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Cleaning old brass?

| Posted in General Discussion on March 4, 2009 11:13am

Hello

I’m visiting from Gatherings and wonder if anyone here can help, please.  I’m in rural Greece at the moment and a very elderly lady in the village has given me an old scale which she says she recalls her grandfather using. She considers it junk and it’s been lying in a corner of an ancient storage shed since the war. The bowl hangs from 3 chains and I can just make out a portion of the wonderful designs chased onto it. All I have done is washed it with dishwashing soap and warm water to clean the dirt off. It’s undamaged and has the considerable patina of age. I assume it’s brass. Do I just leave it alone, or do I attempt to clean it so as to reveal the handwork on it? Any advice is much appreciated.

Thank you – Katina

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Replies

  1. theslateman | Mar 04, 2009 02:58pm | #1

    I think it's better to leave as is.  I think polishing it up will hurt it's value , but it's a personal decision for sure.

    1. Katina | Mar 04, 2009 04:07pm | #4

      Thank you for your help!

      Katina

      1. User avater
        Sphere | Mar 04, 2009 04:29pm | #6

        Dunka lemon slice in some table salt and gently scrub, no serious hard scrubbing ( but how hard can one scrub with a lemon?) then wipe it down with water and a soft towel.

        Thats as far as I'd go with it, but the next step, if you want is baking soda on a sponge and more polishing .Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

        Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

         

        They kill Prophets, for Profits.

         

         

        1. Katina | Mar 04, 2009 04:36pm | #8

          Excellent advice! Amazingly, the scale is sitting on a bench under the lemon trees in my garden even as I write. And we have plenty of lemons. I'll try this tomorrow

          Thank you very much.

          Katina

  2. Pelipeth | Mar 04, 2009 03:10pm | #2

    Try to have it appraised, then make your decision. I have found the best cleaner for brass, copper and some other metals to be Noxon. Can be found in hardware stores and some food markets.

    1. Katina | Mar 04, 2009 04:06pm | #3

      Thank you very much.

      Katina

  3. AitchKay | Mar 04, 2009 04:24pm | #5

    I have a collection of old/antique doorknobs, and I have found that chemical cleaners get too far into the grooves and relief of the design, washing out the contrast.

    In use day-to-day on a door, hands will do more than enough polishing of the highs, and the lows will remain dark. Perfect. Interestingly, the pull side of the door gets more use, and there is often a noticeable difference in wear, some of the detail in the metal actually having been worn away on the pull side.

    When mine, mounted on a display board, get dull looking, I take them off, drop them onto a turning spindle, and wipe them with a rouge cloth.

    Once again, this polishes the highs only.

    I'd say be very conservative, start with a coarse cloth, and possibly use some rouge. Don't worry about getting right in around where the chains attach, etc -- no one else would have been able to get into those tight details either.

    Likewise, run the cloth up and down the chains, not trying to polish every square mm.

    Step back often, walk away often, and don't do too much.

    AitchKay

    1. Katina | Mar 04, 2009 04:33pm | #7

      Thank you very much for taking the trouble to reply. Yes, as you and the other writers have said, I'm hesitant to do much at all, though I would love to see what the designs on the bowl are. The bowl is rather shallow and clearly hand-hammered. Altogether a beautiful piece of work - I imagine there aren't too many artisans about with the necessary time and skill to make such a piece anymore.

      Katina

      1. GregGibson | Mar 04, 2009 05:33pm | #9

        Just out of curiosity, you could do a rubbing with some light paper and a crayon or piece of dark chalk.  When you can see the detailing, then you and the owner can decide if you want to highlight it.

        Greg

        1. Katina | Mar 04, 2009 06:00pm | #10

          Yes, of course!! A brass rubbing. Indeed. Thank you very much. I'm the owner - the dear old soul who gave it to me thinks I'm quite nuts and keeps telling me about all the stuff they threw away!!

          Katina

  4. florida | Mar 04, 2009 06:56pm | #11

    Seems like every time I watch Antique Roadshow they have to explain to some one that they should never clean antique brass. An antique that would be $10,000.00 with the patina is now worth $1,000.00 all clean and shiny.

    1. Katina | Mar 04, 2009 07:09pm | #12

      Thanks very much for this info.

      Katina

  5. WayneL5 | Mar 04, 2009 09:36pm | #13

    On Antiques Roadshow the experts are always scolding (gently) people who clean the patina off of old metal objects.   Wiping and vacuuming off the dust is about as far as they recommend going.

    1. Katina | Mar 04, 2009 09:54pm | #14

      Thanks for answering - I much appreciate it.

      Katina

  6. Sbds | Mar 04, 2009 10:09pm | #15

    Noxon to take off the bulk of the tarnish, and Brasso to put a shine on it. Then clear lacquer to preserve it.

    1. Katina | Mar 04, 2009 10:42pm | #16

      That would certainly make it look very impressive!

      Thank you very much.

      Katina

      1. User avater
        Sphere | Mar 05, 2009 12:05am | #18

        See post # 18 , I agree, not that route.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

        Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

         

        They kill Prophets, for Profits.

         

         

    2. AitchKay | Mar 05, 2009 12:02am | #17

      Careful, Katina! I'm not sure, but I think Sbds just might be The Devil!Whatever you do, DON'T DO AS HE SAYS!!!!AitchKay

      1. Sbds | Mar 05, 2009 12:23am | #19

        That is the best way to clean it up and keep it looking great, IF that is what you want to do. I have seen Antique Roadshow and my brother in-law is an antique dealer. The value is always retained by not improving it. It depends on haw you want to treat it.

        1. AitchKay | Mar 05, 2009 01:22am | #20

          Lacquer??No! No! No!When buying brass hardware, I always check to make sure it has not ben lacquered. When I have no other option but lacquered, I figure in the price of stripping.The last thing I'd want is that spotty tarnishing next to artificially-shiny polish that happens when the lacquer flakes off! Yuck!"I know, let's make these antiques look like cheap 60s apartment-house latchsets!"I think I'll pass.AitchKay PS I don't care how old your BIL is!

          1. Katina | Mar 05, 2009 09:18am | #21

            Another useful opinion - thanks!

            Katina

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