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01 Apr 10 - 10:55 AM (#2877393) Subject: BS: Cleaning up old brass ? From: Bonnie Shaljean Is there any quicker way of cleaning up old brass than rubbing it with brass polish? I have an antique solid brass cabinet knob which has spent serious time outside in the Irish climate (the house itself is pre-1830s so the knob is probably an original feature, which would make it around the same age). We found a lot stuff semi-buried behind an old stone wall out back, and I want to clean this up and use it for a paperweight. Trouble is, I've spent ages going over it with Brasso, and it does some good, but the dark gunge is stubbornly sticking over a lot of the surface while other bits are now shiny, giving it a peculiar mottled look which Michael likes but I hate. Is there a faster, less arm-aching way? Any handy household-hints? Bicarb of soda, lemon, vinegar, boiling...? I've scrubbed it in cool water with a decommissioned toothbrush and washing-up liquid, which has taken the surface dirt off, but the serious layer still remains in blobby patches. The brass isn't really pitted (or not much) and it is solid, not plated. Any magic solutions out there, or is it just a case of elbow-grease? Thanks! Bonnie |
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01 Apr 10 - 11:17 AM (#2877408) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Bert Soldering flux. The liquid type if you can get it. You might also need to heat it a little to get the flux working. |
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01 Apr 10 - 12:40 PM (#2877455) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: EBarnacle Don't mess with it! It's got character as it is. The grunge shows it's been around. The evaluators on the Antiques Roadshow would have a fit at what you propose to do. If you absolutely must revirginize it, dunk it in a cola drink. The phosphoric acid should attack the patina quite well. |
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01 Apr 10 - 01:07 PM (#2877471) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: GUEST,Peter Laban A friend of mine, a restorer of old clocks, used ultra sonic cleaning Your local jeweller/clockmaker may let you have a dip in their equipment |
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01 Apr 10 - 01:14 PM (#2877478) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: GUEST,Peter Laban Just looked on e-bay, ultra sonic cleaners are available from €16, just about big enough to handle a doorknob I suppose (500ml tank), larger ones at larger prices. Will also do your spectacles, cutlery and dentures ;-) |
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01 Apr 10 - 01:43 PM (#2877506) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Bill D I have done similar things with a high speed buffing wheel and a 3-step buffing with jewelers rouge, white diamond compound and soft polishing cloth. With a little care, this leaves NO marks... Of course, I have the equipment already for my woodwork... but if you know any jewelers or crafters who do jewelry, someone might do it for you. |
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01 Apr 10 - 06:52 PM (#2877718) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: JohnInKansas A problem with old brass is that much of it is actually brass plate over a base-metal casting. The "grungy" remnants seen after multiple attempts to clean it using metal polishes may be only the base metal showing through where the brass has been completely removed. Additionally, most "polished brass" is lacquered, to slow down tarnishing, and it can be difficult to remove the lacquer completely. Any remnants of the protective coating will prevent the "polish" from having any effect on the brass tarnish, and will result in uneven cleaning. Penetration of the brass layer, and revealing base metal locally is often a result of removing all of the brass in areas where it is exposed without getting past the lacquer to start cleaning the rest of the brass. The more-or-less standard method for cleaning small brass parts is to "tumble" it in a rotating can of the kind used for cleaning brass cartridges for reloading, or the kind used for polishing "gem stones." Small tumblers of either kind can be found for around $30 - $50 (US) in my area, quite easily. A tumbling/polishing medium must be used, and for polishing and cleaning brass a common medium is crushed black walnut shells. Corn cobs and rice hulls or similar materials may also be used for "fine polishing," but will usually work rather too slowly for removing "serious tarnish" within a reasonable time. With this method, you can fill up the can, set it on the rollers, and turn it on. Go back in a few (usually many) hours or after a couple of weeks. If there's any brass left, it should be shiny. If not, you may have run it a bit too long - or may have not had much real brass to start with. John |
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01 Apr 10 - 06:54 PM (#2877721) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Joe Offer I sometimes use toothpaste, but sometimes the sweet smell gets to me... |
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01 Apr 10 - 10:28 PM (#2877813) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Joe_F I once cleaned up an old ship's bell. Something called naval jelly did the job. |
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01 Apr 10 - 10:46 PM (#2877824) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Q (Frank Staplin) I have an ultrasonic cleaner- it will not remove patina from brass. I use it on watch parts, etc., but these do not have patination. If you must destroy the patina, use a buffing wheel or polishing tumbler (as noted above). Personally, like most antique collectors, the patina is important to the objects esthetics. |
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01 Apr 10 - 11:40 PM (#2877839) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: EBarnacle Naval Jelly is basically an expensive form of phosphoric acid. |
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02 Apr 10 - 04:37 AM (#2877900) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Bonnie Shaljean I doubt this piece is lacquered because it's obviously from the house, so probably dates from the early 1800's; and it hasn't been "around" so much as buried in soil and exposed to the elements for a period measurable in decades, if not longer. (We also found some neat old glass bottles out behind that stone wall, and cooking-pot implements & hooks which I have put back in the old fireplace where they came from. The occupants seem to have used that area out back as something of a dumping-ground.) The knob just looked black and mouldy, like one of those globular fungus-y tree growths, and only its weight saved it from being tossed out with other rubbish. I'm not worried about the antiques market because it's for me, not to sell, and I want something I don't hate looking at if it's going to sit on my desk. The alternative would be for it just to get re-buried, this time in a drawer, for another gazillion years - till someone finally cleaned it. Its existing state is not really a natural finish, and I can't imagine anyone wanting to use it in that condition. After repeated Brasso-ings the grunge gradually is coming off and the black turning to grey, so I don't think any outer layer is wearing off. I just wanted to see if there is a faster way (at our ages we have to be careful of repetitive strain injuries which in my case will impact on my harp playing, and Michael already suffers from recurring Tennis Elbow). There are a whole rake of great suggestions in this thread, for which thanks everybody. It gives me a lot of good alternatives to try, which is what I wanted and hoped to find. The piece is shaped rather like a chess pawn, and will stand up like one, measuring about an inch in diameter. Thanks again! PS: Ahhh, Joe, you're sweet enough without toothpaste... |
