Manky brass

[gary4lw]

Can any of you very inteligent people out there advise on how to clean manky brassware ive bought some opening portholes but they are very green and very manky,I know that there is some lovely brass under there and am looking for some sort of chemical i can dip them in???????? thanks in advance for the thousands of replys that im going to get

[stuart]

If they are really badly stained a fine wire wool will probably be good initially.

[scoobydog]

Well...

 

My system is as follows.

 

1. Using Green Scratchy scourer, together with non scratching scouring cream, clean off top layer of gunk.

 

2. Wipe off green muck with dry rag.

 

3. Using Green Scratchy scourer, together with metal polish (Carr & Day & Martin/ Brasso/ Superdrug Own Brand, etc,), polish off next layer of gunk.

 

4. Using clean, dry, absorbent, rags and metal polish (as above), polish to a shine.

 

5. Give the polished brass a good spray of Furniture Polish (Mr. Sheen, etc,), and polish with dry rags. (will give the brass a bit of a coating, making next polishing a bit easier.)

Edited March 19, 2007 by scoobydog

[curzons246]

If they are really badly stained a fine wire wool will probably be good initially.

 

 

Brown sauce works great on brass - just brush it on and let it dry

Cheers Bill

[John Orentas]

Hi Gary.

 

One of the best things I have ever bought is a bench grinder from the 'Frost' catalogue along with the kit of polishing wheels and soaps, I think the whole lot was about £60. Take your brass-ware home once a year and spend an hour making it like new.

 

(Don't fix it to the dining table, the Memsab might get a bit miffed)

[Bernie]

You could try Miracle Brass Brite from http://www.miracleleisureproducts.co.uk/cl...g-products.html it does work with very little effort.

[Retreating Blade]

If you're actually able to dip them, i.e. they're not fitted yet, 'full fat' Coca Cola works a treat.

 

RB

[bendyboat]

hi

from my old army days...for a smooth deep shine finish use some corrugated card soaked in brasso to buff and shine

[stuart]

I also used some car lacquer after cleaning brass very well - 12 months on still looks good.

[David Schweizer]

Brown Sauce and Coca Cola will work, but a much cheaper option is Vinegar and salt. This is what the antiques trade use to clean up old oil lamps covered in verdigre. Just make up a solution of 1pint of cheap vinegar and two tablespoons of table salt. Pour the solution into a suitably sized (non metalic) container and immerse the brass item into it, check every ten minutes or so by wiping a section with a clean rag. When the surface is a dull brass colour, remove from the solution and wash in cold water. The item can then be polished as normal with brasso or similar polish.

 

When cleaning is finished, the solution can be retained for use in the future, I always have a container of the stuff in my workshop for cleaning old brass and copper items. One word of warning, do not leave the item in the solution longer than neccessary, as the acidic action of the vinegar will eventually pull the zinc out of the brass leaving a copper finish. This is basicly how the Arts and Crafts Furniture Makers produced those attractive copper coloured brass hinges, handles, and other decorative fittings.

Edited March 20, 2007 by David Schweizer

[King Learie]

Brown Sauce and Coca Cola will work, but a much cheaper option is Vinegar and salt. This is what the antiques trade use to clean up old oil lamps covered in verdigre. Just make up a solution of 1pint of cheap vinegar and two tablespoons of table salt. Pour the solution into a suitably sized (non metalic) container and immerse the brass item into it, check every ten minutes or so by wiping a section with a clean rag. When the surface is a dull brass colour, remove from the solution and wash in cold water. The item can then be polished as normal with brasso or similar polish.

 

When cleaning is finished, the solution can be retained for use in the future, I always have a container of the stuff in my workshop for cleaning old brass and copper items. One word of warning, do not leave the item in the solution longer than neccessary, as the acidic action of the vinegar will eventually pull the zinc out of the brass leaving a copper finish. This is basicly how the Arts and Crafts Furniture Makers produced those attractive copper coloured brass hinges, handles, and other decorative fittings.

