Polishing Brass/Bronze fittings

[Roach1948]

If I have any chance of winning the concours prize at the Dalli-Rally this Summer I need to get that bronze looking great. The problem is that it is all scratched when I polish up. Is there an "easy" way of polishing scratches to smooth -maybe with a polishing disc or something (never used one).

 

[Matrosen]

A standard triangular sanding machine with a piece of one of those green kitchen scouring pads cut to shape and metal polish works very well.
We were given an old ships bell that had the ships name engraved in it. An angle grinder with a very fine overlapping sanding disc followed by about three/four hours work with the above method did the job.

 

[Spuddy]

Judges at model engineering exhibitions have a damning phrase - "High polish, deep scratches". Partially caused by moving up through the grades of abrasive too quick. Doubt your concours judges will be that fussy but still - try to get it all looking equally scratched before using the next finer grade of scratchy stuff.

 

[Roach1948]

I don'y have a hope in hell of winning anything. There are some truly splendid Dallimore's out there. It is just that on the "Viewing Day" I don't want to be put to shame too much!

 

[Porthandbuoy]

I've just cleaned all the blistered chrome off my brass portholes using a flap wheel in an electric drill. Then I moved up through various grades of emery cloth and finished off with duraglit.

Nice and shiny /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif with deep scratches /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I'll need to get a Dremel to get into the corners though.

For seized piston hanks covered in green verdigris I used Cilit Bang. Immersed for an hour or so, stirring occasionally, and they came out gleaming.

 

[manish]

i served in the household cavelry for some time and all i ever used was brasso mixed with some autogleam and a polising disc. now that buffs out any scraches (apply some pressure) and brings up a shine that can go on parade

 

[Peterduck]

My brother has a lovely vintage Alvis, for which he had a new radiator shell made in nickel silver. When we received it from the panel-beater it was covered in his file marks where the surface wasn't actually tarnished. We started out with 100 grit Wet-and-dry, getting out the file marks, then with 220 getting out the 100-grit marks, followed by 400 grade, and so on. By the time we had finshed with the 1200 grade we were ready to start polishing, but not before! A radiator shell is right 'in-your-face' so to speak, and the vintage car crowd here can be rather fussy,
Peter.

 

[rogerthebodger]

this is how I polish all my stainless steel.

Brass/Bronze done simular but materal softer so should be easer. If the scrach is not too deep may start with 240 grit flap wheel

 

[Romeo]

Would you not be better sailing your boat, rather than pimping it?

 

[Roach1948]

Good point.

But as most of the bronze bits are in a box, now is the time for a big polishing session infront to the telly, before they all get fitted, never to be polished again.