What is the best thing to use to remove the green corrosion that forms on bronze fittings? I'd like to really clean up my stuffing box and the upper housing on the raw water filter. Thanks.
Cleaning bronze fittings
- Thread starter FlightRisk1
- Start date
if its green thats a good thing..... if its pinkish or copper colored not so good and may need a second opinion ....as for cleaning use a brass or bronze wire brush or you could use a ss one that you can find at the big box stores ( HD or Lowes) in the welding department of the tool section.....brush it while dry ...then after you have got to your liking then coat it with wd40 or boeing shield T9 i think it is ...stay away from acids or harsh chemicals.....oh and wear eye protection ..if you have a bronze shaft look for pitting while cleaning ......
Citric acid is a good 'verdigris' (copper acetate/copper oxide) remover ... apply and let soak, then sand/wire-brush/polish, etc.
Citric acid can be obtained as a powder (Amazon, etc.), its used for food preparation and processing / home canning, etc..
If in a hurry, use fresh squeezed lemon juice or concentrate ... but will be of lower 'concentration' and will take longer. The thicker the verdigris deposit the longer more aggressive soak, etc. will be needed.
When finished, a spray with lacquer, etc. will slow down the re-formation of the verdigris. If you want 'bright brown' bronze (as seen on bronze statues, etc.), regularly apply olive oil.
Citric acid can be obtained as a powder (Amazon, etc.), its used for food preparation and processing / home canning, etc..
If in a hurry, use fresh squeezed lemon juice or concentrate ... but will be of lower 'concentration' and will take longer. The thicker the verdigris deposit the longer more aggressive soak, etc. will be needed.
When finished, a spray with lacquer, etc. will slow down the re-formation of the verdigris. If you want 'bright brown' bronze (as seen on bronze statues, etc.), regularly apply olive oil.
I just used a maroon scotch-brite pads. For the harder to reach areas/little crevices I used the dremel with the buffing wheel or SS brush.
Here is my heat exchanger cleaned that way.
I did my raw water strainer too but can't seem to find any pics at the moment.
Good luck and fair winds,
Jesse
Here is my heat exchanger cleaned that way.
I did my raw water strainer too but can't seem to find any pics at the moment.
Good luck and fair winds,
Jesse
Spotless Stainless does a decent job of that. But it's loaded with citrus just as Rich intimates.
Are you leaving the HX like that?
Just curious; my brackets broke free and it is cleaned up some but 60% paint / 40% copper.
Peter
No, I painted it with the same paint as the engine. That was two years ago. The paint is holding up so far. https://svsmitty.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/engine-cleaning-heat-exchanger-altenator/
Get the new brackets that someone on the 310 site put up, not the ones from Westerbeke.
http://www.mrcool.us/mounting-bracket-universal-25.html
Good luck and fair winds,
Jesse