George , I have bookmarked all your videos and keep going to them like a reference library,, every one is straight to the point, short and without a fanfare.
Thank you. Glad that you like them. An easy way to get to most of the RU-vid videos is where I have them listed in categories: gsegmedia.com/?page_id=4657
Wow I used our acid toilet cleaner ZEP and it cleaned my copper which was corroded for over 15 years. Got tired scrubbing for hours after long hours of boiling with vinegar and salt so I switched to acid toilet bowl cleaner and can’t believe how fast it cleaned my copper bowl. Thank you. The wife
Another good over the counter acid is Oxalic Acid that is in some cleaners like Bar Keepers Friend. Available everywhere and fairly inexpensive. Cleans decades old copper with ease.
Rinsing under water doesn't "neutralize" the acid, it merely dilutes it. Vinegar won't do anything unless you put table salt in it, at which point you'll have a weak solution of hydrochloric acid (aka muriatic acid, or swimming pool acid) -- the same thing in your "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner. The Sparex is not a "weak acid." it is, in fact a very strong acid (sodium bisulphate which makes a sulphuric acid solution), it's just not as effective at dissolving copper oxides..
Cool! I just wanna clean my old Copper sample for element collection and want to see how long it takes. This video is a good example of the reaction! I would definitely choose my toilet cleaner but mixing vinegar and table salt (NaCl) also makes a small amount of Hydrochloric acid (HCl) and it also very fast to clean the Copper.
Holy Moly! I use toilet bowl cleaner all the time!!!!! Lysol 10x ( never dawned on me to use it on the copper) I've used the same bowl cleaner to prepare my rocks for engraving) and you were right the bowl cleaner is Quick! I just did a test on a piece of copper jewelry I just soldered and bingo....done deal. Thank you so much for the info.
OK I can see some might not want to make measurements if not needed. I would like to also point out Sparex is the same chemical as pH minus sold with pool supplies. Good work on all your videos none the less. I appreciate the tips!
I've used car wax and that seems to work. But, in reference to your question, wax is labor intensive; applying the wax and then buffing. Best choice for me is either a clear lacquer or one of the better clear acrylics such as Krylon or Rust-Oleum. There are specialized industrial coatings but most people don't have access to these so I don't use them in any of my videos. Thanks for your question!
Thanks. I've tried to keep this at mild acids. The white vinegar and toliet bowl cleaner are easily accessible. Sparex #2 is especially good and can be ordered online. I think these three are fairly safe if used with caution. Appreciate the comment, I'll keep sulphuric acid in mind.
Try using a carburizing flame when annealing your copper. You will have carbon on the outside of the copper but unlike a oxidizing flame it won't oxidize the copper and ruin the surface finish
thanks for posting this, i build with copper and brass on all my prototypes and i offten make a mess of the luster , was gonna dump brasso on all of it but i hate that stuff, its horrible
Maybe a Brillo pad. But, you've probably already tried that. I have had good luck with soaking pieces in white vinegar. Other than those two ideas, I can't think of anything else.
Great solutions - may challenge is Cu piping which is in use was tarnished by hydrogen gas from lead-acid batteries. I’ve applied every thing from “Brasso”, to Cu cleaner - neither would remove the tarnish, reverted to 400 Wet dry sand paper. Too much work. Suggestions appreciated.
George, Good video. I usually steer clear of working with copper because of its labor intensiveness. A question I have is how to fix the copper when its done to stave off oxidation. A way other than clear coat with laquer.?
Depending on the strength of the acid. White Vinegar very mild will take some time to remove oxidization. Toilet bowl cleaner is very strong. Almost immediate results. Rubber glove, and safety glasses recommended. Maybe even a mask - very strong fumes. Rinse with water = stops the acid from working. Glad you like the videos.
I wash masonry with muriatic acid and often have problems with copper on buildings.... ive noticed sprayinv the acid on new copper will turn it green or black.... but it will clean tarnished copper like here in your video but will revert to green/black tarnish after a few days.... any opinion on how to stop the reverting back to tarnish? Maybe a polish or clear coat seal?
That would be buffing, using buffing wheels and buffing compounds. I'd suggest searching for a "buffing forum". There are people on the internet that know far more than I do about choosing different types of buff and compounds. I did a Google search for "buffing forums" and there a bunch of them.
Love your videos. I am just starting on this journey and have learned everything from you, except... What kind of torch do you use? I have ordered all my supplies but don’t know what to do about the torch.
