Hi,
This is probably a stupidly simple question but it would be good to have some recomendations before delving into the various products on the market.
Basically I have what I think is a brass letter box on my front door and it is tarnished and no longer shiney. I have attem,pted to clean it with vinegar to no avail. Has anyone used any of the products on the market such as Brasso and what works best to polish it back to a full shine?
Thanks
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Duraglit wadding.
Cic.
Try brown sauce to remove crap and then duraglit wadding as suggested.
See other answers but ...
If it's got the residue of old laquer on it, first boil it in a saucepan with a teaspoon of Bi-Carbonate of Soda.
Also works for old alarm clocks. (Clockwork ones, natch.)
Derek
Brasso/Duraglit works well but be aware that it will leave a white residue on the timber surround unless you are very careful not to get it on there or wash it away throughly after polishing.
Also bare brass will soon tarnish again so unless you want to be for ever poslishing you really need to remove it, strip off any old lacquer, polish it then relacquer. Personally I like the patina of brass that is used.
I was going to suggest that too, adding a little salt also works as an abrasive.
A lemon sliced in half dipped in copious amounts of salt, rub it in, leave awhile (but not until it dries) wear rubber gloves if you've got any cuts on your hands ... then polish with brasso, duraglit etc.
In message , Thomarse writes
There is a commercial first
Keep a special look out for a brass plated item.
Peek metal polish is the mutts nuts. Fantastic stuff
Lemon juice is pretty good Chris
Vinegar first *will* help as it breaks down the hard oxide and makes polishing by hand easier. But doesn't give a shine on itself. I use Solvol Autosol - car chrome cleaner. If you want the shine to last longer after polishing wipe it over with a solvent then spray with clear lacquer. You'll get both in Halfords, etc.
If you can remove it easily and you have a Dremmel type tool, using a felt disc and the above chrome cleaner cuts down on the elbow grease. But can be messy.
Tells you sweet FA.
Ideally take it off to work on - saves scratching the wood, leaving deposits behind and allows soaking.
Start out with Nitromors, because any paint splashes there happen to be will retard other cleaning and look very obvious afterwards.
Salt and vinegar. Make a paste of the two, then leave it to soak for a day or two. Salt acts as a scouring agent, but the chemistry is important too. Be careful using this on bronze though (vinegar is OK, chlorides are the problem). Rinse well afterwards. I'd also remove any steel springs or bolts beforehand.
If it's cast, then it's time for either Nitromors (easiest source of dichloromethane) or citrus engine degreaser in an ultrasonic bath to get the nooks and crannies out. Otherwise move in with a dental hygienist, as they positively relish this sort of task!
If it's big, smooth and a thick cast section then bring the big guns out and simply repolish the lot with a couple of Garryflex abrasive blocks. Dead handy, but you are removing metal.
For a final polish, you can use Brasso (tripoli in a carrier) but be wary of this if you're going to lacquer afterwards. The ammonia can be a problem and lead to splotching - personally I'd just use bare tripoli wetted with a bit of meths and white spirit.
For lacquering afterwards, yoiu really need to use the right stuff - Brass is a pig for adhesion with any paint or lacquer. The right stuff is a methacrylate solution lacquer, which you can get from Rustins via Axminster.
I've just got some felt discs to do just this. I didn't realise Solvol Autosol still existed - I must have last used it in about 1972...!
Autosol is chrome cleaner, so it's a harder abrasive than you need for brass. You will find that it's hard on fine details in castings.
Aren't all abrasives hard?
I'm sure you're right for rare and expensive antiques but for the stuff most will have it works faster than Brasso or Duraglit.
In message , Bob Eager writes
I'm still using the remnants of a tube I probably bought in 1972 :-)
Got green stamps then, too.
So did I. Used the Autosol for polishing the engine casing of my Honda CB72...
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