Restoring brass finish on old horns, bells, chandeliers, etc.

A. Try using ketchup as a brass cleaner. I don't know why, but there is a chemical reaction and the brass cleans up beautifully. I have just finished stripping and "renewing" 6 pairs of ornate engraved brass door knobs and key hole plates which had been painted over many times since the early 1900's. I used a commercial stripper, then rinsed with water, dried, and soaked in ketchup for 30 min. or so. I used a firm tooth brush as well as other dental cleaning instruments (available at local drugstores) to get into the engraved/and or upraised sections and fine steel wool to finish and shine. Time consuming, but well worth the effort and very inexpensive also.

I tried the ketchup and some 00 steel wool ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] on a 100 year old brass Russian Samovar. It worked great! Thanks, Sue.

Sue A [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Houston, Texas

S.Szigli was right! Ketchup and steel wool dissolves even the heaviest tarnish off unlacquered brass better than any of the toxins I've tried, including Tarn-x for Brass (very poor), Brasso (only slightly better), even blueprint strength ammonia (Fantastic but a killer to use) Mix 1 gal of water with 2 oz of liquid dishwashing liquid and 8 oz. of blueprint ammonia (80% strength - household a is 20%). Immerse brass in a PLASTIC tray for 30-45 min. Results are 0% tarnish. Ketchup is friendlier and MUCH cheaper!

The best followup polish for final luster that I have found is Mothers polish ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] (No, I don't work for Mother's).

Thanks, S. Szigli!

Gary H [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Nokesville, Virginia

A. Hi. Ketchup is gentle on people but very aggressive on brass because it contains vinegar and salt. It is great for big robust items but can actually damage very fine details.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. Soaking the lacquered pieces in paint remover or lacquer thinner ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] Warning! highly flammable! should remove the coating. The brass will tarnish, but if brass plated steel will tarnish, then rust, in short order. You may need solid brass to match the old piece. Or at least, heavy brass plated steel.

Brass Cartridge Cleaner

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Cleaning of brass is not easy where there are surfaces not able to be reached by normal methods ( polishing by hand etc using rag or cloth ).

A liquid type of Cleaner is required , for dipping or brushing or spraying .

After trying to clean brass cartridge cases for reloading a few items were tried , Hydroxyacetic acid as in the following product (G96 BRASS CASE CLEANER , stock # 1135 . G 96-Design Tech Carlstadt NJ) Worked well , can't find it anymore. Acetic acid can also be used , ask the supplier for instructions for use .

I found a mild cleaner that is cheap , freely available and it works for me , normal vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . I dump about 100 9 mm cases in a pint of vinegar for a few minutes and rinse off in water and the cases are much cleaner -- not perfect but a good compromise .

Hi, Ed. You can get bottles of Noxon by clicking the linked text, but it has been discontinued and you'll be paying a heavy premium when there are probably equivalent current products.

Regards,

A. Hi, Murray. vinegar and salt is strong and can leave copper rather 'salmon' looking and brass rather pink. Store-bought brass polishes like Brasso ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] should restore the warm brass glow slowly. But pink brass can be fixed immediately -- please see Goran Budija's proven answer on thread 35145.

Regards,

A. Hi, Michele. Are you sure it's paint? A decorative technique often used for brass is to darken the object with an oxidizing agent like liver of sulfur ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] or brass darkening solution ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , then buff the most exposed surfaces (the highlights), leaving the recesses blackened. Maybe you can buff the highlights rather than chemically cleaning the piece?

Regards,

A. To clean brass try soaking it in a solution of cream of tartar ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and water, about two tablespoons to a gallon, this works on cartridge cases well; I'm sure you can apply it to other brass objects

A. A good method for cleaning brass is to use 1/2 teaspoon of phosphoric acid ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] per gallon of hot water swirl a few times and presto! it's clean. Neutralize the solution with baking soda [in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] until it stops fizzing and discard or save it and use it several more times.