Pat, check this video out. After you watch the video you'll probably have more questions, so get back to me. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3rzsFAZZkmY.html
Make sure the wire brush is stainless steel, regular carbon steels can leave particles behind that will rust. Be careful with toilet bowl cleaner, some contain hydrochloric acid and the copper should be neutralized with baking soda. It's best practice anyway.
Sir, do you know how to clean dirt I think its probably clay from copper? I found this beautiful copper or probably brass candle holders which I dug up from my back yard. I was trying to clean it for weeks, but to no avail. Hope you can help me, thanks.
George: I have copper rain-gutters - the painter applied a chemical to give the green pantine look - I want to remove this & have concluded that the best way is to get the copper back down to it's original state (as best I can) - any suggestions on what to use on rain gutters? Thanks
+Mark Peacock Note: I don't know what chemical the painter used to turn the copper green. You might start out with some of the milder acids, like white vinegar, toilet bowl cleaner etc. Be sure to wear safety goggles, rubber gloves and a long sleeve shirt. If it was normal oxidation, the acid will turn the copper pink. To get the shiny copper like the bottom of a Revere ware pan, you will need to wire brush or steel wool. Once you have the bright and shiny copper, you will need to treat it with something to prevent oxidization (tarnish). This is all just off the top of my head. You are probably better off checking with paint stores or shops that install copper guttering. You might also do some more research on RU-vid. Wish I could be more help, but this is a bit out of my line.
Good question. I really don't know. Probably best to as a plumber or a chemist. Any time I use acids for cleaning, I make doubly sure I rinse thoroughly with water to neutralize.
Great video, relaxing to listen to and watch :) I have a question though. We have this pretty big copper statue that's been outside for a couple of years on end. It's not necessarily dirty but it's got this white/blue/green material on it that's hard and rough. Is there anything you recommend on how to clean this? I'm guessing to wash the entire statue as I don't want one area to be spotless and the rest to be in worn condition.
Thanks for the comment. If it is an expensive copper sculpture, I would have it professionally cleaned. Without actually seeing it I would be hesitant to offer any suggestions.
I've been using Victor Performer Torches since 1973. I've gone through four or five over that time. Other good names in torches are Smith and Harris. I've had good service and good prices from cyberweld.com and weldingsupply.com. Cyber weld usually offers free shipping. I use oxygen acetylene. For just annealing, you might want to consider propane/oxygen. However, I have no experience with oxygen/propane so you may want to do some research. Not sure what temperature you need. Acetylene is hotter than propane.
Just saw your cymbals. Check out a rosebud torch tip. Allows for annealing large areas. I have one which I use for annealing larger sheets of copper. If you decide on one, be sure that it will fit the torch handle of the torch you purchase. The rosebud tip that i have will fit on one of my torches but not another.
Hydro chloric acid HCL somehow muriatic acid... I was asking, anyhow an experiment will find out. thanks your attention... basically I was trying to find out the technique to clean the copper and brass points after silver recovery they got black rust on all no idea what is it until scratch it.
Muriatic acid is strong and it has an immediate effect in cleaning copper and brass. I rarely use it, but when I do I only use it outside (Strong Fumes). For your own safety, follow the safety precautions on the container.
It depends on what you want to do. If want to do brazing, people are having good luck with oxygen propane torches. If you are talking about the little propane tanks at discount stores, I doubt that they have enough heat to braze, You may be able to silver solder. I'd suggest going online and seeing what jewelers are using for a heat source.
@@897473 yes i know, i do chemistry and stuff and i even know how to make hydrochloric acid from NaCl so ofcourse i know how to take safety precautions just saying
@@miguelchacon2717 Thanks for your insight. As I said somewhere in the description for that video: I've tried to keep this at mild acids. The white vinegar and toilet bowl cleaner are easily accessible. Sparex #2 is especially good and can be ordered online. I think these three are fairly safe if used with caution".
I checked the video and i'm gonna buy a bottle of this. I'm a Tiffany stained glass designer and i wonder if it also works as a flux on copper foil for 60/40 solder. I'll give it a try. I think it will be great when i work with copper sculptures.
The toilet bowl cleaner is 20% hydrochloric acid. It might be cheaper to buy a gallon of muriatic acid which is 30% Hydrochloric acid and dilute it with water. Also, any solution you use on copper should NOT be used on steel or the dissolved copper will plate on the steel and cause accelerated rusting due to galvanic affect.
www.hunker.com › Home Hacks & Answers › "Most toilet bowl cleaners are acidic because acids are better for breaking down mineral stains, which are most likely what you are cleaning out of your toilet bowl".
