Titan ReloadingRepackboxLoad DataRotoMetals2
Inline FabricationLee PrecisionWidenersMidSouth Shooters Supply
Reloading Everything
Page 7 of 48 FirstFirst 1234567891011121314151617 ... LastLast
Results 121 to 140 of 951

Thread: Citric acid brass cleaner

  1. #121
    Boolit Grand Master

    MtGun44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    eastern Kansas- suburb of KC
    Posts
    15,023
    +1 on Lemishine. The really dark portions of brass look coppery when done, but that comes
    off in a very quick tumble to polish.

    Tried the Goo Gone on the asphalt neck sealant residue in .30-06 Match pulled down brass.
    Not good. Softened it some what but even with a stainless .30 cal bore brush it didn't all
    come out. Plus the cases are so darned slick that they are almost impossible to handle. I used
    about 50-50 Goo Gone and water. Cleaned the cases nicely tho.

    Put about 100 cases in a polypropylene disposable kitchen storage container
    and covered with gasoline, sealed the lid overnight. Removed the brass one an a time (outside!)
    and poured the gas back into the container. As I removed each one, did a quick twisting in
    and out with the SS brush in the neck. Perfectly clean. Let them air outside for a day and
    will lemishine briefly and then tumble. Should be good to deprime at that point. Primers
    were killed after the company pulled the bullets and (probably) salvaged the powder.

    Goo gone is MUCH nicer smelling and on the skin that gasoline, but just didn't cut the old
    dried up asphalt.

    Bill
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  2. #122
    Boolit Master WallyM3's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Arlington, VT
    Posts
    994
    I'm speculating here, but one outfit that knows something about removing grime (there's nothing dirtier than an old machine tool) is Bridgeport. They recommend using Naptha to clean out their machine's spindle columns. They contain preloaded bearings that must hold tiny tenths against powerful shock and thrust.

    Just a thought.

  3. #123
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    US West Coast
    Posts
    1,120
    Quote Originally Posted by MtGun44 View Post
    I used about 50-50 Goo Gone and water.
    ...
    Goo gone is MUCH nicer smelling and on the skin that gasoline, but just didn't cut the old dried up asphalt.

    Bill
    You're making it hard on yourself. Use Goo-Gone full-strength, same as you used the gasoline full-strength.

    Diluting the Goo-Gone with water defeates it's ability to solubilize non-water-soluble petrochemicals such as tar. OK to dilute for water-soluble chores, but tar requires full strength Goo-Gone. Worked great for me in the exact same chore. Glad you got the tar out.

  4. #124
    Boolit Master
    a.squibload's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    CO
    Posts
    2,156
    ...and don't forget to pour that pint of gas back in the tank, it's probably worth more than the brass!

  5. #125
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    S.W.VA
    Posts
    668
    Is the lemishine a powder or liquid?
    Thanks Aaron

    Thanks Doc Highwall (post # 129) Powder.
    Last edited by joatmon; 05-20-2010 at 09:08 PM. Reason: a thanks

  6. #126
    Boolit Buddy excavman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    North central Arkansas
    Posts
    135
    This is a real informative thread, great. I wonder if the citric acid powder could be used in the tumbling media, if it would do anything.

    I found a good source of Citric acid powder today, he'll ship it to you for $8/lb. plus shipping. He also sells all kinds of seasonings and spices. The warehouse is about 1.5 miles from my house.

    Call for info: 870-258-3523

    Townsend Supplies, Inc.
    8 East Main St.
    Oxford, AR 72565

  7. #127
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    US West Coast
    Posts
    1,120
    Quote Originally Posted by excavman View Post
    This is a real informative thread, great. I wonder if the citric acid powder could be used in the tumbling media, if it would do anything.

    I found a good source of Citric acid powder today, he'll ship it to you for $8/lb. plus shipping. He also sells all kinds of seasonings and spices. The warehouse is about 1.5 miles from my house.

    Call for info: 870-258-3523

    Townsend Supplies, Inc.
    8 East Main St.
    Oxford, AR 72565
    Excavman,
    Thanks for the source suggestion. Nice to find a supplier in your neck of the woods.

    The citric acid requires water to mediate the chemical reaction that removes the tarnish and cleans the brass. That's the unmentioned part of many of these chemical reactions, they require the presence of water to happen. Also, dilution with water allows one to control the strength of the solution, and the cases should be rinsed with clean water after treatment with the citric acid solution.

    I wouldn't advise it's use in dry tumbling media. There have been a couple times when I've added something to my tumbling media and it caused a mess-- cases and primer pockets clogged with media. I wouldn't want anything like that to befall the folks here. Good luck.

  8. #128
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    383
    Another source is:

    http://www.brambleberry.com/Miscella...lies-C182.aspx

    $3.25/#; $22.50/10#

    I bought 10# of food-grade citric acid for removing rust and for #2 son, who is now making cheese. It was about the same price from a biodiesel supply house; I'll post that when I get back to the shop.

    Richard
    Plans and dreams are what we have until life gets in the way.

    XNGH E Clampus Vitus, Platrix Chapter No. 2 "Credo Quia Absurdum"

  9. #129
    Boolit Master
    Doc Highwall's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Ct
    Posts
    4,615

    Talking

    The Lemi Shine is a powder.

  10. #130
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    383
    Plans and dreams are what we have until life gets in the way.

