[Hallicrafters] Brass Cleaning Question

[Rich Oliver]

Ed,

I would suggest you start with a good ultrasonic cleaning.  That is 
often sufficient.

If we are talking about machine bolts rather than screws you can 
accomplish a lot by "chasing" the threads.  Run the bolt into a die of 
the same size and pitch.  Actually do that twice; run it all the way in 
from the "start from this side" side, then reverse it and run the screw 
in from the back side to get the threads closer to the head.  Be sure to 
clean the crud out of the die when done.  Before chasing threads I like 
to soak the bolt in WD-40, then another blast of WD-40 cleans the die 
quickly.

If more attention is needed consider a quick dunk in Tarn-X.  That stuff 
strips the surface layers pretty rapidly to reveal fresh metal.  It is 
important to rinse the Tarn-X off quickly once fresh metal appears to 
stop the stripping, particularly if the piece is only plated.  Most 
likely a screw will be solid, though, so you should be OK.

Tarn-X sounds pretty nasty and it is; but consider that Brasso and 
similar products do the same thing by mechanical abrasion.  For a piece 
with deep crevices like a screw you have to work at it to get the deep 
crevices clean and that will abrade the high points in the process.

Ed wrote:
> I have discovered some screws that I think are brass. They are covered 
> in an oxidation that looks just like sulfur. I am used to brass just 
> getting darker with age. What is the best/least destructive way to clean 
> Brass?
> 73, Ed
> 
>