A. Hello,

SOME YEARS AGO, I purchased an old copper fire extinguisher, the copper was black almost, there were brass plates half the size of the extinguisher, Twinkle and Noxon did not touch the oxidation. I found that a paste made of salt and white vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] (wear gloves) rubbed by fingers or soft cloth on the surfaces began to dissolve the oxidation. After I removed most of the oxidation, I then used Noxon ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] metal polish to clean the rest of the extinguisher and give it a protective wax coat. Looked like new.

Hope this helps.

Cameo Aluminum & Stainless Cleaner

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. I clean houses for a living and the best cleaner I have found for stainless steel is Cameo ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] powdered cleanser. It is similar to Comet or Bon-Ami, but it removes the dark film buildup and surface scratches easier without as much residue to rinse off. It still requires some elbow grease but I think you will be pleased with the results.

Dremel Kits

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. I found a few beautiful antiques at a garage sale. My fiancé and I tried for hours to get all the oxidation off with very little results. He finally came up with a great idea, the Dremel ⇨

It even has a picture on the front of the box of someone polishing brass. Just put a drop of cleaner on and push the button.

GOOD LUCK!

The Works Tub & Shower Cleaner

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hello, I work with restoring and reproducing antique brass as my full time occupation. I would like to suggest that any old brass item can be easily and relatively safely "cleaned" and prepped for proper polishing by using nearly any tub and tile cleaner product that has phosphoric acid listed as one of its ingredients. This will be much safer to use than a hydrochloric acid based cleaner. Although I use a large dip tank with a commercially available Phosphoric acid mix, I will occasionally use "The Works" tub and tile cleaner ⇨
in my shop sink. This is available at nearly any Wal-Mart type store in my area. First disassemble the item to be cleaned down to the most basic parts so you can safely rinse with water after, then simply spray the cleaner on the area you are working on, scrub it in with a brush of some type, and rinse well. Do it a few times if necessary. It is important to do this in a ventilated area, and of course use gloves and safety glasses. You will find that using this as a first step will greatly reduce your polishing time.

Of course if there is some type of a finish on the part, this must be removed first, as well as any oily buildup. There are many good finish removers available (other than my strip tank, I use Aircraft Stripper by Klean-Strip*, this stuff is the best water rinsing convenient use stripper I have found). Oils can be washed off first with a good dish soap and a brush.

This process will not leave you with a highly polished piece, but will greatly improve the appearance of the part and save you a huge percentage of the work necessary to polish. Some people are satisfied though with the end results and will leave it.

As far as a good polish? I use only a mechanical buffing lathe combined with experience, different types of compounds, wheel types, speed and techniques. I would not recommend this process for the inexperienced, you can easily destroy detail or the piece. It is the only way to get the proper shine out of an old piece of brass, it has to be done properly though.

As far as a suitable finish to protect the brass from further tarnish. Look no further than your local band instrument retailer who has a good repair shop. There have been bake on epoxy finishes designed specifically for brass and available to the musical instrument manufacture and repair trade since the fifties, do not let anyone talk you into an air dry finish though, it will not last. Also do not use any automotive type clear coat, it will not work well and is difficult to strip later. As with any finish, the brass must be properly degreased before application, or the finish will not look good, if it sticks at all.

Best of luck!

Regards,

I just found this web site and am grateful to whoever posted the problem of cleaning Brass, I tried every thing that was listed and must say for cost, and time, the vinegar is the best so far. I tried both white and red wine, Red wine worked the best.

Thank you,

A. By far the easiest and cheapest solution (and the most environmental friendly) is lemon juice and salt. Make sure you dissolve enough salt in lemon juice. Wipe with a soft cloth dipped in the solution. Rinse and dry the brass thoroughly. Apply a thin coat of olive oil if the item will not be handled or is for food. Or apply a polyurethane coating (such as Turtlewax ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] wax for your car) for a long lasting finish and for items exposed to the sun and heat. No elbow grease required.

A. Those of you looking for Tarn-X, it is made by Jelmar. Their website allows you to find a location near you. Now I have found out where to get it I will be able to get my husband to clean the silver again. :-) Ross B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor] - Riverside, California Ed. note to readers: The Tarn-X for brass ("Brass Glaze") appears to be discontinued. Silver is one thing, brass is another; do not use Tarn-X for silver on brass.