 

Thanks David that was a most edifying and informative tip, I've always wondered how that 'copper' effect was created and thanks to you I now know!

 

Cheers

 

King Learie

[Supermalc]

I'll have another go soon on mine.

 

I think it was from 'how clean is your house' someone got the tip of cleaning brasses with a paste made up of flour, vinegar and salt (I think).

 

Well I tried it last year. Was it successful? NO a total failure. Took more cleaning off before I could start cleaning properly with chrome cleaner paste, then brasso.

 

I am going to see if I've any clear laquer though, as I had to do them every 2 weeks or so to stop them looking totally neglected.

[David Schweizer]

I'll have another go soon on mine.

 

I think it was from 'how clean is your house' someone got the tip of cleaning brasses with a paste made up of flour, vinegar and salt (I think).

 

Well I tried it last year. Was it successful? NO a total failure. Took more cleaning off before I could start cleaning properly with chrome cleaner paste, then brasso.

 

I am going to see if I've any clear laquer though, as I had to do them every 2 weeks or so to stop them looking totally neglected.

Yes I saw that as well, and you are correct it will not work, brass needs to be immersed a solution of vinegar and salt for a period of time for it to work. However I can assure you it does work, I have been using this method on very heavily oxidised brass for years.

 

Clear laquer only works with any prolonged degree of success on brasswork not exposed to the rain. The brass must be polished to a very high sheen, and then all the polish residue removed with an oil free solvent, Methylated Spirit works quite well, but Isopropyl Alcohol is better (obtainable from chemists). The laquer needs to be applied immedately with a fine haired brush and left to dry thoroughly before handling. Two coat are usually the minimum to afford any degree of protection. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to lay a coat of laquer onto brass which will prevent an subsequent tarnishing because of the moisture present naturally in the air, but re-coating is only needed every couple of years if it is applied well. In the commercaial world brass laquer is applied by spray in special drying ovens where atmospherioc moisure has been removed.

 

Laquering brass exposed to rain is frankly a waste of time, the brass will tarnish within a few weeks and removing it all to re-polish and re-laquer is harder work than polishing with brasso every week. In the winter the best method of protection is to polish the brass and then coat it with a layer of vaseline, which can be rmoved easily in the spring with a soft rag soaked in white spirit.

[Supermalc]

Thanks for that David. It's a long while since I've polished any brass, and do/did know that soaking it in vinegar works, better with a dash of salt, so I was sceptical however nothing ventured etc.

 

On Skillonian there is a brass strip, and all Roy did was to run a fine sanding disc on a drill along it, then varnish it. Still looks ok from a few feet away after the winter.

[anhar]

Yes I saw that as well, and you are correct it will not work, brass needs to be immersed a solution of vinegar and salt for a period of time for it to work. However I can assure you it does work, I have been using this method on very heavily oxidised brass for years.

 

Clear laquer only works with any prolonged degree of success on brasswork not exposed to the rain. The brass must be polished to a very high sheen, and then all the polish residue removed with an oil free solvent, Methylated Spirit works quite well, but Isopropyl Alcohol is better (obtainable from chemists). The laquer needs to be applied immedately with a fine haired brush and left to dry thoroughly before handling. Two coat are usually the minimum to afford any degree of protection. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to lay a coat of laquer onto brass which will prevent an subsequent tarnishing because of the moisture present naturally in the air, but re-coating is only needed every couple of years if it is applied well. In the commercaial world brass laquer is applied by spray in special drying ovens where atmospherioc moisure has been removed.

 

Laquering brass exposed to rain is frankly a waste of time, the brass will tarnish within a few weeks and removing it all to re-polish and re-laquer is harder work than polishing with brasso every week. In the winter the best method of protection is to polish the brass and then coat it with a layer of vaseline, which can be rmoved easily in the spring with a soft rag soaked in white spirit.

