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Torch In The Woods

rusty6

rusty6

Well-known Member
Location
East central Sask.
While cutting trails in the woods yesterday I found another garbage dump previously undiscovered. In the early days here it was considered quite normal to just dump your garbage in a bush or slough. Funny the things they threw away years ago are now sometimes of value. I spotted this old Layton & Lambert blow torch laying in the rotting leaves. Seems to be copper as there is no rust on it. Just some green corrosion that is hard to clean up. Any ideas to clean it up? Diesel fuel. Vinegar maybe?
24287.jpg
 
There is a product called Nevr-Dull that we used in the Navy to polish brass. It works on copper as well. I believe you can get it at Walmart.
 
(quoted from post at 12:17:19 09/27/18) Rusty6,
Welllllll, I am sure you already know
this.. but I would leave the original
patina. :)
Click to expand...
I'm a big fan of patina too (you have seen my cars) but I' like to at least get the green corrosion off the copper on this torch.
 
Agree with farmer. Barkeepers friend works
really well. Mix it in a tick paste with
some water. Wear vinyl gloves if you have
sensitive skin. Four 0000 steel wool and
those plastic dish washing pads both work.
Take your time and it will take all of the
crud off. Just did the bottoms on several of
my Revere pots and pans this morning. This
will clean it to the brass and copper. If
you want it to glisten then you need a type
of polish product that amounts to a whole
nother step.
 
My father in law soaks his artifacts in a 10% feed store
molasses and water mix. Leaves things completely immersed
for 2 weeks than it comes out looking almost like new again.
 
My dad used to burn a fuel he called 'white gas' in his. I suspect modern day camp stove fuel would work too.
 
You are correct. Coleman fuel is Naptha or "white gas". Not the same violent combustion you get from gasoline.
 

The "green corrosion" would be copper oxide. Any oxide is readily removed with an acid. It is best to use a mild one like vinegar as it will attack the copper, but it will be removing the worst of the tarnish from the copper at the same time. After the vinegar treatment a polish like Brasso as the young fella said will work but of course it takes work.
 
Several other good answers for cleaning, so other than to add that Naval Jelly is another option I'll leave that part of the discussion to others. However, if you're interested in actually using it, the page below is one of the best references. I've got several old blowtorches and while the propane torch has pretty much eclipsed them there are times they come in handy, such as heating large soldering coppers. They can be dangerous, but with common sense they're no more dangerous than any other compressed-gas torch, and much more impressive in action than most.
Zangobobs blow torch page
 
(quoted from post at 18:08:14 09/27/18)
The "green corrosion" would be copper oxide. Any oxide is readily removed with an acid. It is best to use a mild one like vinegar as it will attack the copper, but it will be removing the worst of the tarnish from the copper at the same time. After the vinegar treatment a polish like Brasso as the young fella said will work but of course it takes work.
Click to expand...
Work? Ha! You are talking to the guy who spent hours/days hand rubbing a shine back into the original paint (what remained of it) of a 52 Mercury sedan. Steel wool and diesel fuel on the really bad parts. Turtle rubbing compound on the good paint. After that job a brass torch is child's play. I'll try the vinegar first. Not planning to ever use this torch as it shows some sidewall cracking.
 
(quoted from post at 18:02:50 09/27/18) You are correct. Coleman fuel is Naptha or "white gas". Not the same violent combustion you get from gasoline.
Click to expand...

In the refinery I worked in naptha is a light hydrocarbon which is very flammable. On the Alaskan North Slope naptha is used in gasoline engines like pickups because it is more volatile than gasoline and will start the engines better at sub-zero temperatures.

Unleaded gas is what used to be sold as white gas - no lead. Lead will foul burner tips on gasoline burners like pictured.

The danger from gasoline used in the open air, like starting brush fires, is the light components will float in the air and spread the flame with a whoosh, no explosion. Naptha is no better in that respect.
 
(quoted from post at 22:20:19 09/27/18) Several other good answers for cleaning, so other than to add that Naval Jelly is another option I'll leave that part of the discussion to others. However, if you're interested in actually using it, the page below is one of the best references. I've got several old blowtorches and while the propane torch has pretty much eclipsed them there are times they come in handy, such as heating large soldering coppers. They can be dangerous, but with common sense they're no more dangerous than any other compressed-gas torch, and much more impressive in action than most.
Zangobobs blow torch page
Click to expand...

I have a couple of those gasoline torches I still use. Wonderful tools for cheap heating of metal.
 
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