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Thread: Citric acid brass cleaner

  1. #161
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WallyM3 View Post
    I think we got to diminishing marginal utility on my idea pretty quickly. (LOL)
    Not a bad idea at all, Wally, but looks like folks sure are turning up some great sources for citric acid. It's kind of nice that it's easy to find!

  2. #162
    Boolit Master WallyM3's Avatar
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    For once, sag. For once. (LOL)

  3. #163
    Boolit Master
    a.squibload's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sagacious View Post
    ...Always best to confirm something like this with a specialist who does auto painting/refinishing. Good luck.
    Specialist??? I was thinking of Hammerite from a rattlecan!
    I do have a spray gun from Harbor Fright, never used it, afraid the paint will cost more than $6.
    Gotta do something though, otherwise it will rust through in a few more years...

  4. #164
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by a.squibload View Post
    Specialist??? I was thinking of Hammerite from a rattlecan!
    I do have a spray gun from Harbor Fright, never used it, afraid the paint will cost more than $6.
    Gotta do something though, otherwise it will rust through in a few more years...
    Go for it then! The citric will remove the rust, but you may have to make a dam using tape or some such to keep a good puddle of citric soaking on the rust for a while. Just wiping a bit on likely won't get it. Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

  5. #165
    Boolit Master
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    Talking

    I annealed my gas checks today and soaked them in the Lemi Shine after for an hour and they came out nice and pink colored.

  6. #166
    Boolit Grand Master

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    sagacious,

    I looked at your Goo-Gone. Mine is a very thick paste "hand soap". I'll see if I can find
    the liquid form here locally.

    Bill
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  7. #167
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
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    Bill,
    The hardware stores, office-supple stores, etc, carry Goo-Gone in my area.

    Here's a possible source in your neck of the woods, with an outlet in KC. The site has a store locator. They carry the 8oz, quart, and gallon size. Good luck.

    http://www.marbeck.com/cleaners_household_goo_gone.html

  8. #168
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I know Marbeck without even going to their site. They are a specialty store that sells
    a lot of appliance repair parts, and also a lot of general housewares and cleaning
    supplies. Fits right into their line.

    Thanks.

    Bill
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  9. #169
    Boolit Master
    a.squibload's Avatar
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    Fleabay has tons of the stuff, I got a couple 3oz bottles to try it out, about $4 with shipping.
    Sat right here sippin my, uh, coffee.

  10. #170
    Boolit Master
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    I soaked the lantern, didn't notice any change 'til I wiped it with a paper towel, a lot of the rust just wiped off.
    Maybe I'll try it on brass...

  11. #171
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by a.squibload View Post
    I soaked the lantern, didn't notice any change 'til I wiped it with a paper towel, a lot of the rust just wiped off.
    Maybe I'll try it on brass...
    Give it another soak. Try either a slightly stronger solution or use a heated solution. When heated the citric is a LOT more active on rust. Give it an occasional stir while soaking.

    For really serious rust removal, you can either mix a 10% solution, or make a saturated solution. Add 3ozs citric per qt water for an approx 10% solution. For a saturated solution, just sprinkle the citric acid into the water until no more will dissolve. Always add the acid to the water, never pour the water on the acid. Use eye protection when mixing citric acid in this concentration.

    Either of those option should rip right through the most stubborn rust. Good luck.

  12. #172
    In Remembrance


    DLCTEX's Avatar
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    After I did some brass I soaked our shower head in it to get out the scale that forms from our hard water. Cleaned it a lot better and faster than lime away.

  13. #173
    Boolit Mold
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    Thats a nice info.

  14. #174
    Boolit Master wistlepig1's Avatar
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    Today, I found citric acid at Ace Hardware in the canning section. I put some "range brass" in it for about 2 hrs. The acid was at about 130 deg (warm). The brass looked clean and had a nice shine to them. I had gotten in hurry to get the brass in the acid and hadn't deprimmed it(wife was wanting to go to supper). I will retest for 2 hrs to see if it cleans the pockets and report back.
    I had put 1 full teaspoon full of acid into 1 gallon of water. Martin

  15. #175
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
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    Sounds good. I cleaned some military brass recently, and the citric cleaned the residue from the primer pockets. I mixed the solution at 2 teasoons per quart, which would be 8 teaspoons per gallon. Good luck.

  16. #176
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    Can't be any wonder why I love this forum.

    I bought the Hornady Sonic cleaner and a quart of their sonic cleaner, just got it a few days ago. First thing I noticed on the cleaner label was "citric acid". I mixed it according the instructions and threw in about 300 old hornet cases. The timer only goes to 480 seconds and I ran it twice and while the outside of the cases looked great the primer pockets and the inside didn't show a lot of improvement. I doubled the concentration of cleaner and ran through two more cycles, better but not living up to the advertising claims.

