Thread: Polishing Brass

Originally Posted by GuyG

What is the best product for cleaning/polishing Brass? I have been using Brasso but was wondering whether there is anything better. Items can't be dipped in anything. Trying to clean some things that don't look like they've been touched for about 20 years - mainly the lights.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment...e-car-side.jpg

Any suggestions

Coca Cola....works on coins,

Regards

Stevo

What a cool toy

Have used toothpaste before... hmmm or is that on silver.

I think you would need to buff them if you want them really shiny. Either using a buffing pad attached to a grinder/drill/dremel, or by hand.

A mixture of salt and vinegar is good for initially removing the dull coating. The old fashioned Repo car polish is good for the second stage, but nothing appears to be as good as Brasso for the final buffing.

The correct trade terms for the steps in metal finishing are :-
Fettling-removing major bits like casting flash.
Grinding-removing major surface imperfections.
Polishing-removing minor surface imperfections.
Buffing (or colouring)-bringing the surface to a high shiny finish.

That looks pretty good for a brass age veteran. Not had a lot of use since restoration, or been carefully maintained. Where/how did you find and acquire it? Not a lot of interest in brass age veterans these days.

elbow grease.........

@ Weeds - Ah yes, elbow grease and brasso has been the current method and looks like it'll be the continued method

@ Brian - kinda like a barn find but it was a shed find, and you might be surprised re interest

Yes it starts and drives.

Theres an awful lot of brass on this thing. Think its the lights and trim round the running boards thats going to be the worst (at least the lights have been done at some stage) - the rest has been mostly done although I haven't looked at polishing anything under the bonnet yet

Its in quite good condition for a 102 year old vehicle.

So does this mean you need to add another car to your sig?

[QUOTE=GuyG;1445851@ Brian - kinda like a barn find but it was a shed find, and you might be surprised re interest

[/QUOTE]

I was thinking of the shrinking interest in these oldies over the last 10-20 years when they are put up for sale or auction, unless they are a special vehicle with a history.

Just about everybody who admired them as youths and aspired to have one one day are now dead. The focus of car and motor cycle collecting moves on as the admirers die off except for hard core focus groups.

Whilst mostly not to my taste, the hobby is now fixating on 60's-70's vehicles.
Just look at what is sold at swap meets. True vintage & veteran vehicles and parts have virtually disappeared from these arenas.