OK, where do I start on this old friend.....

[oldvarnish]

Just to revive this old thread about reviving old brass by old varnish I thought I would try something different and bought some of the following on a whim:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360874968830?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
I have to say I was very impressed with this.

thanks for reviving this. I can report little progress. I bought a bottle of Daddies, as recommended, and gave it two thick coats over 48 hours. Not the slightest difference.

You've reminded me to get my finger out and sort this. I'll have a look at your stuff

PS I think the problem is that much of brass still has a coating of varnish. Did someone say acetone?

 

[vyv_cox]

Yes, acetone or cellulose paint thinners will dissolve most lacquers and varnishes.

 

[sailorman]

Yes, acetone or cellulose paint thinners will dissolve most lacquers and varnishes.

then apply daddies

 

[PlankWalker]

I have heard. though I cannot verify its truth, That many shiny brass thingies are made by brass plating on brass, before lacquering.
whether this affects the way its polished, I have no idea.

Plank

 

[KAL]

thanks for reviving this. I can report little progress. I bought a bottle of Daddies, as recommended, and gave it two thick coats over 48 hours. Not the slightest difference.

You've reminded me to get my finger out and sort this. I'll have a look at your stuff

PS I think the problem is that much of brass still has a coating of varnish. Did someone say acetone?

I polished up my grandfather's old surveying compass and found that it had a lacquer on the surface. Came off eventually with lots of elbow grease, but never tried the Daddies. Lemon and ash every time!

 

[geem]

Agree 100% with lakesailor except I got my polishing kit from here:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/heavy-duty-polishing-kit-for-brass-copper-non-ferrous-metals

Works a dream and its little effort. I put the mandrel in the chuck of an old drill and clamp the drill in a vice. (Wear some ear-protectors as the noise is continuous and potentially hearing damaging.)

You spin the polishing mop up and dab a little of the compound (I believe that its called polishing soap in the trade.) on the mop and then manoeuvre the item to be polished up against it. The results are truly miraculous.

Good luck.

That's a coincidence. I have just done exactly the same clock restoration job using my s/s polishing kit. I have two kits. One with small mops and one with the larger mops. I have a large coarse mop on an bench grinder that is good for clearing the really rough stuff off small bits and pieces but I find the 4inch mops better for work on a drill.
My ships clock came up like new as it was solid brass. Once polished I used a spray clear lacquer to maintain the finish. Looks like new

 

[Lakesailor]

Yep. It's a piece of cast metal not a Van Gogh. Messing about with ketchup is tinkering with the finish coatings. Get back to basics.

 

[lw395]

Yep. It's a piece of cast metal not a Van Gogh. Messing about with ketchup is tinkering with the finish coatings. Get back to basics.

Depends whether you want it to look old, old and cared for, or 'Nauticalia'.
There are probably an equal number of antique dealers trying to get that effect on new bits of brass....

A chemical attack on the lacquer, followed by a light buffing, then leaving it in the garage for two years is one way of having a reasonable patina. Then just use a wax polish.
If you want new and shiny, ebay it and get one from Nauticalia?

 

[oldvarnish]

UPDATE

I thought I'd bring this tale to nice conclusion. You can see the result for yourself (sorry if pic is upside down)

In the end it was http://www.axminster.co.uk/heavy-duty-polishing-kit-for-brass-copper-non-ferrous-metals what did it, and thanks to john-morris for posting that.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Looks good, how much effort was needed to achieve that result?

 

[ribrage]

... to return it to that showroom sparkle? (and chucking it over the side isn't an option).

Its done some miles by the look of it …. leave it alone , it tells a story as it is .

be like giving the wife plastic surgery

 

[Lakesailor]

Too late.


What people tend to do on here is read the whole thread before answering....

 

[ribrage]

Too late.


What people tend to do on here is read the whole thread before answering....

Lakie

thanks for the advice … I speed read , I find theres so much sh*t on most of these threads (much of it hear say) it sucks up my day and I prefer to be sailing

 

[oldvarnish]

Looks good, how much effort was needed to achieve that result?

not much more than half an hour