A. I am polishing a solid brass bell, and it's tiny-creviced hanger, on a sailboat and found something much better and thicker than Brasso. I initially bought it because it is in a sturdy plastic bottle. The brand is Burnishine ⇦this on eBay [affil links]. The polish company is in Gurnee, IL. The rest is just elbow grease, then a polishing wheel and tripoli polishing stick ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] .

A. Do not use ammonia or Tarn-X on brass, it is not good for it.

A. What I have found that is great at removing tarnish from brass is C-L-R ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] This product is used for cleaning bathroom scum from tubs and sinks. C-L-R contains Phosphoric acid which I read earlier in the responses is great at removing tarnish from brass. I have an old brass ceiling lamp that was heavily tarnished and this stuff worked good at removing it. I had to soak it for many hours for heavy tarnished brass before it would remove the tarnish, but what a difference afterwards. I think I'll use Brasso ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] to polish it up.

A. For any metals, jewelry, brass, silver, chrome ANY, use Hagerty 100 ⇦this on eBay or Amazon] [affil links]. It does miracles to the worst of tarnished items. It cleans and polishes with no rinsing. It is great...

A. I have read through 95% of these; we have two 100 year old brass light fixtures. I was at wits end about how to clean them. I tried the Dremel tool w/Brasso...ketchup....vinegar. Before going out to buy another product, I tried this: Lysol toilet cleaner ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . Jackpot...in the BIGGEST way. It took me an hour to clean the whole thing by hand ... minimal elbow grease, little nooks and crevices, the whole works. Finish looks very cool; like antique brass. We are VERY pleased! We are restoring a Victorian house, and desperately want to keep the fixtures, and now we will be able to.

A. I like ⇦[this on eBay or Amazon affil links] which is made in Germany but usually available in hardware stores.

A. The best way to restore brass, bronze or copper items is to have them refinished professionally. You can look in your yellow pages under metal finishers or plating.

A. Brass! what a pain to clean; the ketchup trick works for some unknown reason and try it as it is fab. There are many other mixtures you can make from household substances but ketchup is the best for brass. Others I have tried which worked, but not as well, are: mixtures of salt vinegar and flour. or lemon and baking soda or vinegar and salt, or lemon juice and cream of tartar or Worcester sauce. or toothpaste. (but please note only use clear vinegar as the brown stuff cause a weird pink reaction to the brass!) But as for other metals and also for removing the lacquer from brass there is one simple answer and it is unbelievable to watch! Take any plastic bowl, place household kitchen foil in it covering the inner sides of the bowl and fill with warm water(not hot) and add soda crystals ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] (these are found by the washing powders in the supermarkets) to the water allowing them to dissolve, then take your gold/ silver/ brass object and submerge it in the water. It takes seconds and all the grime tarnish and dirt just comes straight off the foil attracts it all. You are left with beautifully clean objects.

Please note: if using this to get rid of lacquer leave in the substance slightly longer but beware it does not work on gold or silver plated objects hope these tips help!

I have used Mothers polish ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] on a brass bar counter & railing, it works the best. Brasso I don't like. I have to try ketchup, it is cheap and sounds like it works from everyone who has tried.

A. Like most people posting, I've tried many things. What I've found is that ketchup doesn't boil well. You end up with a mess. It does, however, remove the tarnish. I've tried lemon juice and found it to be mild. I tried Brasso and Tarn-X and some other store purchasable brass product. None of them removed the tarnish easily. I also tried a grinding buffer and the Dremel. Not a fan of either and quite expensive in the long run. I am cleaning all of my brass on a grand piano, including a 56" hinge.

I found vinegar works the best so far. I soak it overnight and polish with Brasso the next day. Then I clean it and soak it again. The pieces are around 100 years old.

My Dad, a Chemical Engineer, said all of these home remedies contain acetic acid and that's why they work. So anything with acetic acid will work in the same way, and the higher the concentration, the quicker it will work, however, it is burning off the layers, so don't leave it soaking for too long.

