Important: Safety Warning
This page describes trade processes that use dangerously toxic materials such as cyanide solutions, mercury amalgams, or strong acids. These processes require training, equipment, and precautions far beyond what the text describes.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
To Clean Brass
To clean old brass, especially small figures, paper knives, etc., immerse them in a mixture of one part of nitric acid and half part of sulphuric acid. Allow them to remain a short time, rinse thoroughly in cold water, dry in sawdust and polish with Vienna lime, when they will appear like new.