Scratching with %100 Copper Scrubber?

[Asterx]

Is it possible to scratch with a 100% copper scrubber? I have a pure copper scrubber and i think i'm making fine scratches in a couple bottles but it's hard to tell. I am putting a lot of pressure onto the glass with some BKF...

 

[Plumbata]

BKF

What is that?

Regarding the copper scrubber alone, provided it is indeed pure copper, and not copper plated steel/stainless steel, then no, it is too soft of a metal to scratch glass. The difference is something like 2 or more units on the Moh's hardness scale.

There is, however, the real risk of leaving behind streaks of copper metal, rubbed off the scrubber by the glass, especially if it is sick/etched glass (and thus abrasive). Same deal with brass scrubbers and brushes.

 

[andy volkerts]

[] BKF bar keepers friend a cleaner often used on glass items........re scratching stop using so much pressure when doing your bottles and use a polishing compound and rubbing with your hands on glass thats not too bad.......

 

[Plumbata]

Ah thanks Andy, that makes sense.

Well, the main active ingredient in BKF is Oxalic acid, but it contains a decent bit of insoluble abrasive material which may well be harder than glass, so I would assume the scratches are appearing because of the use of excessive force, provided the pads are pure copper.

You can buy pure oxalic acid cheap, so using the pure stuff instead may be a better alternative.

 

[andy volkerts]

[] I believe you are correct re Oxalic by itself.......

 

[Asterx]

Thanks Plum and andy. Thats interesting about the insoluble bits in BKF. I actually meant Best Kind Friend [8|]. But I'm sure Bar Keep isn't available everywhere. It took me awhile to find it here. I'll have to try some polishing compound. Any suggestions about good brands/places to buy? And, what makes the compound work. Does it not etch glass as well?

 

[JarDoctor]

You need to be careful with copper. There is hard copper and soft copper. The copper used in electrical wiring is soft copper and, therefore, does not scratch glass. Many other applications, like your scrubber, use hard copper which does scratch glass. I had a customer just this week ask me about copper nails and because they were nails, they were hard copper so I advised to not use them.
The cleanser I use is Soft Scrub (with lemon or baking soda - best, not with bleach).
Good luck.