Thursday, April 17, 2014

Polishing Brass Tutorial

In yesterday's post, Brass is Back, I showed y'all a few accessories I have inherited recently.  Both are brass pieces and were tarnished.  I cleaned and polished them to the shiny, brass they were meant to be.









Only real brass will polish to a bright, shiny finish.  One way to check for real brass is to use a magnet.  Brass is non-magnetic so it will not attract a magnet.

Many people use natural, homemade polishers but the few I have tried did not work.  I wish I had a way that didn't use such harsh products, but I haven't yet.


This is what I use to polish brass.




Supplies.

Chemical gloves
Gel or liquid stripper
Brasso or other metal polish
Tough paper towels
Toothbrush or other soft brush
Small wire brush
Safety glasses



Citristrip is my favorite stripper but it doesn't seem to work as well on metal pieces.  I tried to use it first and it didn't get the old, dirty clear coat off so I used a stripper that is stronger.

Be sure you are in a well ventilated room or outside for this project.  Both the stripper and Brasso have a strong chemical odor.


Strip the piece.  While wearing chemical gloves and glasses, pour and brush stripper all over the piece then let it sit.  Read the directions for your stripper for recommended time.  My stripper only needed 15 minutes.  Use the toothbrush or wire brush to scrub off the old clear coat and dirt.  Wash off all the stripper and dry with a paper towel.  Also, rinse off your toothbrush and wire brush.

You might already notice a difference in color!






Shake your Brasso before use.  Pour some directly onto the piece or onto the toothbrush.  Scrub the piece with the toothbrush being sure you get every crease and hard to reach spots.  You will notice that the Brasso will start to turn green or look dirty.  Add more Brasso as needed.

You will notice a color change almost immediately when you start scrubbing.






Once the entire piece is scrubbed, rinse with water and dry off.  





Next, I use a small amount of Brasso on a paper towel and rub everything to get a pretty polish and get any last dirt the toothbrush missed.





Rinse the piece and wipe clean and dry with a paper towel.






Over time the brass will tarnish again.  I leave mine natural and will polish again as needed but you can seal it with a clear coat.









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11 comments:

  1. Bartender's friend does the same thing without all the mess!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brass has a beautiful color. That’s why a lot of people are choosing furniture with it as the base material, to add a rustic and sophisticated appeal to their home. I think the only downside of brass is it can easily get dirty when they are expose to a moist environment. Good thing you found the right products for these. And in my opinion, polishing them is really one of the best ways to finish the cleaning process, since it can bring back its shine once more. And with polishing products, you can protect them from rust and make them last even longer. Cheers!

    Bernice Parsons @ Badger Anodising

    ReplyDelete
  3. After the cleaning and brushing, that shiny brass is now ready to be used as a decoration in your house. Thanks for sharing your tricks, Kaylor. Cheers to your successful brass polishing! :-)

    Brandi Bradley @ Rotax Metals

    ReplyDelete
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