Removing old lacquer from brass

[Hudds Lad]

Anyone got any top tips? A quick google reveals some questionable methods, including coating it with acetone/metal polish mix and setting light to it!!

 

Basically got all the brassware off the boat (portholes, mushrooms, plank & pole rack, fairleads, tunnel light, nav lights, horn etc.) that was lacquered back in 2007 and is looking the worse for wear, so whilst she's in for paint we've been given all the brassware to clean up.

 

I can dremel it off with wire brushes, but that's going to take forever. Is there a recommended solvent??

[ditchcrawler]

Acetone or cellulose thinners 

[MtB]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

Acetone or cellulose thinners 

 

Seconded. 

 

Also known as "nail varnish remover" if you like paying ten times the price for it! 

[Slim]

When I stripped all the brass (off the boat) I used proper paint stripper. After a lot of searching I found it on E Bay. I think I became a business for a day😇. Far more difficult than the stripping was the polishing afterwards. You name it, I tried it. The most effective were buffing wheels and buffing compounds on a 6" bench grinder. Other methods tried included (in no order of effectiveness) polishing bobs in electric drills, Dremel with mini buffs, wire wool, fine wet and dry, car buffing compounds, Brasso, valve grinding paste, Finally - swearing😇. It took me over 80 man hours to get a reasonable result.

Assuming that you intend to lacquer the end result the only advice I would give is to steer clear of a (very expensive) product that claims to be "many times harder" than diamond (can't remember it's name). Despite following the instructions faithfully it never hardened properly.

Good luck.

  

[Machpoint005]

If you paint it, there's no need to polish it.

(Runs for cover...)

 

 

 

[Stroudwater1]

Third vote for Cellulose thinners. When polishing very tarnished brass we use very fine wire wool  dipped in peek which works well. The cellulose thinners needs to be pretty concentrated. 
 

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Third vote for Cellulose thinners. When polishing very tarnished brass we use very fine wire wool  dipped in peek which works well. The cellulose thinners needs to be pretty concentrated. 
 

 

 

I'd expect wire wool dipped in ANY sort of metal polish to work really well, once the lacquer has been removed with cellulose thinners. 

 

 

[Stroudwater1]

Just now, MtB said:

 

 

I'd expect wire wool dipped in ANY sort of metal polish to work really well, once the lacquer has been removed with cellulose thinners. 

 

 

There seems to be a lack of these now though as a paste. Maas is hard to get Brasso is a bit liquidy to stay on the wire wool for too long and Autosol is quite abrasive, though we all have our favourites and some swear by autosol. Are there others around? 

[MtB]

6 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

There seems to be a lack of these now though as a paste. Maas is hard to get Brasso is a bit liquidy to stay on the wire wool for too long and Autosol is quite abrasive, though we all have our favourites and some swear by autosol. Are there others around? 

 

 

Hmmmm Solvol Autosol was always my favourite. Before I realised polishing brass was dangerous and could harm the health of the history attached to your boat. 

 

 

[BEngo]

Amway metal cleaner.

 

Gets brass clean. For shiny you need elbow grease.   Peek, Hot Spot and/or Carr and Day and Martins polish help.

 

Brasso is carp.

 

N

[gatekrash]

6 minutes ago, BEngo said:

 

Brasso is carp.

 

 

Unless you have several ancient tins (circa 1970's) which I found when we were clearing out my mum's house and which she used to use to polish her Victorian brass door step. It's the dogs danglies and probably contains loads of now banned chemicals which actually work. It's still got that smell I remember from my youth.

 

Like a lot of products though I agree that  modern brasso does indeed seem to suck.

[David Schweizer]

I found that TCut and 0000 grade wire wool worked well, as far as as could tell it was just a stronger version of Brasso. 

[Hudds Lad]

On 30/03/2024 at 20:19, Slim said:

Assuming that you intend to lacquer the end result the only advice I would give is to steer clear of a (very expensive) product that claims to be "many times harder" than diamond (can't remember it's name). Despite following the instructions faithfully it never hardened properly.

Good luck.

Yes, we intend to use lacquer, not going through all this on a regular basis. Taken all weekend to get the old lacquer off four mushrooms  

 

None of the lacquers i've seen so far claim the hardness you saw in their description, but Rylard's Brass Lacquer in rattle can form seems to be the most expensive so wondering if it was that?

[GRLMK38]

22 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Yes, we intend to use lacquer, not going through all this on a regular basis. Taken all weekend to get the old lacquer off four mushrooms  

 

None of the lacquers i've seen so far claim the hardness you saw in their description, but Rylard's Brass Lacquer in rattle can form seems to be the most expensive so wondering if it was that?

 

FWIW, mine are clear powder-coated. There has been some degradation since 2008 but not enough to justify refurbishment at the moment.

[Slim]

1 hour ago, Hudds Lad said:

Yes, we intend to use lacquer, not going through all this on a regular basis. Taken all weekend to get the old lacquer off four mushrooms  

 

None of the lacquers i've seen so far claim the hardness you saw in their description, but Rylard's Brass Lacquer in rattle can form seems to be the most expensive so wondering if it was that?

No, It was in a metal tin with an application brush in the lid. It came with pre treatment de-greaser, lint free cloths and several other 'sweeteners'. I really should have known better. GOing down to the shed later and I'll look to see if I can find it. Watch this space.