What gives you fellas the best results? I do a 50/50 white vinegar/warm water bath then go to a soft cleansing powder such as Bon Ami, Bartender's Friend or a house brand. There's another one called "Soft Scrub", a suspension and fairly pricey. All are powdered feldspar and very soft. I apply them with used Tee shirt material or an old used toothbrush to give brass a high polish. I've tried Brasso, but the stuff smells worse than Satan's Loo. I've been tempted to use some sort of sealant on the brass to keep it shiny, but what I've found is spray lacquer. Any Ideas? Gerry
Hi Gerry, First up I'd observe that Bartenders Friend has a good dose of Citric Acid in the ingredients. Therefore that is performing largely the same role as your vinegar bath (just citric acid instead of acetic acid). I largely follow Kerophile's method if I want a nice shiny shelf tart. Citric acid bath, with a little washing up liquid added (Kerophile uses more of a paste using wallpaper paste instead of a bath). I prefer a bath on tanks as there's more likelyhood of getting crud out from inside the tank than just a fuel based washout that might not get into the pick up tubes either. I use an old toothbrush to get into nooks and crannies. But don't use either citric or acetic acid on Nickel (or other finish) plated stoves or components as that'll remove the plating in quite short order (unless it's you intention to re-plate of course). Then a standard brass cleaner - Brasso in the UK. For the burner, heat and quench and then citirc acid bath for final tidy up. I don't tend to lacquer my stoves as I like the patina to develop. Here's one I did earlier (like several years ago) using the method I describe above: https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/8835 Cheers, Graham
I am in the lucky situation to have access to a wide variety of polishing powders, both natural and synthetic. I have been playing around with some of them and all the ones I selected worked well (siliceous earth, polishing aluminas, very fine-grained corundum, calcined china clay et al.). Rather problematic is the thing that a suspension of such powders cannot be used on a buffing wheel without mucking up my work bench. Polishing powders should rather be applied in a highly viscous paste, which I cannot easily make on my own. Regards, Philipp
Bar Keepers Friend uses oxalic acid as its active ingredient. Ref: MSDS links If you look at the list some have Citric Acid, but the original uses oxalic acid. These use citric acid: -- Bar Keepers Friend Cooktop Cleaner -- Bar Keepers Friend Spray + Foam Cleaner (Also uses Oxalic acid) Some websites .. wegmans.com .. are in error saying "Bar Keepers Friend Liquid Cleanser with the Power of Citric Acid" REF: Link So, if you want citric acid in Bar Keepers Friend, be sure which product you are getting. Just trying to be helpful, Ken in NC
Must be different versions in different regions then. Here's the label of the stuff we get in the UK (with, you'll note UK rather than US address). I didn't recognise the packaging at all on the US BF web site. This UK stuff definitely has citric acid as the base component, on which I was basing what I originally wrote: UK Barkeeper's Friend Cheers, Graham.
I will recommend a polish paste called Autosol. Suitable for aluminum, brass, nickel, chrome etc. We buy it in gas stations here in Norway, but I think it's German made. Roar
I make a paste of vinegar, salt and flour which removes tarnish in short order on the cheap. Its mighty strong stuff and I never let it sit, I apply it with my finger, rub on it and rinse well, quickly. Sometimes a vinegar bath, but usually not on stamped parts, I'm paranoid of stress cracks. I finish up the polish with turtle wax rubbing compound and I'm happy with what it does. Sometimes I'll hit it with some 0000 steel wool before the rubbing compound. Works for me for the most part.
For tanks, I like to tear up little strips of paper towels, dip them in a small cup of my vinegar solution, and strategically place them around the tank, kind of like paper-mache. It may sound tedious, but it takes all of two minutes and is very, very easy to clean up. You can place the solution exactly where you want it, it's easy to check the progress, and I don't have to worry about any vinegar left inside the tank. Works great for me!
I think I'll restrict myself to automotive rubbing compound as I've got a gallon tin of it. I also have a sleeve of 0000 bronze wool. I went after one of my parts stoves with a 50/50 white vinegar/Warm water bath, 15 mimutes, then a nice warm water shower. (The stove, not me.) That took 90% of the crud and embedded oil solids off. Then a piece of cotton Tee shirt with Simonize rubbing coumpound followed by some winkling among the crooks and nannies with an expended toothbrush. All followed again by another warm water shower in the laundry sink. That old busted up Meva looks pretty good for what it is. I think I'll stay with this protocol, it works and isn't much work. I have the male work avoidance chromosome so can tell if work is close by, how far off it is, and where it's coming from, thus avoiding the lion's share of it. It has stood me in good stead over the years. Gerry
I use polishing compound and a Dremel with felt polishing wheel. Also use the same compound on a bench polisher but that's only any good for large areas. I'll soon be posting an offer to members. Earlier this year I bought a job lot of polishing compound in 800-900g bars. I now realise that I have enough to last me to the next millennium. I'll be selling them at cost (around £3.00 each) plus postage. I'll post in the trading post once I've dug them out and taken photo's. Regards, Terry
