written by: Zahra Nadim
How to clean copper pans inside?
In fact, one of the major "ages" or stages of human history is named for a copper alloy, bronze. Copper and its many alloys have played an important role in many civilizations, from the ancient Egyptians, Romans to modern day cultures around the world.
Before trying to copper re-tinning, it must be chemically clean. To remove all the oxides, you can immerse it in a solution of 10% sulfuric acid in distilled water. The copper will develop a pink color when all the oxides are removed. Following the pickle, scrub the surface with a clean felt pad and 4F Pumice. Rinse with distilled water and a clean brush and you are ready to re-tin. Flux with rosin or tallow and use the purest grade of tin you can obtain. The tin is best pre-melted in a tinner's pot, and the workpiece pre-heated to around the melting point of the tin or just a bit more. The flux will be merrily smoking, but should not burn. Pour a bit of molten tin into the pot and quickly wipe it around with a clean cotton rag saturated with flux. Dump out any excess tin and wipe with the fluxed rag until the piece cools enough that the tin has fully set. This should result in a nice shiny tin coating.
