I'm painting my windows (good god it's a lot of work), and have a big pile of brass catches and lifters, etc. which are all rather tarnished and in some cases slightly pock-marked with corrosion.
It seems that Brasso's not really going to do the trick - what's the best way of approaching this? Re-plating?
Clean with vinegar, rinse off, and lacquer them. They'll just retarnish otherwise.
NT
If they are plated, throw them away and fit new. Decent ones will be solid brass.
Dip them in vinegar - the non brewed stuff is best, so an el cheapo one. This gets rid of the hard surface oxidisation and makes them easier to polish with Brasso, etc. A Dremmel type device with polishing mop and a decent paste for the job can make life easier with the difficult bits.
OK I'll give that a go. Spirit vinegar, I assume?
All vinegars contain the necessary acetic acid, including imitation vinegars.
NT
They do, but in this case the very cheapest seem to work better for this job.
Always assuming the fittings are solid brass and not just plated
Soak them in vinegar for a couple of hours & them polish with a paste made up of salt, flour & vinegar.
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