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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Antiquing Brass Hardware

I would like to know how to refinish new brass hardware to look old and antiqued. - Thank You.

Karen F [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
Inglewood, California
2002

A very beautiful finish can be obtained by first cleaning the brass of any protective lacquer is completely removed. This is accomplished by soaking the brass in lacquer thinner ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] Warning! highly flammable! overnight and a thorough cleaning with a old tooth brush, warm water and soap. Extra fine #0000 steel wool ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] can also be used. Now comes the fun part. Depending on the size of the brass part, place in a jar several ounces of household ammonia ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] along with a scrap piece of copper. No scraps? No problem. Buy a cheap 1/2" copper fitting at the hardware store for less than a $1.00. Than place some kind of spacer above the ammonia in the jar and copper. A small inverted waxed paper or plastic cup will work well. This is just to keep the brass item out of the ammonia liquid. It's the fumes that do the antiquing. Put the top on the jar and almost immediately you'll see the oxidation start to take place. You'll get beautiful blue and green hues. The process will take a couple of minutes to a couple of days depending on the effect you want. Usually a couple of hours is plenty. Remove the brass, rinse and dry, then buff out with jeweler's rouge ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . Have fun. Let me know about your results.

A. Brooks B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Manchester, Vermont, USA
2003

I was wondering if there were any other, "easy to obtain" oxides to change the color of metal. I know of ammonia for copper. I am working on a jewelry project and would like to add some chemical changes to the metal. Thanks

Jill s [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
student - New York , New York, USA
2004

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For darkening of brass or copper you can use liver of sulfur ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . It's potentially toxic, so use with care.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2004

Big project; I need some advice. How would I approach the project of antiquing a new brass bed that has a non-tarnish layer of poly on it from the factory? The style of the bed is turn of the century, but the bright finish detracts from the appearance.

Molly Keenan
Consumer - North Kingstown, Rhode Island
2007


Vintage Brass Beds & Parts on eBay [affil link]

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2007

This advice has been really helpful so far. I do have a few follow up questions however.

First, can you apply these techniques to modern brass hardware? Are these solid brass?

Secondly, are there any processes that I can use for an electrical fixture that I don't want to completely disassemble?

Thanks,

John Thornbloom
- Denver, Colorado, USA