Brass Parts Cleaning

When soldering brass, the welded joint needs to be cleaned from excess flux and from discoloration of the metal due to heating. Sometimes this process can be done using abrasive blasting; however, this process will typically leave a matte or etched surface finish.

The part on the right in the picture above was vibratory tumbled with a general purpose Synthetic Media and a solution of general purpose compound. After several hours, the excess metal was removed leaving a smoother, brighter finish. This process also remove oxidation on the part (see top of part on the left).

It’s important to note that unlike blasting which will have minimal impact on the edges and corners of a part, tumbling will round edges and corners. This can be seen most clearly around the top edges of the part. Clearly understanding the necessary final dimensions of the part will help inform what process to use to clean the brass.