A. When I was in the Navy I would use stuff called Nevr Dull ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . An easier method is to use a drink aid like kool aid; just match the color of the drink aid with the color of the brass or copper. Usually orange or yellow works well.

Good luck.

Meguiars Carnauba Paste Wax

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. To clean brass and copper that is very tarnished use coker and a small buffing wheel attached to your power drill. It works quickly and puts a shine on it that you can not get by hand cleaning. The coker (coke-ker) and buffing wheels are cheaper than chemical cleaners and can be purchased thru WW Grainger or check with your local bumper nickel plater. They can also tell you what grade (like sandpaper) you will need. Be careful, the metal gets hot easily. Once you have it all cleaned, wearing gloves to avoid finger prints, simply put on a coat of Turtle Carnauba Wax ⇨
and buff just like you would a car. Your items will stay shiny much longer and the wax is easy to remove when its time to polish it again.

A. I had been struggling mightily to clean an old antique brass and crystal chandelier which we purchased in Europe. It was absolutely brown with oxidation - it looked more bronze that brass. I could see that scrubbing with Brasso , Wenol and Flitz was not a long-term answer -- instead I was headed for a case of carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis. So, I decided to search the web for a better way and arrived at this website.

Of all the concoctions suggested, I elected the one closest to where I was working on the piece.... Lysol toilet bowl cleaner ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] ! I squeezed a little on a paper towel and applied to an arm of the chandelier. To my amazement and glee, the oxidation literally disappeared! Honest....I'm really not kidding! It worked in seconds with virtually no elbow grease. Immediately after cleaning off the Lysol, I reapplied the Wenol [adv: Wenol on eBay or Amazon [affil links] to finish the job and bring out the true colors of the brass....this is just too cool!

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions you've shared!

S. For all those confused about Tarn-X, there are several different types. One of them is called Tarn-x Brass Glaze. All of the other types are not meant for use on brass. This has been more difficult to find because fewer stores sell it, however, my local Ace Hardware has it. Hoping it will work.

A. Sorry that no one responded, Michelle. Unfortunately, the situation probably has no clear answer, plus similar questions have been answered here, so the readers probably had nothing definitive to say.

If it was purchased in 1968 it probably had real brass plating on it. Apparently this has been scoured away in spots. Brass plating is impossible for a homeowner to re-do for themself, so your options are probably limited to sending it to a plating shop for replating, painting it with a brass colored paint, or trying a colored wax rub ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] .

If it's solid brass it can be restored by polishing, but I doubt that it is considering your statement about taking the finish off.Good luck.

Holy St. George! But please remember that, gentle as Ketchup (or vinegar and salt) are on people, they are extremely aggressive to brass. If it's a robust brass article, excellent; but these materials can harm very delicate detail.

Regards,

Hydrofluoric acid burns

Never use HF anywhere unless trained!
If you do, you MUST have the antidote gel on hand for instant use!

Calcium Gluconate
for HF acid burns

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. I used to work at a milk plant and we used hydrofluoric acid on our milk tankers works great on brass, stainless steel, also super on aluminum.

Hi, Alan. We appreciate your success story. But after 50 years in the metal finishing industry hydrofluoric acid still terrifies me, even though I'm well at ease with cyanide, hexavalent chrome, concentrated sulfuric acid and all the rest. It can anesthetize your skin, so you don't even realize that exposure occurred, while it drives towards dissolving the nearest bone, and pain that you don't want to imagine. I wouldn't let it anywhere near my house!

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

A. I'm trying the 3 parts peroxide ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] 1 part vinegar. Working well!

Peek Metal Polish

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. I've been working on restoring OLD instruments (a early 1950's sousaphone, an early 1900's alto horn, and a 1941 trumpet) and have found by far the BEST polish is Maas Metal Polish ⇨
(I've used Brasso, ketchup, vinegar and salt also_.
Maas is a little more expensive than the others, but in my opinion well worth it.