How to Refurbish Brass ?

[diarmaid]

Hi all,

I wasn't sure exactly where to post this. I need to refurbish the brass door knocker in the pic below to make it look like new. It has a lot of sentimental value for my better half, so just buying a new one isn't an option. I've tried brasso polish without much success as you can see, but I have since learned that it was painted brown a few years ago! Not sure what type of paint.

Im not sure about using white spirit (Turpentine) to try and remove the paint, will white spirit damage the brass underneath?

Any ideas how to refurbish this, short of getting it re-plated, Im not sure where I'd get that done?

Thanks for any advice, I realise that this is a strange request but hopefully someone has done something similar before.

[Geof]

You will not hurt the brass with paint remover, white spirit or anything like that. Once you have the paint off the only way to get a nice polish is with brasso and lots of patience. You can etch the brass with acid and that removes the tarnished layer but then it is a dull finish and depending on the type of brass it might even be pitted. Do you know any sculptors, they can probably tell you how to get a nice patinated finish that looks authentically old. Something you will need to know anyway when you start making fences and gates with brass trim and want to pass them off as antiques and charge more. But you wouldn't do that would you?

[Ken Stuempge]

If you have a Dremel tool (or something similar), I would recommend getting some Scotch-Brite Radial Bristle Disks. I have been using them to polish small brass castings for my IC engines, and they are simply unbelieveable. Available in grits 120, 220, 400, Pumice, 6 Micron, and 1 Micron. Jewelers use them a lot for fine polishing.
They wont damage the brass, and will get into every little groove and recess.
You could probably remove the paint with them as well. Fairly pricey, but they last a long time. I buy mine on eBay for the best prices.

Ken

[diarmaid]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll try tomorrow to use the white spirit and then maybe get one of those pads to touch up the job. Dont know any sculptors unfortunately but I'm looking for a new finish here anyway. No, I wouldnt do that Geof. Ye of little faith!

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

diarmaid First make sure that refinishing will not destroy the antique value of the object. Assuming (remember the spelling) there is no value to be destroyed, Find somebody with a vibratory finishing machine. Using walnut shells or some other inert media, rattle the hell of it till it reaches your finish requirements.

[chip1964]

Cratex makes rubberized polishing products for this type of application. They are ideal for grooves and hard to reach places. I suggest purchasing the flex shaft pencil grider attatchment for your dremel for more control.

Good luck

[James Marshall]

Mirage and Prisim Polish are amazingly easy to use and give awesome results.

http://www.mppros.com/homepage.html

[thkoutsidthebox]

Hi all, for an update,

I haven't had much time for this, but I did try some liquids on tiny parts of it without much joy. I think the brass is not in great shape underneath. I dont know anyone locally with a vibratory finisher. So anyway, I have bought scotchbrite disc's off ebay as Ken mentioned above. I just hope they're the correct ones! I'll let you know how I get on. Thanks for all the advice.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/21-US...spagenameZWD2V

[matsuura]

I thkoutsidthebox

happy new year!

I would use a brass wire wheel whit very fine wire, something that you could mount in a Dremel it should go very well.

like the rhyme

I know that Dremel sell them ,i use those on my atv calipers prior to polish them to a mirror finish.Those scotchbrite disks work good, but not on a small detail piece.

[thkoutsidthebox]

Hi folks,

I always appreciate when someone lets me know how they got on after giving them advice, so this is just a picture by way of thankyou.

It transpires that the brass underneath the paint is in good condition. I used the scotch brite disks from e-bay mounted in my drill, and taped the trigger with the drill clamped so I had both hands free to work the piece around the disk.

Anyway, as you can see they worked a treat (Pic1). But unfortunately didn't get into all the little nooks and crannys (Pic2). So Im hoping that when I explain to SWMBO the necessity of buying the Dremel400 digital to finish this I'll get a thumbs up!

Thanks for all the help and advice.