Anyone on here have a inexpensive way to clean small brass parts such as the globe screws and pins on the burner / gallery. Still working on my ML93s. I have the burner / gallery polished but the screws are too small to work any kind of compound on. Any kind of solution a person could possibly soak them in? Thanks in advance Clyde
I know vinegar is somewhat frowned upon but I have used it and washed the parts afterwards. For the heads of small screws I have a small piece of wood with interference fit holes drilled that I screw them into and then use the buffer to get them to a shine which also cleans off any chemical residue. The buffing mops I bought to fit my bench grinder were one of my better investments - |I| can thouroughly recommend them!
Thanks Jeff. I’ll give it a try. Colin, I have a three set of those buffing mops for the bench grinder and used them to buff the burner and gallery. As you say, they work wonderfully. I have three or four different compounds for different metals and finishes. Thanks again guys, just sprayed the bowls for the ML93s this afternoon, will post pics once I have them complete.\ C
@Clyde Boyd If you’re going to use vinegar, on small brass parts especially, keep an eye on them and take them out if they start to go pink. This applies to other acidic solutions as well. These days I tend to use “Marine Clean” on small brass. Cheers Tony
Acetic acid(vinegar), citric and phosphoric acids. Keep a close watch on phosphoric as it is significantly stronger than other two. You wouldn't the treaded or any fine details to get 'eaten' away.
@Tony Press Excuse my ignorance but what is Marine Clean? Is it available at DIY stores generally or a specialist product?
@Macaroon “Marine Clean” is a proprietary product; part of the POR 15 kit. It’s hard to find in Australia. Cheers Tony
Aha, awesome, thanks for that Tony. I see they call it "Cleaner Degreaser, formerly Marine Clean" now...dunno if the spec has changed at all
@Macaroon I doubt they’ve changed the specs. Note: use it; don’t throw it away. It’s fine to use it over and over again. Just filter out the dregs. Cheers Tony
Thanks for the advice, very handy to know! So actually pretty good value for money then, although the initial outlay isn't cheap. Do you just dip parts in it, or scrub, and do you dilute it much?
@Macaroon I use it to soak; soak and scrub; in the ultrasonic cleaner; to boil... The thing is: after using, keep the solution, but filter the sh!t out of it. It will continue to perform. Tony
Besides acids, I've used a locally available Engine Degreaser that's alkali-based(Potassium hydroxide) with some added non-ionic surfactants and other traces of additives. Similar in effect to POR-15 Cleaner Degreaser. Does not turn the brass pink like acids do. Rather, a different cleaning effect as compared to acids.
Thanks for the advice and experience..... I have only tried vinegar and also Beekeepers Friend so far. These seem to work fairly well but always interested in improving
@Macaroon , I'm assuming you meant Bar Keepers Friend? Sure, they'll work. Something with oxalic acid if I recalled correctly. I'm sure there are a lot more products out there. Some are caustics and corrosive, which you should be aware of before use. I won't elaborate further on the sensible use of protective gear and the safety instructions by the manufacturers. These should be understood by all means.
Haha, sorry folk, wretched phone deciding what I want to say when I'm in a rush! Indeed I meant Barkeepers
There are many solutions in the above posts. Personally, I use a Demel drill with small polishing pads and Autosol. Works perfectly every time without the need for soaking in various liquids.
@shagratork Trevor, One of the reasons I soak things like screws and burners in vinegar is to remove the often thick layer of grime, soot and patina before using polishing pads. The pads get filthy really quickly if you don't get the grime off first. It is my experience that you can get some stubborn areas that polishing alone wont remove without a terrible fight. I used to let parts soak overnight in vinegar. I now know you don't really need to do that. Depending on the condition of the part you are starting with, a 10 to 30 minute soak in full strength vinegar followed by a soft brass wire brushing under running water or even water in a tub, is all that is needed to remove the junk. Sometimes you might have to repeat the process because the vinegar couldn't get to the patina because of the grime, the first time around. It makes polishing 10 times easier. If I am going to polish, say a fount, using my bench polisher, I will often use 1,200 wet and dry sand paper that will remove patina, grime, soot and stains from oil/petrol/kerosene, paint splatters etc, etc. The polisher removes the marks the wet and dry leaves with ease. It makes it much, much easier and you are fouling your pads far less.
@ColinG Hi Colin, these all brass Optimus 200 P lanterns were a military issue from, I think, the late 1960s. No paint or nickle or chrome or ceramics or varnish made them cheaper to produce. They would never be polished in normal use by the military forces, but they look fantastic after a rub with Autosol !!!
They do indeed look fantastic. The closest I've got is a Bialaddin 300X taken back to brass and polished but with a Vapalux brass hood with a new red enamel top. It looks lovely but it's a complete Frankenstein. I put it together out of bits and pieces for my son and his fiance who wanted a lantern to take camping and who won't notice the glaring errors! The brass hood had been cleaned in an ultrasonic bath (I think) and was oddly cheap... anyway I think he'll like it.
Colin, I am sure your son and his fiancé love the lantern you gave them. It will be a precious gift that they will treasure forever.
Trevor, your lantern looks fantastic. Looking at that lamp, it makes me want to ad one to my collection. Trevor, let's be clear about something. I wasn't giving you instructions, I was simply saying how I did things and why. I never doubted to could reach your end goal of having beautifully polished brass.
Mine's out and I might give it a good polish when I've sufficient time to give it the attention it properly deserves:- As it happens, I'm off to buy a tube of metal polish today for another project - fingers crossed...
Yet another beautiful lantern! I believe there was a 'golden age' to collecting and I've probably missed the first wave where one could pick up a beauty like this for a reasonable price. I'm not complaining, I just wish I'd started a bit earlier, although even now you can pick up a bargain if you look hard enough.