Hello David

 

A few days ago I was on a five year old boat with external brass mushroom vents on the roof. They were sparkling so I asked the guy how he achieved this. He told me he had lacquered them some four years earlier with something called I think Incralac (he couldn't remember the name exactly and described it as Inverlac but a google reveals that doesn't exist, the nearest I could find was a Rylard product, Incralac, so I'm guessing that was what he meant) and had not had to touch them since with any polishes etc. other then giving them a quick wipe with a plain cloth now and again. Before applying it he had as you suggest shined them with polish, then removed the polish with a solvent before applying the lacquer.

 

If he is right, this would seem to contradict your assertion that lacquering exposed brass is a waste of time as it is more work to maintain then just regularly polishing. Sounds ideal but maybe he was exaggerating, I can't know, but what do you think? Snake oil or genuine long term exposed brass protection? This is the Incralac site:

 

http://www.indestructible.co.uk/rylard/dat...ts/Incralac.htm

 

regards

Steve

[David Schweizer]

Hello David

 

A few days ago I was on a five year old boat with external brass mushroom vents on the roof. They were sparkling so I asked the guy how he achieved this. He told me he had lacquered them some four years earlier with something called I think Incralac (he couldn't remember the name exactly and described it as Inverlac but a google reveals that doesn't exist, the nearest I could find was a Rylard product, Incralac, so I'm guessing that was what he meant) and had not had to touch them since with any polishes etc. other then giving them a quick wipe with a plain cloth now and again. Before applying it he had as you suggest shined them with polish, then removed the polish with a solvent before applying the lacquer.

 

If he is right, this would seem to contradict your assertion that lacquering exposed brass is a waste of time as it is more work to maintain then just regularly polishing. Sounds ideal but maybe he was exaggerating, I can't know, but what do you think? Snake oil or genuine long term exposed brass protection? This is the Incralac site:

 

http://www.indestructible.co.uk/rylard/dat...ts/Incralac.htm

 

regards

Steve

The last product I used was Joy Transparent paint, for laquering brass and other non ferrous metals to prevent tarnishing, (or so it says on the box!). It only lasted a few weeks before the brass tarnished, and that is what I was basing my comments on. I had never heard of Incralac, but I am always willing to give something new a try. If it lives up to the trade description it is worth experimenting at less tha £7 for 500 ml. All I have to do now is find a local supplier.

Edited March 21, 2007 by David Schweizer

[John Orentas]

When you have achieved your mirror finish on the brass-work, cover it with Cling-film until you want to show off again. Personally I would recommend you to do what I have been gradually doing for a few years. PAINT IT.

[bridgit]

When you have achieved your mirror finish on the brass-work, cover it with Cling-film until you want to show off again. Personally I would recommend you to do what I have been gradually doing for a few years. PAINT IT.

Incralac good. used it 3 seasons ago. Mushrooms still look good. Try Bar Keepers Friend for cleaning the worst off first.

[Theo]

Some years ago I got some brass cleaner from Amway. It seemed really good. Trouble is it used strong chemicals which ate into the brass and gave it a nasty dull look. It has taken years (actually about 12 years to begin to get the true sparkle back again. SWMBO's ma does the copper kettle with a vinegar concoction and that has the same dull finish that I dislike.

 

However, if it's really green then you probably have no option than to go the Scotchbrite or wire wool way.

 

Nick

[Mr Baites]

when a sow this a thort it were about cold wether u no brass munky and yad spelt it rong a was gonna jus tell ya

[DHutch]

When i was remaking the wheelhouse roof, i took the brass rail stantions down the science labs and had then dip them in acid over lunch.

- Ten minutes on the buffing machine later, i had a full set of gleaming brasses.

 

We also did our mushroom the year before last, which where done mechanical on our benchgrinder (fitted with polishing/linishing wheels)

- Then there where then lacquored with Incralac, as now has the funnel band, stove chimney, as well as other bits of extrenal brass work.

 

Ive been very impressed with the incralac so far, it was easy to apply (with a good brush) is incredably clear, and has certainly done the first winter very well.

