Subject: Re: Tarnish-free Brass finishing

From: [email-masked] (Walter Karpynka)
Date: 9 Jan 1995 13:00:22 GMT

Somesh Rao ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I am getting sick of continuously polishing my brass. I wonder if 
: there is anything I could put on top after polishing which would
: stop it from tarnishing? 

I'll discuss brass in general since I don't know the size, type and use 
of your item(s).
I've been working with brass jewelry for several years now. From casting to 
finished product, tarnish has been a subject of constant stress for me 
(and my customers). I've found that the amount of tarnish will vary 
depending upon the alloy of brass you're using. The more copper content 
you have the more tarnish you'll have to fight with. You need to keep the 
oxygen in the air from reaching this copper. Changing to 30% zinc 
>from  5% zinc, the improvement was quite noticable while the color change 
was not objectionable for me. But it still tarnished. Ideally, you don't 
want to put anything on polished brass because it will effect the way it 
looks eventually. Laquers will scratch up sooner than you think and are 
hell to fix when they do. Also, they never give as good a finish as clean 
uncoated metal. You can try a clear automotive laquer carefully diluted  
with the proper thinner. Spray (or brush) thin coats following the 
instructions on the container. The metal must be utterly clean and dust 
free.
 However, it *will* get scratched-up before you know it. Then it's  
difficult to restore (but not impossible). Baked-on epoxy requires an 
expensive oven or kiln reaching temperatures over 1000 degrees and may 
be difficult to apply but the finish is more scratch resistant than 
laquer. For the simplest, but temporary, solution try rubbing the brass with 
olive oil or WD40 (etc) as an oxygen barrier. How long it lasts depends 
on the climate and handling it receives. Walmart sells an excellent 
polishing cloth for around 3 dollars in their jewelry dept. Also you can 
try using a car paste wax. This works nicely for some applications. Again, 
it depends on how much handling your brass will take before it wears off.

I would be grateful for any additional solutions or ideas anyone out there 
can come out with.

Walter Karpynka                      [email-masked]

                                     Philosphy of life.... don't die!

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From: [email-masked] (James W. Swonger)
Date: 10 Jan 1995 15:29:38 GMT

When I refinish brass, I use Brasso for the polish. Then a lacquer thinner
wipe-down followed by acetone until there is no residue on a white paper
towel. Handling the parts with clean paper towel, I set them up and shoot
spray lacquer, clear, in several thin coats (to avoid orange-peel). After
the lacquer final coat has dried to tacky, I bake the piece at about 200F
in the kitchen oven for a while. This hardens the finish nicely.
-- 
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From: [email-masked] (Eric B. Stauffer)
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 1995 10:06:08

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (James W. Swonger) writes:
>Subject: Re: Tarnish-free Brass finishing
>From: [email-masked] (James W. Swonger)
>Date: 10 Jan 1995 15:29:38 GMT

>in the kitchen oven for a while. This hardens the finish nicely.

Or just always buy Baldwin!! ;-)

Eric
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (alex Cournoyer)
Date: 12 Jan 1995 19:50:43 GMT

> >in the kitchen oven for a while. This hardens the finish nicely.

Bring that baby to my house near the ocean, I bet I can make it flake in 2
years.

IMHO, you cannot keep polished brass fixtures ouside near the ocean. After
two sets "guaranteed" not to tarnish  I have taken them down and painted
them black.
After the second set they would not replace them again, the owner of the
shop who also has a house near the ocean stated there is no permanent
solution to this problem. Thefore I only have to paint them every 3-4
years instead of every year with the above.