    XNGH E Clampus Vitus, Platrix Chapter No. 2 "Credo Quia Absurdum"

  11. #131
    Boolit Master
    BD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Moosehead Lake
    Posts
    1,815
    This has been a very interesting thread, and I believe some of you guys may know a lot more about this than I do. I have some "off topic" questions about passivation, corrosion and galvanic reaction involving large stainless steel structural elements incorporated into a carbon steel/concrete support framework in a salt air environment. Alloys of SS are 304 , 305 and 316. On the small side we have fasteners and flashings. On the large side we have SS I-beams, C-channel and concrete embedments up to about 900 pounds.

    If you are truely knowledgable in this area, please send me a PM.

    BD

  12. #132
    Boolit Master madsenshooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Upper Appalachia, SE Ohio
    Posts
    3,020
    Citric acid is also a good flux for getting oxides back into your melt. The anhydrous version that is.

  13. #133
    Moderator Emeritus/Boolit Master in Heavens Range
    Molly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    South Charleston, WV
    Posts
    1,127
    Hmmm. I proly shouldn't mention this, but citric acid (adulterated with water and a suitable type and quantity of sweetner) makes Kool-Aid. Versatille stuff.

    Wouldn't recommend you make it too strong though. Might clean your pipes better than you want them cleaned. Had a fellow make up a batch of refreshment in the lab, years ago. He went around passing it out, and got a lot of appreciation. The appreciation dimmed somewhat after a few hours though, because it was standing room only in the men's facility. Seems he hadn't bothered to clean out the lab beaker he used to make it in.
    Regards,

    Molly

    "The remedy for evil men is not the abrogation of the rights of law abiding citizens. The remedy for evil men is the gallows." Thomas Jefferson

  14. #134
    Banned

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    soda springs Id.
    Posts
    28,088
    that same packaged stuff you need to add sugar to, cleans a dishwasher pretty well too.

  15. #135
    Banned


    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    29˚68’27”N, 99˚12’07”W
    Posts
    14,662
    Ok, here's a new one: After reading the suggestion to use Goo Gone to dissolve asphalt cartridge sealant I tried cleaning my loaded cartridges with it to remove the last visage of Felix Lube from the casemouths, and got clean brass, to boot!

    My technique is usually to spritz an old hand towel with Ed's Red (it's handy), make a hammock of the towel, pour a hundred or so cartridges on it and saw it back and forth a dozen times and pour them out on a clean towel. Fold the clean towel over the cartridges and shuffle them like bones to dry. This leaves a fine film of Dexron III to deter corrosion. Sometimes, for storage, I just clean them with mineral spirits, dry them, and then tumble in a towel dampened with a diluted liquid car wax or Mop'N'Glo. I'm getting to where I don't tumble my pistol brass much, it kind of gets a patina after a few firings and I've worked most of my loads to the point that they don't leave much residue, but using Goo Gone as a final cleaner polished them nicely and cut the lube quite well.

    By the way, many MANY thanks to Crabo for suggesting the towel cleaning technique, took me a bit to figure it out but I have it perfected now!

    Gear

  16. #136
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    US West Coast
    Posts
    1,120
    Yup, the towel hammock works great.

    I have used Goo-Gone for years to clean guns. Much nicer to use than most other solvents. It cleans off old oil/grease residue and does a great job on soot/carbon fouling. I use it for 95% of my gun cleaning chores, with the balance being copper-solvents for bore cleaning. Goo-Gone handles everything else, is not expensive, and smells real purty. All but the most stubborn lead residues around the cylinder/forcing cone will wipe off with a cotton towel and Goo-Gone.

    It is probably not safe for wood finishes.

    Buy it in the large refill containers and use a small squirt-bottle container when actually using/applying it. Good luck.

  17. #137
    Banned


    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    29˚68’27”N, 99˚12’07”W
    Posts
    14,662
    Not as unsafe as acetone for wood finishes, I'm sure. I can assume that in your experience Goo-Gone doesn't have enough citric acid to harm blueing?

    Where were you guys with the towel trick years ago?

    Gear

  18. #138
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    US West Coast
    Posts
    1,120
    Quote Originally Posted by geargnasher View Post
    Not as unsafe as acetone for wood finishes, I'm sure. I can assume that in your experience Goo-Gone doesn't have enough citric acid to harm blueing?

    Where were you guys with the towel trick years ago?

    Gear
    Goo-Gone contains d-limonene and petroleum solvents. D-limonene is citrus-based, but not citric-acid based. No citric acid at all in Goo-Gone. D-limonene is often recommended for cleaning of machine parts, as neither the petroleum nor the limonene has any reaction with common metals. I've used it for firearm cleaning for a long time-- and in fact it's the only cleaning-solvent I use for that purpose any more. It works that well. Will not hurt bluing on steel. I haven't mentioned Goo-Gone because most folks are wedded to their gun cleaner of choice.

    I thought everyone knew the towel trick.

  19. #139
    Moderator Emeritus/Boolit Master in Heavens Range
    Molly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    South Charleston, WV
    Posts
    1,127
    Goo-Gone is basicly Xylene with a tad of d-Limonene added. Xylene is so much like gasoline that you can run your car on it, with no problem or ill effects. In fact, it is a major ingredient in gasoline.
    Regards,

    Molly

    "The remedy for evil men is not the abrogation of the rights of law abiding citizens. The remedy for evil men is the gallows." Thomas Jefferson

  20. #140
    Boolit Grand Master

    MtGun44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    eastern Kansas- suburb of KC
    Posts
    15,023
    I'm starting to think that my Goo Gone is something different than what you are talking about.
    My stuff is very thick paste, not quite peanut butter but much thicker than honey. This is
    why I thinned it with water to try on the case necks. Is the stuff you are talking about
    much lower viscosity than this? I can't imagine cleaning guns with this stuff, way too thick.

    Bill
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

Page 7 of 48 FirstFirst 1234567891011121314151617 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check