Cleaning brass??

[Chuckman]

Cleaning up some stuff, found this old mortar-turned-ashtray that belonged to my father. I wanted to clean it up and just make it look nice. Anything aside from some standard Brasso?

 

[ronn47]

Cleaning up some stuff, found this old mortar-turned-ashtray that belonged to my father. I wanted to clean it up and just make it look nice. Anything aside from some standard Brasso?

View attachment 460486

Wash it with soap and water and leave the patina is what I would do.
That's what I did to a Pratt &Whitney aircraft piston my dad used for an ashtray.

 

[Chuckman]

Wash it with soap and water and leave the patina is what I would do.
That's what I did to a Pratt &Whitney aircraft piston my dad used for an ashtray.

Inside and out? Dish soap? Air dry or towel dry?

 

[ronn47]

Inside and out? Dish soap? Air dry or towel dry?

Inside and out.
I used Dawn and an old toothbrush.
Then washed off with HOT water , turned over and let air dry.
It took a few times due to the amount of tar down inside the cooling fins on the bottom of the piston.

 

[ronn47]

@Chuckman
Here's some pics.
The inside could use a little more cleaning, but it MUCH better than when I got it.