    I tried a different approach and filled the machine with enough Greased Lightning cleaner ($8.00 a gallon) and put in more hornet brass. One 480 second cycle and the brass was perfectly clean inside and out, primer pockets and all were spotless but the brass wasn't shiny like the Hornady cleaner made it. I added a little of the Hornady cleaner to Greased lightning and put in the last of the Hornet brass, in one 480 second cycle it was cleaner and shinier than the day it was brand new. I rinsed all the brass well in warm tap water and let it dry and it water spotted (hard water here). 15 minutes in the tumbler and all the water spotting was gone.

    Then I found this thread.

    The Hornady unit does get fairly warm but I don't think there's a heater in it, just gets warm from the sonic vibrations. Tbe sheet that came with the unit says 42,000 Hz.

    Off tomorrow to find citric acid and use hot water. I'll test the citric acid and hot water vs. the sonic cleaner, citric acid and hot water to see how much the vibrating helps . . . or not.

    A while back I picked up a used mold on the cheap and it has a fair amount of rust, mostly on the outside and not the cavities . . . Hhhmmm.

    Rick
    "The people never give up their freedom . . . Except under some delusion." Edmund Burke

    "Let us remember that if we suffer tamely a lawless attack on our liberty, we encourage it." Samuel Adams

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  17. #177
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by sagacious View Post
    Give it another soak. Try either a slightly stronger solution or use a heated solution...
    Sorry to hijack the thread for a lantern with holes in the tank (saw light through several small holes!),
    but it's interesting to see that it actually works.
    I used hot water but a weak solution more suited for brass, 2 tbsp per gal +1 tbsp.
    Had to fill a 5 gal bucket so the lantern could stand up.
    I'll probably try it again as the citric is not expensive, and I have JB Weld.
    If enough rust is removed I can coat the tiny holes from the outside, squishing some into the holes.
    JB is used on Jeep gas tanks, should be good enough for an oil lantern.

    All the empty brass I own has been recently tumbled, but some of the older 44 brass has a patina, think I'll dunk it.

    PS: I mentioned the sale on Ultrasonic cleaners, the ol' lady's ears perked up. She makes jewelry. Might have to get one.
    Last edited by a.squibload; 05-29-2010 at 04:03 AM.

  18. #178
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cbrick View Post
    The Hornady unit does get fairly warm but I don't think there's a heater in it, just gets warm from the sonic vibrations. Tbe sheet that came with the unit says 42,000 Hz.

    Off tomorrow to find citric acid and use hot water. I'll test the citric acid and hot water vs. the sonic cleaner, citric acid and hot water to see how much the vibrating helps . . . or not.

    A while back I picked up a used mold on the cheap and it has a fair amount of rust, mostly on the outside and not the cavities . . . Hhhmmm.

    Rick
    Rick,
    Ultrasonic vibration has the same affect as heat on acids-- it increases their activity by making the acid molecules hit the metal at a greater speed. That makes for an accelerated reaction rate. Ultrasonics and pure citric acid should give powerful brass cleaning.

    Citric acid and untrasonics may be too powerful for rust removal from a precision tool like a mold. A simple soak should remove all the rust, and be sure to check and stir it every hour. When the rust is gone, remove it from the solution-- don't let it soak overnight when you won't be checking it. Good luck.

  19. #179
    Boolit Master sagacious's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by a.squibload View Post
    Sorry to hijack the thread for a lantern with holes in the tank (saw light through several small holes!),
    but it's interesting to see that it actually works.
    ...
    PS: I mentioned the sale on Ultrasonic cleaners, the ol' lady's ears perked up. She makes jewelry. Might have to get one.
    Squibload,
    No worries, mate, not a hijack. Glad to hear of your success. And best of luck on the US cleaner. Ultrasonics really gets helps clean flux and scale out of all the crevices in silver-soldered or brazed jewelry, and removes every speck of metal polish and residue from intricate findings and bails, etc....

  20. #180
    Boolit Master wistlepig1's Avatar
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    I uppered the acid to 6 tsp and repeated the range brass. The outsides look good, inside was fair, but the primer pockets were dirty. I use a small steel brush on them, ran tape water in them and they were clean. The acid had lossened the crud and it came right out with no work. I think I will add 2 more 2 tsps of acid and start fresh with some more range brass. All adds were to 1 Gallon.
    Last edited by wistlepig1; 05-29-2010 at 10:15 PM. Reason: add info

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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