I just processed a load brass hardware in a jewelry polisher. Some of it will be exposed to weather but not wear (e.g., house numbers); some will be exposed to wear but not weather (interior door knobs). Some get both (exterior door knob).
What products should be applied to protect against tarnish? Is it a different coating for each situation?
Janet
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Generally clear laquer is the norm for coating brass. But presumably someone makes some "special" product.
And I recall reading a year or so back of an outfit that would take brass stuff and apply a very tough, tightly-adhered plastic coating. But I don't recall a name.
What kind of lacquer?--nitrocellulose, acrylic, water-based, uroshiol (isn't that poison ivy?)...
Isn't there an aerosol lacquer spray?
Janet
You ask too many questions.
If you Google for "brass lacquer" or "brass coating spray" you'll get a number of hits.
Actually, I have been acting with some restraint, asking only a fraction of the questions in my head. Admittedly, some are not about woodworking, but they get posted here because the members display an amazing breadth of knowledge that I've not encountered elsewhere.
I should have phrased my question more precisely. Of course I had already Googled the subject (hence the poison ivy), but my ultimate goal is a brand-name recommendation.
Back in California, we had brass door hardware that never tarnished. Well, not on the leeward side of the house. But the tarnish protection is a trade secret belonging to Baldwin.
Janet
Brass Coatings
High end hardware manufactures use high tech methods such as vacuum deposition of very thin metallic materials and such. These are not reproducible at home but can result in truly lifetime no tarnish warranty finishes. My experience is the the traditional lacquer coatings will fail. It is just a matter of time. If they are subject to wear and tear, the lacquer will wear off. If not worn off, the brass will still tarnish, just much slower than if it wasn't coated. The only way I know to truly have no tarnish brass is to ante up for high end hardware from reputable manufactures who have lifetime no tarnish warranties and will hopefully be around to honor the warranties if they fail. Lacquer coats will slow the tarnishing of brass, not stop it.
"You ask too many questions,"
"You ask too many questions," of course, is really saying the three words that men hate to say: "I don't know."
Don't feel bad, Janet
we all get a bit peckish once in a while. Speaking of Baldwin and whatever trade secrets they may possess, I should post a picture of the Baldwin door handle staring me in the face from just three feet away this minute. We have Baldwin handle sets on all the doors in our house, but this one is on the inside of my son's room, and it is waaay corroded. I think its a physiological thing; my father had body chemistry that would melt stainless steel watch bands, and it seems to have passed to my son. All the other door handles are still shiny after 18 years, but this one has got to be polshed (get out the Brasso!). I'll also probably buy a can of clear lacquer spray to finish it after I do the polishing. Sorry I don't have a brand name--I'll just look for something on the shelf that's oil based, clear lacquer.
Hok
Used to be said that Ti-D-Bowl toilet cleaner would un-corrode brass in a New York Minute.
Whaaa?
Hmm, since it's probably got a strong base (lye) component, I can believe it would take the shine off brass balls, but remove corrosion? Come to think of it, I'm assuming Brasso is strongly basic as well, so maybe you're right.
Old bar owner that doubled as an architectural details hoarder.
mentioned this to me as were building his bar / restaurant.
The most fun was first finding what we could do (stick) with all the crappola he accumulated and then making it look like it was always there.............
Bar Keepers Friend works on brass and copper. Inexpensive, and rinses off with water. The MSDS lists oxalic acid only, but there is probably a mild abrasive as well.
If the pieces are small enough, I put them into a vibratory "tumbler" with porcelain beads as the polishing medium.
Janet
Yeah, "Bar Keeper's Friend"
Yeah, "Bar Keeper's Friend" is a mild abrasive, similar to Bon Ami.
Another word
When I was in the navy, we were issued with nice shiny brass belt buckles, all coated with some kind of thick tarnish protection. I could never figure out the logic, cause the first thing we were ordered to do was to polish off all that lacquer protection. They give us bright, shiny brass and then tell us to make it unshiny, just so we can spend hours of time making it shiny again before each inspection. Tradition!