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02 Apr 10 - 07:39 AM (#2877957) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: The Fooles Troupe If it's only an inch in diameter, it doesn't sound like a doorknob, may be a drawer knob. |
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02 Apr 10 - 07:50 AM (#2877967) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: GUEST,BBP HP sauce does the trick (it's probably the vinegar content). |
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02 Apr 10 - 08:32 AM (#2877990) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Jack Campin There is a lightly-abrasive cleaning powder called Barkeeper's Friend sold in hardware shops in the UK. You use it damp, like Vim or Ajax (it's nowhere near as violent as those). It doesn't produce as shiny a finish as Brasso, but gets the gunge off much more efficiently. Makes sense to use it first and then go over the object with Brasso. I've used it for Indian and Middle Eastern copper and brass trays that have been stained by cat pee. |
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02 Apr 10 - 09:01 AM (#2878006) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Paul Burke Miracle Brass-Mate (about 1/2 way down the page) is a lot more powerful than Brasso. Without it, there would be many fewer brassy narrowboats around the canal system. |
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02 Apr 10 - 09:10 AM (#2878011) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Jack Campin Paul, have you used Brass Guard (the lacquer) from the same company? Any idea if it'd work on saxophones? |
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02 Apr 10 - 09:19 AM (#2878020) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Paul Burke I haven't Jack, as I'm not a polisher by temperament, but it's probable that it would be an excellent product, especially if you are in the habit of taking your sax through locks. Now that's the germ of an idea- a 70 foot working narrowboat loaded with sax players doing freeform through Harecastle Tunnel.... |
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02 Apr 10 - 10:57 AM (#2878096) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Bonnie Shaljean Wow, thanks for that page of products, though it says "for UK customers" and I'm in Ireland which means they may not ship outside Britain. In my original post I described the piece as a cabinet knob - I suppose it had mates at one time because cupboard doors & drawers usually had pairs of pull-handles. (The thought of having to do more than one of these is enough to drive me to plastic...) (kidding...) |
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02 Apr 10 - 11:56 AM (#2878146) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Georgiansilver Cillit bang works... soak it in the stuff and a little elbow grease, not too expensive...... comes up a treat! |
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02 Apr 10 - 12:02 PM (#2878153) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Micca Household Ammonia added to your metal polish is pretty good at removing oxidised copper and verdigris do not soak the pieci in it rub it on and wipe off taking the coating with it. |
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02 Apr 10 - 02:04 PM (#2878255) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Paul Burke BS, if you try to buy stuff there and they go all English Nationalist on you, just PM me and I'll get it and run the blockade for you. |
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02 Apr 10 - 02:28 PM (#2878276) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Art Thieme Bonnie, A monkey I know just licks his -- and it seems to work fine. Art |
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02 Apr 10 - 02:44 PM (#2878283) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: GUEST,Peter Laban Wow, thanks for that page of products, though it says "for UK customers" [...] which means they may not ship outside Britain. Oh no it doesn't, the next line is 'click here if you're an overseas customer' which brings you to the overseas customer orderform. |
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02 Apr 10 - 03:04 PM (#2878302) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Bonnie Shaljean Ta (or should that be "duh"?) - I only glanced down the web page and missed that. And thanks for the offer, Paul, much appreciated. I also like the idea of Cillit Bang except that I've always been mildly terrified of it... what if it escapes its can and Gets me? |
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02 Apr 10 - 03:33 PM (#2878319) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Micca Bonnie, at least you would go out with a bang!!! |
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02 Apr 10 - 05:18 PM (#2878392) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Bill D Just as an example, here's two LARGE brass shell casings, one of which I polished with buffing compound about a year ago. I have 4 of them, and expect to use them as decorative table legs some day, so I wanted to see what was possible. |
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02 Apr 10 - 11:10 PM (#2878536) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Bill D "Shine your bullets with Brasso, It's only 2 dollars a pound..." Oh, never mind |
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03 Apr 10 - 01:50 PM (#2878841) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Les from Hull Cillit Bang is not for use on brass. It says so on the label. Pity because that's 'from Hull' as well. Never mind, so is Brasso (Hull being the headquarters of Reckitt Benkiser plc.) |
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03 Apr 10 - 01:54 PM (#2878842) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: GUEST,leeneia Maybe somebody already asked, but... Is the 'dark grunge' actually something dirty on the brass, or is it places where the brass is gone and the base metal has corroded? If it is blackish-brown and rather gritty, I fear that is the case. Perhaps the knob needs replating. |
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03 Apr 10 - 03:37 PM (#2878895) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Bonnie Shaljean It's not plated, it's solid - see above |
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03 Apr 10 - 06:24 PM (#2879002) Subject: RE: BS: Cleaning up old brass From: Gervase Coca Cola or tomato ketchup are both great for getting tarnish off brass. Then polish up with Brasso and plenty of soft dusters. |
