clean your cleaning brushes?

[MIgunguy]

I know this sounds ridiculous but does anyone clean their cleaning brushes? I never gave much thought to this, then stumbled upon a box of old gun stuff including brushes and rods caked with... gunk, I don't know what it is. For the sake of extending the life of the brush (either copper or nylon) and / or keeping extra gunk/grit out of the gun the next time you clean, should you clean the brush? I've read that prior to rebluing a gun people use denatured alcohol to degrease gun parts, would soaking brushes and wiping rods with denatured alcohol work for this, then let the brush sit to let residual alcohol evaporate (that's what works for removing paint from airbrush parts)?

 

[rcmodel]

I keep a qt. can of alcohol or acetone solvent on the bench. But any paint thinner will probably do as well.

Un-screw the lid, stick the cleaning rod/brush in the hole, and swish it around. Then blow the patch fuzz off with an air hose.

It is especially important if you use a bronze brush with any copper solvent.
If you don't clean them, the copper solvent eats the brush.

rcmodel

 

[ocabj]

Brake cleaner or isopropyl alcohol for bronze brushes.

Isopropyl alcohol for nylon.

 

[Claude Clay]

and when was the last time you cleaned the inside of the washing machine?

 

[rcmodel]

Not the same thing, not the same thing at all!

As already mentioned, some solvents will ruin bronze brushes.

And it makes no sense at all to stick a filthy bore brush down a semi-dirty barrel, and make it even dirtier.

rcmodel

 

[kingjoey]

When the brushes get dirty I put a small pot of water with some Formula 409 in it on the stove. Get the water up to a good boil and toss the brushes in for a minute or so. It will strip the dirt and crud off the brushes very well.

 

[jrhines]

About once a week...

some Simple green & hot water go into the ultrasonic cleaner, 20 mins, hot water rinse, shake mostly dry, good as new. I do this for the bench brushes and the bore brushes.

 

[CRITGIT]

Yep! Simple Green or Dawn Det and HOT,HOT water........everytime out!

CRITGIT