Brass door furniture

Speaking from the POV of guitar parts and brass instruments, the problem is that oxidisation of the brass begins from the moment you've finished cleaning so the finish is being attacked from behind as well as on top. If you really want immaculate brassware I'm afraid you've got to polish it regularly. Ask the caretaker at No.10

Nick

or lacquer it

NT

I spent ages on some brass and it still wasn't that good. This stuff works!

Yes or use an etch and plate system of some kind so the outer finish is not a type which gets oxidised. It can then, however look a trifle artificial, Kind of blinged up. Brian

I think he just explained why this does not work well, ie once the air is there the oxidisation starts, and any finish is not bound to the surface, only the oxide. Normally one uses an etch primer and then a top coat if its going to be painted, but on Brass if you want it to still look like brass your options are limited. I guess you could make it passivated, ie plated, but it seldom retains the brass look, tending toward a bit patchy rainbow coloured brassy look. You could talk to a local plating company and see what they say, but brass if you want it to look like brass has to be just polished at least once a week. It eventually ends up green otherwise! Brian

But what "finish" are you using on your stuff? Provided it is sufficiently impermeable to oxygen, the rate of attack from "behind" will be very small. The Victorians knew how to do it, you can still find lacquered brass that has not corroded where the lacquer remains unscratched or has not flaked off. The lacquer itself darkens because of oxidation so the colour changes somewhat.

thank you for confirming it works great, and has done for well over a century

NT

While it's true that a factory applied lacquer seems to last much better than anything I've tried as DIY, I've not known of any that lasts 100 years or so outdoors. ;-)

anybody any suggestions ?