Brass light fittings corroded. Can they be saved or buy new ones?

[KeithC]

All the brass light fitting surrounds have corroded on my boat, we only got boat this year and this is our over the winter job to do. Can they be salvaged or will I have to replace them all. Any ideas ?

 

[Assassin]

Are they brass or coated brass, or a base metal with a brass coating?

If they are solid brass then they can be recut and polished by a professional polisher using different grades of cutting and polishing compound, but this requires them to be thick enough to allow a very abrasive compound to be used.
If they are a base metal with a brass coating they can be cut back and refinished with a new brass coating using a brass coating specialist, or if they are plated it can be cut back chemically and recoated by many metal plating companies with the coating you require such as nickel and polished.

If you can have them replated then find a local specialist who deals in cash and let him drop them into his tank when he is replating other things with the same coating you require as this is cheaper and cash in his pocket.

You can get metal plating kits which you use at home, it may be economically viable to do this if you can get a professional metal plater to price yours up and compare the price of getting a kit and consumables you require for the plating job.

 

[vas]

+1

the older the boat and light fittings are, the more chances they are solid brass and thick!
mine (70ies) where chrome plated, looked awful, took them to a specialist and he was delighted to work with them as he explained they were solid brass and he really did wonders with them

V.

 

[PCUK]

You can metal polish them yourself with a bench grinder and mops. Very satisfying job!

 

[KeithC]

Thanks all for replies and suggestions. After further inspection, they are brass plated. I try one of the diy kits at home and if that not work maybe spray them. They can’t look any worse. Hopefully !!!!

 

[Tradewinds]

To anyone interested.

For solid brass Tomato sauce!

Apply generously and leave for 15/20 mins.

I was pretty sceptical after doing a Google search - but it does work to an acceptable degree.

OK, you have to finesse it to get the finished article but it's an easy start to the restoration!

BTW I know one photo shows a clock and another is a barometer but that's the photos I took at the time and gives you an idea.

TBH the finishing was with a 360grit burnishing pad followed by a 2000grit burnishing pad - but the tom sauce did the initial hard work.

 

[superheat6k]

They look to me like they were lacquer coated, which has failed. To restore this needs removing, either by polishing or possibly with a chemical stripper, then polish until all the blemishes are gone and they are nice and shiny. Using a mop or restorative polishing kit will make this task a lot simpler, but it is quite hard work. Ideally you will need to remove the mechanism and lens first.

If you have a couple of days spare then brasso will work eventually (its only 3 ha'pence a tin - in fact you could buy it or nick it from Woolworths, but I don't think they've got any in ! (I'll get my coat !)).

Once you get them shiny again clean with surgical spirit with gloved hands to get them completely free of any muck including finger grease, then spray lightly with a clear lacquer to re-seal them.

 

[JerryC]

Thanks all for replies and suggestions. After further inspection, they are brass plated. I try one of the diy kits at home and if that not work maybe spray them. They can’t look any worse. Hopefully !!!!

Try giving them a quick brasso up and see what they look like Bad news is that if your light fittings are brass plated they are prob made from aluminium, then zinc plated as a primer for the brass plating, then lacquered. Over time, UV light, also acid from human sweat from handling, knackers the lacquer, then on a boat, salt-laden moisture attacks the brass plate, then through pinholes will quickly corrode the underlying zinc layer. If you want to keep them, you have a lot of abrading (or etching using acid or bleach) to do, to get back to bare Ali. After that, your idea of spraying with primer, metallic paint and lacquer would kind of improve them, but beware that lacquer will dull the metallic coat before protecting it. Sorry to say they they will never look like the real thing. Don't know what yr boat is or what interior look you want, but maybe consider replacing/modernising for a lot less effort.

 

[KeithC]

I definitely don’t want the end result to cheapen the look of the boat, it’s a Princess 37 and the internal decor is in great condition for a boat her age the light fittings only thing letting it down. I ll give suggestions ago and if it fails seek out replacements. Cheers

 

[BartW]

its the right moment to replace them with new, and LED, and chrome instead of brass ...
we replaced most of them by Quick marine lights, they have different models and sizes, to match the existing diameters,

 

[KeithC]

Thanks I ll have a look at them see what available.

 

[KeithC]

WET DAY !!!! Not much to do so thought I would give the brown sauce a go on light fittings. Amazed at result, took a while but still have another 7 to go but happy don’t have to replace them. Thanks all for advice.