Carbon remover

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Nude nut
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 5:08 pm
Location: South Australia

Carbon remover

#1 Postby Nude nut » Tue Aug 08, 2017 1:28 am

I have been using mercury tune spray for carbon and I have thought for sometime now that it cleans out the copper aswell so did a little test before going away on a prize shoot on the weekend.
I soaked a HBC in the mercury tune up spray before leaving and came home to this hope picture works.

Cheers Trev.
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John23
Posts: 428
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2012 9:11 pm

Re: Carbon remover

#2 Postby John23 » Tue Aug 08, 2017 6:10 am

I will have to try this with my Nulon engine cleaner now and see.

johnk
Posts: 2211
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:55 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Carbon remover

#3 Postby johnk » Tue Aug 08, 2017 7:52 am

Nude nut wrote:I soaked a HBC in the mercury tune up ......

Bet you wouldn't have done that to a 155.5 :D

Nude nut
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 5:08 pm
Location: South Australia

Re: Carbon remover

#4 Postby Nude nut » Tue Aug 08, 2017 11:20 am

johnk,
thats funny but true.

Cheers Trev.

Old Trev-39
Posts: 289
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 2:07 pm

Re: Carbon remover

#5 Postby Old Trev-39 » Tue Aug 08, 2017 8:16 pm

I don't think the ordinary engine cleaners work as well as the outboard ones do. That has been my experience with them. Tried a lot of those when G.M Engine top clean was stopped being sold. Once I got hold of outboard cleaners I had something that worked again. Yes I found that the carbon coming out had a greeny-blue tint to it, so it definitely removes some copper, but I still follow up with Sweets.
Cheers.
Trevor,

Nude nut
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 5:08 pm
Location: South Australia

Re: Carbon remover

#6 Postby Nude nut » Tue Aug 08, 2017 9:18 pm

Old Trev-39 wrote:I don't think the ordinary engine cleaners work as well as the outboard ones do. That has been my experience with them. Tried a lot of those when G.M Engine top clean was stopped being sold. Once I got hold of outboard cleaners I had something that worked again. Yes I found that the carbon coming out had a greeny-blue tint to it, so it definitely removes some copper, but I still follow up with Sweets.
Cheers.
Trevor,


I do follow up with solvent sweets,hoppes benchrest,and others and get no copper but my barrels dont copper up much only if sharing at a shoot.

Cheers Trev.

KTM525
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2016 1:08 am

Re: Carbon remover

#7 Postby KTM525 » Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:07 pm

Just wondering if some of your more experienced shooters could share how you actually clean your barrels with these engine cleaners. Just things like what type of brushes, do you spray the cleaner directly into the barrel or soak the brush or patch.
Thanks for any advice

Malcolm Hill
Posts: 328
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:40 pm
Location: Mid North S.A.

Re: Carbon remover

#8 Postby Malcolm Hill » Wed Aug 09, 2017 12:44 am

Usually start with Hoppes benchrest on a nylon brush to soak and loosen up the fresh powder residue. Let soak for a couple minutes then more on a bronze brush giving half a dozen passes then patch out. Check to see what is in the barrel, depending on barrel age and condition and number of shots since being cleaned they may have some copper, but will always start to have some build up of carbon starting to happen. If the copper is showing on top of the carbon in the throat area Sweets applied on a nylon brush and left for ten to fifteen minutes before adding a little more and working several strokes with a bronze brush and then patching out will usually see an end to that. Most times there will still be carbon left after that and that is where the engine cleaners/carbon cleaners really show their worth. A little soak time helps here as well after spraying on to a nylon brush to get them in the barrel with a couple of strokes. A bit more sprayed on to a bronze brush and then worked several times through the bore will usually get rid of all the carbon once patched out. The barrel should then look clean and shiny. This works for barrels that have been previously cleaned properly and not allowed to get fouled with hard carbon and copper in the throat area. Unfortunately the average barrel that is supposedly clean has got hard carbon and copper fouling usually in the first few inches and no carbon remover will dissolve hard carbon once it is baked up in layers. It strips chunks of copper off the projectiles and turns into a very difficult amalgamation of copper and hard ceramic like carbon to have to remove. Polish, paste and abrasion and a lot of hard work is the only way to remove it, not always successfully. Everyone has their own ideas of how to clean barrels and what products work. Bore scope evidence and trying lots of products has clearly shown me that nothing works as well as Sweets on copper and the automotive/marine engine carbon cleaning products are that far in front of the gun products for the same purpose that it is a no contest. Most important thing with cleaning is don't let the carbon build up and start going hard in the first place.Regards Malcolm.

