Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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How to clean lacquer from a new brass door handle

I have recently bought a "gold looking" brass door handle but would like to tarnish it as that would match the door better. I believe it has been lacquered to prevent tarnish. Can I please obtain advise regarding how I would clean the lacquer off and assist the process of tarnishing it. Can this be done professionally? I live in Northern NSW, Australia. Would appreciate any advice.

Jennifer Bush
Hobbyist - Mullumbimby, NSW, Australia
2005

If it's lacquer it will come off readily with lacquer thinner ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] Warning! highly flammable! . But it may not be lacquer, and it may not even be brass. It's unfortunate, but with so many high tech finishes today it is almost impossible to know what you actually have, and consequently hard to know what chemicals will do what to it.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005

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