BS: polishing brass

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: HuwG
Date: 11 Jan 06 - 06:10 AM

The current job involves cleaning a bar and making it ready for opening. It being a Victorian-era pub, there are several acres of brass, and copper pipes everywhere. It takes a half hour to polish. Worst are the beer pump handles (fiddly, and usually encrusted in stale ale) and the bar rail (covered in dried dirt, usually requires attention from a wet cloth before it will be ready for brasso-ing).

The brasso-ing is definitely not a therapeutic exercise; it is usually a frantic race against the clock. Kind members of the public add to the handicaps by telephoning to ask, "Are you open yet?" (They have lived in the town for several years, walked past the place every day, and yet haven't bothered to look at the opening times for themselves. These are the same customers who can stand at a busy bar for several minutes shouting for service; and only when a barman serves them, start thinking about what they actually want to drink, and start asking their equally vapid friends what they in turn want.)

As a former member of the Armed Forces, I am well aware that a "dirty soldier" is not someone with dirt-encrusted boots, grimy equipment and general air of uncleanliness; it is a junior soldier with a speck of dust on an otherwise impeccable uniform. The former is usually a Senior NCO with no apparent duties other than to shout "**** Off !" at all ranks who disturb his reading of a tabloid newspaper in whatever store or office he has buried himself.

My solution to keeping the pub clean - don't open it.

OK, rant over. Had a bad Christmas; turned down for a proper job, had my car written off, and the TV went "Pfoo!" last week. The last is no great loss, except that I am left with several dozen video tapes that aren't much use until it is replaced.

At least Santa didn't leave me any lumps of coal.

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 12 Jan 06 - 04:47 AM

I have just been staying at a friend's place, and washed some windows so that I could repair the putty. Puttying windows is an interesting way to pass the time.

"Oh. when I'm cleaning windows..."

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 12 Jan 06 - 05:20 AM

Robin -

The sex of the friend at whose "lace" you've been?

It's called "puttying around" now?

(background clucking and "tsk tsk.")

Note: I often type faster than I can tink too.

John

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 01:11 AM

er... Place... damn fool...

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: Les from Hull
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 12:45 PM

I hope you all realise the 'Brasso' is also 'from Hull'. Our fair City should be getting some sort of commission from this thread.

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: jimmyt
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 01:04 PM

Is that a fact, Les? I had no idea. Perhaps Jo9hn had a han9d in the R9 and D9 of the produ9ct? Not just a turkey killer and curryship afficionado? I will think of the fair city with each rubbing session hereafter.

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 01:18 PM

I went down to Woolworth's for some Brasso, but.....they STILL ♫ haven't got any in ♫

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: Les from Hull
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 01:19 PM

http://www.design-technology.org/brasso.htm

Reckitts is still a major employer in Hull, although they are part of a huge multinational company these days.

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: Les from Hull
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 01:22 PM

oops9

Brasso

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: Shields Folk
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 01:31 PM

A good few years ago I was among a group of Royal Marine Reservists visiting the Dutch Marine corps in Rotterdam. We were often disciplined for the slightest misdeed (unlike the Dutch who were VERY laid back)and one of the tasks we were set as a punishment was polishing one of the two canon in the barracks foyer. Well we were disciplined quite often and we always (despite requests from the Dutch) polished the one gun. At the end of two weeks in Holland the Dutch were left with the task of bringing the second gun up to scratch.

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: GUEST,Joe_F
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 09:23 PM

Some years ago, after buying a badly corroded ship's bell (probably bronze) to use as the dinner bell in my group house, I discovered the existence of a commodity called *naval jelly*, which was remarkably effective.

--- Joe Fineman    [e-mail]

||: Money is especially valuable in that it is overvalued. :||

Subject: RE: BS: polishing brass
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Jan 06 - 11:08 PM

Actually, I prefer a product called "Flitz" to "Brasso." And I've used both.