At a pinch you could try
Regards,
Some of the wiring accessories at home are Crabtree with their Coinage Bronze finish. This is achieved by coating a 'brushed' brass plate with a tinted lacquer.
One or two of the light switches are losing their lacquer - not surprising given their age of about 30 years. I do have spares but not for all the multiple switch grid front panels.
Removing the plate and scrubbing in washing up liquid with a Scotch pan scourer removes the lacquer without damaging the brushed brass, and I'd like to know where I'd get - preferably - an aerosol of suitable lacquer? I've tried car stuff, but it's too clear, as it were.
It's usually a powder coat lacquer which was used on things like this
- that's why it lasts 30 years. The range of powder coat clear/tinted lacquers isn't huge so you may be able to get an exact match with the original if you have a friendly powder coaters nearby. The original will however have discoloured with age so getting an exact colour match to other faceplates may be more difficult.
Spray lacquers tend to be too soft to survive for long on switchplates.
You either need an aerosol which occasionally appears in decent hardware shops or a bottle of the proper lacquer that again is found in decent hardware shops. The problem with brushing is that you require a special brush. This is like a signwriters brush with very long soft bristles and lays the lacquer on, rather than brushing it on and leaves a thickness behind without grooves.
At a pinch you can make the lacquer by dropping perspex chips into acetone and dissolving it. That way you can get the thickness you like.
Not really too much of a problem as they're not that close to one another.
I'm surprised if it's powder coating - it came off pretty easily.
They don't get heavy use here, though.
Is there a brand name etc for this lacquer so I know what to look for?
Eric is right when he suggests dissolving Perspex -- a methacrylate laquer is definitely the stuff to use here. Getting anything to stick to brass is hard enough, let alone something that's hard enough afterwards to wear well.
Easiest way to do it though is to buy some of Rustins', rather than making your own. You might find it in B&Q, or Axminster have it.
I've not seen the same formulations in aerosols. I think it's sprayable, but not easily packageable.
Obviously cleanliness is next to godliness here -- so I degrease with acetone before laquering.
Tinted polyurethane wood varnish?
Brushable but very durable and "yellowish"
Using bronze might be more sensible, it'll never turn into brass.
NT
'Coinage Bronze' is simply a name like most paint colours. It's actually closer to brass than bronze. Most modern brass electrical fittings are rather too bright looking for my taste. This finish tends to blend in rather more with my choice of decor.
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