lacquered brass door fittings

Have a look locally for an "Architectural Ironmonger".

That's because invariably they are neither varnished not lacquered but clear powder coated. Methylene chloride or benzyl alcohol usually work.

Many thanks for that Peter. Any idea where I could get those solvents ? (preferably in Winchesters)

Jim Hawkins

There must be chemical suppliers in Winchester, but failing that the dreaded eBay has mail order suppliers of both. Methylene chloride (also known as Dichloromethane) is potentially toxic so must be used in well ventilated areas. See

Thanks again, Peter. I'll try the dreaded eBay.

Jim Hawkins

PS A Winchester is a 2.5 litre glass bottle (most liquid chemicals used to be sold in them) !

I'm sure I can remember boiling a set of "Brass Handles" (A by product of my wife's grave robbing hobby 8-{ ) in tap water + "Bi Carb" to remove the clear finish with some success.

I don't know if the Bi Carb was really necessary.

Derek G.

I don't think they have to be 2.5l. The name is derived from Winchester measures from when the City was the Capital and standards for weights and measures were held there. About AD 900 ish so it will be a shame if the term is finally getting less known but probably inevitable with the decline of small chemists and factories who would purchase raw chemicals rather than ready made products.

G.Harman

Just done mine, strip the laquer off with Nitromors (if you can still get it), polish with Brillo/Brasso and respray with car top coat clear laquer (Halfords etc).

Seems to last about 5 years (fairly sheltered though)

Chris K

Thanks for that Chris. Do you need to bake the top coat on ? ( I'm told that the crash repairers do).

Jim Hawkins

Didn't do anything special, just used the aerosol from Halfords. Any spray on clear laquer would probably do - IIRC I used Letraset fixing spray last time as is was to hand.

Our front door doesn't get rained on directly or get much sun, maybe something tougher might be needed in the face of the elements.

BTW, much easier if you remove the items first.

Chris

Nitromors used to contain Methylene Chloride until the European Onion got at it in and barred paint strippers containing Methylene Chloride from sale after December 2010. Your old bottle would have worked - a new one contains methanol and Dioxolane and probably won't.

....hence the qualification about still being able to get it. The stuff I used I've had for a few years. Fallen victim to the "if it works ban it & replace with something that doesn't" policy I guess :-)

Chris

Indeed, the old Nitromors was good stuff, it took the lacquer of the material and the lining off your nose at the same time. Dual action.

So what do the people who _have_ to use methylene chloride do? (There must be such.) Buy methylene chloride in bulk from a chemical supply place?

There is no restriction on the sale of methylene chloride, only on putting it as one of the ingredients in a tin labeled "Paint Stripper".

I wonder if it would be possible to just add some to the new unimproved stripper mixtures. I've forgotten what little I once knew about organic chemistry, so have no idea if there might be undesirable reactions.

One wouldn't want it to go bang.