KTM525
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2016 1:08 am

Re: Carbon remover

#9 Postby KTM525 » Wed Aug 09, 2017 12:49 am

Thanks Malcolm, really appreciate that reply.

pjifl
Posts: 883
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2005 12:15 pm
Location: Innisfail, Far North QLD.

Re: Carbon remover

#10 Postby pjifl » Wed Aug 09, 2017 1:41 am

Fairly obvious, but not yet mentioned, cleaning a hot barrel immediately after shooting if possible is very beneficial.

Peter Smith.

KHGS
Posts: 934
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:46 am
Location: Cowra NSW

Re: Carbon remover

#11 Postby KHGS » Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:04 am

pjifl wrote:Fairly obvious, but not yet mentioned, cleaning a hot barrel immediately after shooting if possible is very beneficial.

Peter Smith.


Agreed, but often this is not possible. A litre of boiling water poured through the barrel through a funnel & tube arrangement from the breach end is even better.
Keith H.

Nude nut
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 5:08 pm
Location: South Australia

Re: Carbon remover

#12 Postby Nude nut » Thu Aug 10, 2017 10:43 am

The best I have found so far as carbon goes is citric acid but dosnt remove any copper and requires barrel removal not an issue for most.
I like the mercury tune it seems to do both as far as I can see with a borescope.

Cheers Trev.

KHGS
Posts: 934
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:46 am
Location: Cowra NSW

Re: Carbon remover

#13 Postby KHGS » Thu Aug 10, 2017 6:39 pm

Nude nut wrote:The best I have found so far as carbon goes is citric acid but dosnt remove any copper and requires barrel removal not an issue for most.
I like the mercury tune it seems to do both as far as I can see with a borescope.

Cheers Trev.


I would be very cautious with the use of citric acid in any barrel. The ph level of anything put in a match barrel should be kept as near to O as possible. Strong acids or strong alkaline solutions can microscopically etch the bore surface, this will increase copper deposits. I am a big fan of Mercury Power Tune having used it for many years.
Keith H.

Nude nut
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 5:08 pm
Location: South Australia

Re: Carbon remover

#14 Postby Nude nut » Thu Aug 10, 2017 8:24 pm

KHGS wrote:
Nude nut wrote:The best I have found so far as carbon goes is citric acid but dosnt remove any copper and requires barrel removal not an issue for most.
I like the mercury tune it seems to do both as far as I can see with a borescope.

Cheers Trev.


I would be very cautious with the use of citric acid in any barrel. The ph level of anything put in a match barrel should be kept as near to O as possible. Strong acids or strong alkaline solutions can microscopically etch the bore surface, this will increase copper deposits. I am a big fan of Mercury Power Tune having used it for many years.
Keith H.

Have not seen any issues bores are nice and shiny they also dont seem to copper up much but in saying that Im talking a mild solution with boiling water and a good rinse and dry then ballistol.

Cheers Trev.

Cliff Austen
Posts: 173
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 11:18 am
Location: Sydney NSW Australia

Re: Carbon remover

#15 Postby Cliff Austen » Thu Aug 10, 2017 9:22 pm

I understand where you are coming from Keith. But, the pH you want is 7. 7 being neutral. 0 pH is extremely strong acid and pH 14 is extremely strong alkaline.
Cheers
Cliff


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