Cleaning Bronz Brushes

[bobm]

I will add to this old thread.........I clean brushes by putting them inside a small glass bottle, the small large mouth Hoppe's brown glass, filled with Coleman camp fuel. I made a Teflon sheet lid seal. A few shakes after a minute in there, then out for quick air drying. Dump and refill when it gets dirty. A gallon of it is relatively cheap and fumes dissipate fast.

 

[ireload2]

Use any common non ammonia solvent and blow it clean with compressed air.

 

[jimmymac]

I’ll chime in on the old thread in case someone else is looking for a solution.

Buy a gallon of laquer thinner and use it to fill up a mason jar. Plenty of room in the mason jar to swish the brushes around. When done, seal it up for next time.

 

[butchlambert]

Jeez, I throw the brush away after it loses it's ability.

 

[bobm]

Jeez, I throw the brush away after it loses it's ability.

In some cases a brush will be trashed at the end of an extended shooting session with frequent cleaning like a bench rest match.

But for some, lost ability may not come for several more uses over x amount of time. Left wet in storage with the wide variety of corrosive solvents , copper based metals will degrade quickly. I clean them before storage so I can get maximum use from my $2.50 bore brush.

 

[JFrank]

I have now bought all the recommended cleaning supplies and equipment I have been told I need. I was told though that the higher ammonia content in the better cleaning solutions, attack bronze brushes and that I should rinse them in Brake or Carburetor Cleaner. Only problem is that I have been to about 10 stores, including Auto Parts stores and can not seem to get any of those two items in anything by a gallon container or a spray can. What happened to the old screw top metal cans of about 12 to 24 ounces. What does everyone use to clean and rinse their bronze brushes?

Thanks, Bob

I just throw them away

 

[Gene66]

I leave the bronze brush on the cleaning rod. I have a Sinclair empty bottle filled with rubbing alcohol. I swish it around in the alcohol and then blow it dry with canned air. Then I unscrew it and put it on the rack. When the alcohol turns blue in the bottle, I throw it out and put in new. It takes about five seconds to get the brush looking new.

Good shooting,
Gene

 

[alinwa]

Ya' th'ow the hannle up over your shoulder leaving the brush hanging down and feed Ronsonol into then top. It goes weeoo weoo weoo round and round and drips off the end. Within a few rounds it's running clear.

Yer done.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I run the under hot water for a few seconds. Works for me.

Same here. Run them under water and blow them off with air compressor or if I'm cleaning at the range I'll dry them with a towel. I do the same with my nylon brushes.

_________________________________________________________________________

OP,
Water works for me because I do not use ammonia based cleaning solutions. No reason unless you want better chances of getting cancer and burnt lungs. But no matter what, I also use nitrile gloves and an eye dropper to apply solution on patches to avoid skin contact. Also only use bronze brushes very sparingly. I usually only use bronze during a barrel break in period. After that, nylon seems to get everything out of the bore with a good cleaner. All verified with a bore scope.

 

[butchlambert]

Grizzly sells brushes for $1.25. After a match I chunk them. I guess that I am lucky, I don't wear gloves and get solvent all over my hands, Brake clean, Carb cleaner, asbestos brake dust,and other things. I'm only 76 years old, so cancer must be around the corner.
Don't get me wrong about the folks that take precautions. Yeah, in the old days we dusted our vegetable plants with Chlordane. It was also spread under the house foundation to prevent future termite problems. Yes, we were stupid enough to ride our bikes behind the DDT spraying machines as the mist was cool.
Maybe I could live to 100 by not doing that.

 

[hpshooter]

" ride our bikes behind the DDT spraying machines as the mist was cool.
Maybe I could live to 100 by not doing that."

sure glad to know it wasn't just us St. Albans WV kids that did that!

Union Carbide, where most of our dads worked, made Sevin*. Lots of Sevin came home in brown paper sacks. It was used for anything pest related. Some rabbit hunters would occasionally put a spoonful in dog food to keep the fleas and tics off the beagles. All the dogs seemed to live normal lifespans.

