Hi JIM.

19-Feb-04 00:18:00, JIM HOLSONBACK wrote to ALL


 JH> Hello, ALL.

 JH> Lacquered bright brass, as on a door knocker - - after removing
 JH> the lacquer, how to clean and refinish?

 JH> BIR in the past I heard that Lysol toilet bowl cleaner would do
 JH> the trick, but the current formula doesn't seem to do much good.

 JH> I like the look of bright lacquered brass, but it does not hold up
 JH> well here in central Florida, in exterior applications.

 JH> The patient at hand is a door knocker, engraved with our last
 JH> name, and it has been at this house for about 14 years now,  on
 JH> the front door, under cover, and never exposed to direct sunlight,
 JH> rain, and etc. Under the lacquer, a number of small areas have
 JH> developed where the brass is corroded,  no longer bright, and now
 JH> brown (not verdigris green). Small spots, maybe up to 1/4" in
 JH> diameter, mostly smaller.

 JH> After I get it all cleaned up,  I plan to spray it again with some
 JH> clear lacquer type coating, and take it with us to our new digs in
 JH> Alabama. (I know, I know, it is stoopid for a 60 year old couple
 JH> to move from Florida to Alabama, but it wasn't my doggone idea to
 JH> move there, it was Granny's). I do have a buffing wheel, and rouge
 JH> type buffing compound, but that won't easily cut thru the brown
 JH> stuff. I've tried the old faithful Brasso, but projecting, it
 JH> would take quite a few hours to get it all cleaned up using that.

 JH> How to get rid of the brown spots?

After stripping the laquer off soak it in phosphoric acid. ie "CLR", rust
converter,  or pretty much any cola softdrink.

Then rinse it in water to remove the acid and then alcohol to remove the
water.

 -=> Bye <=-

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