- It also seams to repond well to the repolishing and 'touching up' of scratched our missed areas of brass.

- All the brass work was washed with xylene solvent before hand to get a clean substright (incralac is xylene based and we have lots)

- Certainly, it doesnt seam to be tarnishing under the laquer so far. And its a very thin layer, and can be washed off with xylene given a good rub.

 

Our freind geoff had a fair bit of brasswork off his launch sent away for plastic powder coating, which certainly loks good and protects it. However its as suseptable to scraching as anything else, and far less easly repairable.

 

The "miracle brass-brite" stuff does work, even if there sales pitch and general way of life is painfull. And geoff gets a gallon of what i clearly the same stuff for about the price of there 250ml bottle.

- Only downside is that you have to degrease anything you want to treat first, otherwise i just sits on a layer of steam oil...

 

We used to use Amway "metal cleaner" (clearly designed for s.steel pans mainly) as well, followed by brasso to get the shine. On the boiler top that is.

 

 

Daniel

[Phil Speight]

Yes I saw that as well, and you are correct it will not work, brass needs to be immersed a solution of vinegar and salt for a period of time for it to work. However I can assure you it does work, I have been using this method on very heavily oxidised brass for years.

 

Clear laquer only works with any prolonged degree of success on brasswork not exposed to the rain. The brass must be polished to a very high sheen, and then all the polish residue removed with an oil free solvent, Methylated Spirit works quite well, but Isopropyl Alcohol is better (obtainable from chemists). The laquer needs to be applied immedately with a fine haired brush and left to dry thoroughly before handling. Two coat are usually the minimum to afford any degree of protection. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to lay a coat of laquer onto brass which will prevent an subsequent tarnishing because of the moisture present naturally in the air, but re-coating is only needed every couple of years if it is applied well. In the commercaial world brass laquer is applied by spray in special drying ovens where atmospherioc moisure has been removed.

 

Laquering brass exposed to rain is frankly a waste of time, the brass will tarnish within a few weeks and removing it all to re-polish and re-laquer is harder work than polishing with brasso every week. In the winter the best method of protection is to polish the brass and then coat it with a layer of vaseline, which can be rmoved easily in the spring with a soft rag soaked in white spirit.

We recently painted a boat whose vast quantities of brass had been polished professionally and then clear powder coated.

 

Yes I saw that as well, and you are correct it will not work, brass needs to be immersed a solution of vinegar and salt for a period of time for it to work. However I can assure you it does work, I have been using this method on very heavily oxidised brass for years.

 

Clear laquer only works with any prolonged degree of success on brasswork not exposed to the rain. The brass must be polished to a very high sheen, and then all the polish residue removed with an oil free solvent, Methylated Spirit works quite well, but Isopropyl Alcohol is better (obtainable from chemists). The laquer needs to be applied immedately with a fine haired brush and left to dry thoroughly before handling. Two coat are usually the minimum to afford any degree of protection. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to lay a coat of laquer onto brass which will prevent an subsequent tarnishing because of the moisture present naturally in the air, but re-coating is only needed every couple of years if it is applied well. In the commercaial world brass laquer is applied by spray in special drying ovens where atmospherioc moisure has been removed.

 

Laquering brass exposed to rain is frankly a waste of time, the brass will tarnish within a few weeks and removing it all to re-polish and re-laquer is harder work than polishing with brasso every week. In the winter the best method of protection is to polish the brass and then coat it with a layer of vaseline, which can be rmoved easily in the spring with a soft rag soaked in white spirit.

We recently painted a boat whose vast quantities of brass had been polished professionally and then clear powder coated. It had been on 3 years when we painted the boat and it looked perfect . Our current customer was so impressed he`s having his done while it`s all off the boat.

Also , if I may be so bold , Craftmaster have recently introduced a metal cleaner for the steam market. It works.

Cheers

Phil - messed me edit up , hence at least half the above! Sorry.

Edited April 25, 2007 by Phil Speight