*As well as Prestone in the Quart and Gallon cans. Didn't have to read a calendar, you knew when winter was coming by the number of empty Prestone cans in the neighborhood trash.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Grizzly sells brushes for $1.25. After a match I chunk them. I guess that I am lucky, I don't wear gloves and get solvent all over my hands, Brake clean, Carb cleaner, asbestos brake dust,and other things. I'm only 76 years old, so cancer must be around the corner.
Don't get me wrong about the folks that take precautions. Yeah, in the old days we dusted our vegetable plants with Chlordane. It was also spread under the house foundation to prevent future termite problems. Yes, we were stupid enough to ride our bikes behind the DDT spraying machines as the mist was cool.
Maybe I could live to 100 by not doing that.

I bet jay lynn has a field day diving in your trash can. Bronze brushes and plenty of patches to wash

 

[Dans40X]

but getting a bore guide for a lever action seems problematic! I did rig up something though to absorb anything that got into the action before it got into the trigger etc.
Cheers,

OP,
When cleaning a lever,piston,op rod,gas impingement gun invert the receiver to keep solvents/oils out of the mechanism/trigger group.
A brass/delrin crown protector works wonders also.

 

[ireload2]

I can remember in the early 60s that there were almost NO hawks or owls in my part of the country thanks to DDT.
While you are bragging about 76 I had a good friend die about 15 years ago at age 46. His poison was ethyl alcohol in products manufactured to be consumed by humans...

Grizzly sells brushes for $1.25. After a match I chunk them. I guess that I am lucky, I don't wear gloves and get solvent all over my hands, Brake clean, Carb cleaner, asbestos brake dust,and other things. I'm only 76 years old, so cancer must be around the corner.
Don't get me wrong about the folks that take precautions. Yeah, in the old days we dusted our vegetable plants with Chlordane. It was also spread under the house foundation to prevent future termite problems. Yes, we were stupid enough to ride our bikes behind the DDT spraying machines as the mist was cool.
Maybe I could live to 100 by not doing that.

 

[butchlambert]

I can remember in the early 60s that there were almost NO hawks or owls in my part of the country thanks to DDT.
While you are bragging about 76 I had a good friend die about 15 years ago at age 46. His poison was ethyl alcohol in products manufactured to be consumed by humans...

Bragging about being 76?? What is your point. Yeah, I had an acquaintance that choked and died eating chicken and dumplings. Is there a message here?

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Chemicals might not have killed Butch physically, but it sure seems to have killed every nice bone in his body.

Always grumpy, disgruntled and contradicting everyone in a negative manner. I dont post on any other forums than Accurate Shooter, but i have read his posts all over the internet on on other shooting forums and machining forums that I read when searching for reviews on products and other information. He uses the same name so I know its him. He's the same way on all of them. Dont listen to anything he says. Just put him on your ignore list.

 

[butchlambert]

Chemicals might not have killed Butch physically, but it sure seems to have killed every nice bone in his body.

Always grumpy and disgruntled about everything. I dont post on any other forums than Accurate Shooter, but i have read his posts all over the internet on on other shooting forums and machining forums that I read when searching for reviews on products and other information. He uses the same name so I know its him. He's a jerk on all of them. Dont listen to anything he says. Just put him on your ignore list.

Sorry Kid! There is an ignore button.

 

[bobm]

....another good information packed thread going down the toilet. Oh, the humanity.

I love chicken and dumplings.

 

[Steve Ladino]

I have now bought all the recommended cleaning supplies and equipment I have been told I need. I was told though that the higher ammonia content in the better cleaning solutions, attack bronze brushes and that I should rinse them in Brake or Carburetor Cleaner. Only problem is that I have been to about 10 stores, including Auto Parts stores and can not seem to get any of those two items in anything by a gallon container or a spray can. What happened to the old screw top metal cans of about 12 to 24 ounces. What does everyone use to clean and rinse their bronze brushes?

Thanks, Bob

An empty plastic coffee container with a snap on lid almost full of soapy water

 

[butchlambert]

....another good information packed thread going down the toilet. Oh, the humanity.

I love chicken and dumplings.

Bob,
My wife makes great chicken and dumplings.