As I was working my finger to the nub with an old discarded t-shirt and ketchup - and not getting anywhere (no, I didn't try boiling it in ketchup - yet!) - my wife came in and handed me a container of "Noxon" silver polish telling me to try it. I looked at the label and it allegedly was good for brass also - so what the hell....
BINGO! Works like a charm! I can see that this little project could take a while since you've got to apply some serious fingertip pressure with the rag with the gunk on it but the result is nice shiny brass. A great project for sitting around the fireplace 'till the weather warms up. As soon as I'm finished with the polishing I intend to lacquer brush all surfaces and see how long that lasts. Someone also suggested using clear varnish. Any thoughts on that??? Steve Weinstein S/V CAPTIVA 1997 Hunter 376, Hull #376 Sailing out of Oyster Bay, NY All outgoing mail protected by VIPRE A/V ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2010 12:48 PM Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] cleaning brass - ketchup??? > Unlacquered brass tarnishes when exposed to air. A weekly wiping with a > little liquid ammonia on a soft cloth will help keep unlacquered brass > shiny. Use a commercial cleaner (available in grocery or hardware stores) > or a homemade cleaner (below) to remove tarnish. On antique brass, test > the cleaning product to be sure of obtaining the desired effect. Some > methods not only clean tarnish but also remove the mellow coloring of age > that is desirable on old drawer pulls and other accessories. > > To polish antique brass pieces, wash in hot, soapy water to remove grime, > wax, etc. Rinse and dry. Moisten a soft cloth with boiled linseed oil and > rub on the brass surface until all the dirt and grease have been removed. > Polish with a soft cloth. Very old brass items, especially if in poor > condition, require special care. Consult museum experts for advice. To > polish for a soft finish: wash in hot, soapy water, rinse and dry. Make a > paste of whiting and boiled linseed oil. Apply with a soft cloth and rub > to remove tarnish. Wipe off excess paste and polish with a clean cloth. To > remove heavy tarnish, difficult stains and corrosion: wash in hot, soapy > water or a weak ammonia and water solution and rinse. Dampen a soft cloth > in hot vinegar, then dip in table salt and rub the brass, or make a paste > of flour, salt and vinegar. You may need several applications. When the > item is clean, wash in hot, soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly, then > polish with a cloth moistened with lemo! > n oil. If preferred, dip a slice of fresh lemon into table salt and rub > over the corroded area. Wash, rinse and dry carefully. > > Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/brass#ixzz0gZRHPkVm > > > ____________________________________________________________ > Small Business Tools > Click here for to find products that will help grow your small business. > http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/c?cp=OV2MKQdhR1lclJURQK1tSgAAJz0_R8oYmy6fByaj4ixKcMRBAAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARMQAAAAA= > > _______________________________________________ > Liveaboard mailing list > [email protected] > To adjust your membership settings over the web > http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard > To subscribe send an email to [email protected] > > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ > > To search the archives > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > The Mailman Users Guide can be found here > http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
