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Want Gold (Bright) finish in free cutting brass component

How to get gold finish (Shining & Bright) in a Free cutting brass component (Studs)? Those studs are to be subsequently spot welded with another component and the insert molded.

GANESH K [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
Automotive component manufacture - COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU, INDIA
2004

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There is not enough information here to give you a good answer. As it stands now, my question is why do you need a mirror finish/cut if parts are going into an assembly.

AF Kenton
retired business owner - Hatboro, Pennsylvania
2004

Let it for aesthetic function, then what is the solution? Stud terminal is made of free cutting brass rod & the diameter is 10 mm. Expecting your answer.

GANESH K [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
Automotive component manufacture - COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU, INDIA
2004

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2004

I'm sorry, Ganish, but it's still not really clear to me if by 'gold finish' you mean that you want the yellowish color of brass, which is somewhat like the yellowish color of gold, but you want it bright . . . or do you really want it to look like solid gold. If the latter, hand-buff, nickel plate, and gold plate each one :-)

Good luck.

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

Since none of us know exactly how bright you mean and what color is gold, other than gold plating, it is a wild guess. You might possibly be satisfied with a diamond turned stud that is bright dipped. Bright dip composition would be determined by someone smarter than me and would be extremely dependent on the alloy. Naturally, you are using free cutting brass, which has lead in it which significantly complicates everything that you want to do with it after machining. Due to cost, I suspect that you will settle for something far less than you currently envision.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2004

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First of three simultaneous responses --

Basically, my answer is the same as before; however, if you want to do the bright finish, you can do it as Ted suggested or a mass finishing system can achieve nearly buffed appearance parts. Again, if parts get spot welded after assembly, you will defeat and waste your time.

AF Kenton
retired business owner - Hatboro, Pennsylvania
2004

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Second of three simultaneous responses --

My response and smiley was tongue in cheek, Tony. Ganish must offer additional detail about his needs.

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

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Third of three simultaneous responses --

I agree with Ted, why not plate it with nickel and gold? Alternatively you could use a gold coloured lacquer or even chemically (or electrochemically) polish the studs. If you decide to use chemical polishing of some description, you will need to remove the lead from the surface; this can be done by a fluoboric acid pretreatment.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2004

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I've been polishing for 9 yrs. Your problem is a piece of cake. To shine up the brass, hand buff the parts with first black rouge (if scratches in the material) otherwise just use white buffing bar ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , wipe down and go over with blue rouge.

Brandt Hinton
- Elk River, Minnesota
2004

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Ganesh K
from your question I think manufacture and sell the brass parts to a factory where they then spot weld them and you want them to look like gold like colour or in an uniform colour with out tarnished so while selling they don't look old .so if that what you want then you can use hydrogen peroxide sulfuric acid bright dip

Shailendra Patadia
- Mumbau Maharashtra India
January 15, 2011