CLR Cleans without Sonic Cleaner

[LIUNA]

I was reading an article on this site about brass annealing, and the author showed his homemade version for annealing brass, and then explains after annealing he drops the brass in a container with full strength CLR (Calcium,Lime, Rust,) for 1 hour, and then rinses the brass twice in water, and then blows air through the brass drys them off.
I tried this, and bingo! clean as new brass. Great cleaning process.

 

[Taildrag15X]

Could you link the article?

 

[ronsroom1]

Just a FYI...........


This is right from the CLR website.

Is CLR Bathroom & Kitchen Cleaner safe on chrome or brass fixtures?

Yes, as long as the fixtures are in good condition and do not have any scratches. Follow the directions and do not leave CLR Bathroom & Kitchen Cleaner on longer than two minutes.

Brass, do not, and two minutes is what caught my eye.

 

[Taildrag15X]

That's what I was thinking myself ron.....I've been ultrasonic cleaning for years and would never think about using it myself.....wanted to see the mentioned article from "this web site".....

I did a search using CLR and it shows this post and a couple from 06 and they mention "No CLR".........

After seeing what happens to a large commercial ice machine after a batch of CLR went through it I can't imagine what it would do to simple yellow brass.

 

[LCazador]

CLR contains phosphoric acid , guess what it does to soft metals , brass , copper , silver , bronze , gold , it dissolves it ! It cleans by etching the surface , or in other words removes some of the surface . I wouldn't use it on my cases .

 

[ronsroom1]

If you go to their web site, it has a long list of frequently asked questions about what it will clean and how. Interesting reading.........

CLR contains phosphoric acid , guess what it does to soft metals , brass , copper , silver , bronze , gold , it dissolves it ! It cleans by etching the surface , or in other words removes some of the surface . I wouldn't use it on my cases .

 

[jlow]

The potential problem here is what CLR is made for vs. what it is being used for.

For many metals, their sole rule is to have some strength and to look good. However, cartridge brass’s main role is to contain that explosion when your powder is set off by the primer. To accept that CLR is a proper cleaning solution for cartridges, you have to be 100% sure that it does not compromise the strength of the cartridge brass. If you can be sure of this then it is a good cleaner.

 

[LIUNA]

I had the same concern about corrosion, but after examining the cases, I could't tell them from new cases. but I guess you would need a metallurgist to qualify the results.

 

[SpencerC]

I had the same concern about corrosion, but after examining the cases, I could't tell them from new cases. but I guess you would need a metallurgist to qualify the results.

Yes...Or a catastrophic failure into your face.....Your choice I guess...

 

[floydj]

I wonder if it would be less damaging on nickel brass? I mean if you felt like you just had to use it on your brass

 

[Taildrag15X]

The above post about the ice machine plate was NICKLE coated....it cleaned it down to the copper......

 

[LIUNA]

Well I contacted the company for CLR and asked about using CLR to clean Rifle Brass and this was their reply: Good Enough for me>>>>

[size=14pt]Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We always appreciate comments, questions and suggestions.

We do not recommend using any of our products to clean brass, as stated on the back of the bottle.[/size]

 

[Dan877]

Quite a few years ago I bought a bottle of Birchwood Casey (I think that was the brand) brass cleaner concentrate, the kind you mix with water and use to clean fired brass. It worked pretty darn good for cleaning brass. Each time I opened the bottle I thought I recognized the aroma. It smelled identical to some Armorall Aluminum Wheel Cleaner I had. In fact it smelled and looked the same, and even felt the same when rubbed between my finger and thumb. When I ran out of the B/C stuff I tried using the Armorall in its place. Mix a cup or so half and half with water in a plastic jug, dump in the brass and shake it up. After a few minutes of shaking pour out the brass and it's clean, rinse, then dry and it's ready to process. When you pour out the brass be sure to save the mixture, it's good for several batches.

To check if the Armorall cleaner is safe on brass I poured some full-strength in a bowl and dropped in a case and let it soak in it. It took more than a week before a slight amount of green appeared on the mouth and rim, so I believe it is more than safe for a few minutes of shaking in a diluted mixture. It appears to be simply a very strong detergent and it's a lot cheaper and more readily available than the B/C stuff.

 

[matorre]

Ammonia and brass should never be mixed.

Etching, and intergranular corrosion, are all bad features,
when lighting off a 55,000 psi pressure vessle 2 inches from your face.

If the shiney brass gets you more points on target, let
me know.

Michael

 

[markm87]

If you want shiney brass, buy a SS media tumbler.