To neutralize the citric acid or not?

[Darth-Vang]

Okay guys, so I’ve been using citric acid for a good while to clean my brass, but I was doing some reading online and supposedly I should neutralize the acid prior to drying it? I know a bit of chemistry, will the citric acid “eat” away at my dies and brass if I don’t neutralize it with baking soda?

 

[barnfrog]

I just rinse my brass thoroughly with tap water after wet tumbling in Lemi-shine/Dawn solution. Then dry in the toaster oven. I've never seen any recommendation for neutralizing the acid, but I guess it couldn't hurt.

 

[noylj]

Just rinse.

 

[Zahn]

I doubt you have a very strong acid solution. You could add a drop of Dawn or other dishwashing liquid as you rinse if you are concerned.

 

[jm529]

Okay guys, so I’ve been using citric acid for a good while to clean my brass, but I was doing some reading online and supposedly I should neutralize the acid prior to drying it? I know a bit of chemistry, will the citric acid “eat” away at my dies and brass if I don’t neutralize it with baking soda?

I neutralize my brass with a little baking soda and water mix. They seem to stay shiny longer.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I'm with most of the others. I merely rinse in tap water. I've not had any trouble.

 

[lightman]

I dump my brass out into a plastic tub and run fresh water over it until the nasty water is gone then I separate my media from the brass. So mine gets rinsed as part of the sorting process. Honestly I never thought about neutralizing the citric acid. I imaging LemiShine is pretty mild anyway?

 

[Varminterror]

Too much acid will leach zinc from the brass, turning it pink. That is why folks instruct to thoroughly dilute while rinsing, rinse without allowing spots to dry, or otherwise neutralize acidic brass baths prior to drying.

 

[AK Hunter]

I rinse in running water while stirring the brass & when the water runs clear it's ready to dry.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Do you clean your brass in a Rotary tumbler with pins or in a Ultrasonic cleaner?

If I were using a rotary tumbler with pins I would say no. Your not using enough Citric acid to matter.

If you are using an ultrasonic I say yes to rinsing in water and baking soda because being an ultrasonic is non-contact you can use a lot more cirtic acid in it than you can get a way with in a rotary pin cleaner if you chose to. I just covering all bases.

So I guess it would depend on the amount of cirtric acid you are using.
I use a lot of citric acid in my ultrasonic so I always rinse well and add a little backing soda to my rinse water.

 

[lordpaxman]

When I’m wet tumbling, after three hours it’s black water, so I have to clear water rinse about 2 times, then the 3rd rinse water I’ll add a 9mm case of citric acid to that rinse water, tumble 10 minutes and use that acidic water for my next wash cycle. I’m not a chemist but I stayed at a holiday inn once and don’t believe there’s a lot of moles to do any damage. This isn’t phosphoric acid. I read elsewhere there may be an advantage to this rinse step aiding in passivation. One last tip, if you do leave the acidic rinse in place, realize if your drying racks are a different metal, you may experience galvanic action. Good luck.

 

[243winxb]

neutralize it with baking soda

Vinegar Solutions gets deactivated.
Citrus/Dawn, stir in boiling water for a minute. Dump in colander, stir to drain better. Dry it.

2 drops of Dawn Ultra is enough. It contains up to 5% ethanol. Don't over do it.

 

[Bcwitt]

Citric is highly water soluble. A quick wipe should be fine.

 

[bihj]

Rinse the brass and dry it. If you haven't already figured it out, there are a lot of people that over think every project they do.

The fastest way to find them is via internet.

 

[243winxb]

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/cleaning-brass-using-citric-acid.708100/page-2

 

[gunlaw]

This sounds like a lot of work. I tumble with corn cob and call it good.

 

[doubleh]

I dump mine in a mesh basket and shake it while running water over the brass. It is easier to get rid of the dirty water that way. Then I dump them in a heavy steel pan and sit them out on my worktable beside the garage and let Mother Nature dry them. I found out the hard way not to use an aluminum pan after a whirlwind hit the table.

 

[AJC1]

If your not dealing with molar level acids your wasting your time. A rinse is plenty.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I use a 1/2 teaspoon of Lemi-shine cap full of ArmorAll Wash n Wax and a small squirt of Dawn.
Drain the black water.
Fill up the tub with tap water and drain.
Fill back up with hot tap water, run ten to fifteen minutes.
Drain, remove all of the pins and put on my drying racks until dry.
After the rinces I doubt it it there is any significant amount of citrus left on the cases.
If there is any citrus left I'd thing the home made lube ( red bottle of dry gas & liquid lanolin - 10 to 1) would neutralize it.