret. The physical action of the emery cloth can result in parts being bent. Chemicals and a scrub brush with toothbrush do not have this problem.

 

The second problem - Most frets have half etched components or even half-etched parts with embossed rivets - these will not be reached by a flat sanding, or if they are the risk is removal of this detail.

[chaz]

 Possibly one problem - Some of the more well thought out etches have small parts and only minimal tags holding them on the fret. The physical action of the emery cloth can result in parts being bent. Chemicals and a scrub brush with toothbrush do not have this problem.

 

The second problem - Most frets have half etched components or even half-etched parts with embossed rivets - these will not be reached by a flat sanding, or if they are the risk is removal of this detail.

 

You are quite right, Sir. Your first problem can often be avoided with care - although in the case of very delicate bits I would probably separate that section of the fret (if poss') and use chemicals on just that bit. The second - well my other bete-noire, a fibreglass pencil, would answer. (Although I avoid the use of these as much as I can - potentially just as injurious as chemicals?).

[Kenton]

I understand your dislike of fibreglass pens - perhaps I just have thick skin, but wouldn't be without one.

 

Have you tried Garryflex blocks

- the very fine one is probably best to use. It is very messy with the grit and rubber going everywhere but easily brushed up. Use a small piece in tweezers or forceps when you would normally use fibreglass pen.

[N15class]

I really do not understand this need for bright and shiny brass. Paint sticks better to tarnished or blacken brass. As for excess solder use less or use a scraper made from brass or steel. I always clean the etches before assembly normally with fine wet and dry or similar. I always clean the job daily with a scrub down with tooth brush and Vim powder or similar to clean the fluxes and oils. Also if there is solder on the surface, if it is smoth the paint will stick far better to it than the brass.

[chaz]

I really do not understand this need for bright and shiny brass. Paint sticks better to tarnished or blacken brass. As for excess solder use less or use a scraper made from brass or steel. I always clean the etches before assembly normally with fine wet and dry or similar. I always clean the job daily with a scrub down with tooth brush and Vim powder or similar to clean the fluxes and oils. Also if there is solder on the surface, if it is smoth the paint will stick far better to it than the brass.

 

Well now,  it may be true (although I have my doubts - why else would a painter use a sand blaster before priming?) that "paint sticks better to tarnished or blacken brass" but solder certainly doesn't. The brighter the better. But then as you say "I always clean the job daily with a scrub down with tooth brush and Vim powder or similar to clean the fluxes and oils." You are certainly right to say "if there is solder on the surface, if it is smoth the paint will stick far better to it than the brass." I have had to strip the paint from brass models in the past and any paint on white-metal or solder (not that different?) has been more stubborn and needed more effort to remove. Re-reading both the OP, other responses and your post I don't think there is really much of a disagreement.

[chaz]

I understand your dislike of fibreglass pens - perhaps I just have thick skin, but wouldn't be without one.

 

Have you tried Garryflex blocks

- the very fine one is probably best to use. It is very messy with the grit and rubber going everywhere but easily brushed up. Use a small piece in tweezers or forceps when you would normally use fibreglass pen.

 

I wouldn't be without my fibreglass pen either - I just use it as a last resort. On those occasions when it is the only effective tool then it gets used.

 

I have tried Garryflex - I think there is one in a cupboard somewhere. it may be me but I wasn't much impressed with the result and as you say it is very messy. But if it works for you...

[N15class]

Well now,  it may be true (although I have my doubts - why else would a painter use a sand blaster before priming?) that "paint sticks better to tarnished or blacken brass" but solder certainly doesn't. The brighter the better. But then as you say "I always clean the job daily with a scrub down with tooth brush and Vim powder or similar to clean the fluxes and oils." You are certainly right to say "if there is solder on the surface, if it is smoth the paint will stick far better to it than the brass." I have had to strip the paint from brass models in the past and any paint on white-metal or solder (not that different?) has been more stubborn and needed more effort to remove. Re-reading both the OP, other responses and your post I don't think there is really much of a disagreement.

Sand blasting does remove unwanted dirt, but the main effect is a roughening of the surface wich aids paint adhesion. My clean is to remove dirt, I am not bothered if it becomes shiny or not. I will clean locally with abrasive paper if needed before attatching a part.

[Donw]

Strangely I find the Garyflesx blocks more useful than anything else. Rather than cleaning the whole surface I tend to just  clean the bit along the solder join (well where it will be once done) just before doing it. At the pace I work and the time available the brass could well re-tarnish before I was halfway through a build. The frys powerflux in those little yellow pots seems to clean up the brass pretty well anyway, but then needs more cleaning than dilute phosphoric acid. Using the phosphoric acid in one of those CPL pens help get it in the right place although a small paint brush is fairly good.

Don

[billbedford]

The carrier in power flux and similar plumber fluxes is soap, so if you pour boiling water over you work at the end of each session all the active flux will be removed.

[Kenton]

Paint? who paints their brass models :D Of course phosphoric acid (or citric acid) washes off as well. it is all these fluxes with impurities that cook at iron temperatures that need anything more than a quick wash afterwards.

 

but this all started with the need to clean tarnished brass prior to soldering not one flavour of flux over another.

[chaz]

The carrier in power flux and similar plumber fluxes is soap, so if you pour boiling water over you work at the end of each session all the active flux will be removed.

 

 But maybe not after you have soldered white-metal details on with 70 deg. solder....

[Wayne Rite]

Hi,

 

I've had some success with Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate) I used a long plastic container [half of the bread bin!] lined it with aluminium foil placed the etched parts in the box and poured a solution of sodium carbonate {3 tablespoons in a litre of warm water} stand back and marvel as the tarnish disappears, don't leave the frets in the solution for too long. Rinse them in running water and dry with kitchen paper.

 

Works for me every time and can be used again during the soldering process to keep things nice and bright.

 

Cheers