Old brass polishing trick

[igotta40]

My old boss was a USMC Korean War vet who showed me a trick for polishing brass. A little spit and cigarette ash rubbed on brass removes tarnish. I tried it on my 1858 Remington trigger housing and it worked pretty good.

Anyone ever done that?

 

[rcmodel]

Sure.
Used to polish Jounson Silver minnow, and Mepp's spinner fishing lures in the boat 50 years ago with cig ash & spit.

I can assure you though.
There are better &'easier ways to do it.

I imagine our ancestors were polishing silverware, and brass, and knives, (and gun barrels) with fireplace ashes hundreds of years ago.

rc

 

[4v50 Gary]

Cigarette ashes and spit. That's a new one to me. Ash was used to polish powder horns.

ETA: One of my horn instructors, perhaps Lee Larkin, had us polishing our horns with wood ash.

 

[CANNONMAN]

We teach our customers to use the ash in their fireplaces to clean the class doors. Use newspaper, water and ash. Just strong enough to not etch the glass and the materials are readily available. I quite smoking about 20years ago.

 

[Patocazador]

Brasso was what we used before inspection. I don't smoke, never did.

 

[bannockburn]

Have been using Flitz for many years on brass and other metals with great results.

 

[kBob]

I used Semi Chrome Polish which was sold by MS Meyer if I remember correctly in High school and aometimes in the service until I ran out and could not find more. At the Citadel I used Brasso as each room was required to have a can of it in the shoe shine box under the sink so there could be no excuses for Gross Personal Appearance, dirty brass...Sir, the report is true, Sir. Sir, no excuse, Sir........

-kBob

 

[zimmerstutzen]

A long almost lost trick used by folks with the old fashioned wood stoves in the kitchen was wood ash and wet newspaper. Great on sooted up glass and chrome.

 

[jeepnik]

The very first question I have is "why"? Unless the brass is highly corroded it's just an appearance issue. If anyone thinks it will shoot better if it's shiny they have serious issues.

 

[splattergun]

I'm not taking up smoking again to test it out. I quit over 12 years ago after 30 years of slavery to nicotine. But I do have ashes in the fire pit that will work just fine.

 

[LoneGoose]

I'm with jeepnik. My 30-year-old Hawken looks great with the brass all browned out. My 2-year-old 1860 still has shiny brass and I am waiting for it to get that natural, lovely patina.

Not to say that I am against anyone who likes to keep their instruments shiny and new-looking. To each his own. As long as everyone is happy and having fun.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Another old trick was to clean up neglected knives with a slice of raw potato dipped in ashes.

 

[igotta40]

I didn't mention that I would shoot any better with polished brass. But how do you know I won't?

 

[Bigdog57]

When I was made "Duty Divisional Damage Control Petty Officer" for my shop onboard my Navy ship, I had a fire station to clean and maintain. It was pretty crusty. I began using Brasso. My Seniorchief saw me laboring away, and told me to lay to the mess deck and get a bucket of "Bug Juice" - orange Koolade! Dunked the grungy brass in it, and an hour later, the brass came out spotless! Smelled good too...... The mild acid in the Koolaid (use sugarfree!) is what got the gunk off.

 

[PainlessWolf]

Makes me wonder how Diet Coke would work. Just as a thought to think about. ;o)
regards!

 

[Snaggletooth]

I have used both military lemon drink and Louisiana hot sauce to clean brass and copper. I learned that on mess duty from one of the cooks

 

[jeepnik]

Really bad use Naval Jelly. To maintain use Brasso. Want to avoid it all together, clean, and spray with clear lacquer.

 

[Whacked]

toss the brass bits in a tumbler.
don't like the shiny look anyways, just as long as it aint green its OK

 

[Bigdog57]

Tried a clear finish over my old brass-framed Colt 1860 Army clone - BIG MISTAKE!!! It chips and flakes over the years, and is a major PITA to get off. :banghead:

Don't want to use soda pop. The sugar makes a sticky mess. A different form of acid too. Use sugar-free orange Koolade for best results!
Vinegar might work, but could strip the blue from blued parts. Be careful!!

 

[Erwan]

For others I don't know but for me it is: brush in boar hair with powdered chalk.
It works pretty good for brass, copper and bronze: no chemical stuff inside then no white and verdigris coming later...

 

[Whacked]

Bug Juice is nasty.

Works great at cleaning the oily gunk in the bilge, deck plates, and hydraulic oil spills