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Thread: Polishing/relacquering brass lenses

  1. #1
    Senior for sure
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    Polishing/relacquering brass lenses

    I have finally acquired a brass barrel lens (a Zeiss Apochromat Tessor, ca 1907) suitable for my old Anthony Normandie, and I am giving some thought to refinishing the brass. The camera, although a hundred years old, looks like it could have been made in the last 10 or 15 years (not refinished - just spent its life in dry Arizona!).

    I am familiar with the issues regarding collectibility and patina, but the lens has to have some collectible value for this to be of any real concern. Some lacquering remains, some is gone. The lens was an Ebay purchase that was relisted twice (actually 3 times - each time it has gone down in value by 50%, hence it was a deal for me, but in my mind this speaks to its true value in the marketplace).
    On the camera as it is, it looks just like any modern camera would look with an old ugly lens on it ... In other words, although the lens and camera are of comparable age, one has faired better than the other...

    Making it pretty won't make it take better photos, but the combination will more closely represent this package as it would been used photographing, say, the Wright Bros,... (still boggles my mind that when this camera would have bought and people lined up in front of it, the Flyer still hadn't left the ground.)

    Your thoughts on the aesthetics of this?...

  2. #2

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    Re: Polishing/relacquering brass lenses

    There are two ways of doing this. Firstly you really need to remove all the glass and the diaphram if possible. All old brass instruments and similar items were "hot laquered" by the manufacturers. This gave them that lovely deep gold look. The modern way to preserve the shine on the brass would be to spray it with cellulose laquer. I get mine from the local car accessories shop. People with cars that have a metallic finish use this as a last coat when they have been toutching up the paintwork. In a past life we used to clean old brass by inserting it in a hot mixture of soft soap and ammonia and leaving it overnight or for a few hours. We scrubbed it using a bristle brush and either emery powder or pummice powder. This whole process stinks, literally. You could try to remove the old lacquer using metal polish and a very fine grade of wire wool. Fingermarks show up on any polished brass and if left the sweat from your skin will eat into the brass and look horroble. Wear vinyl gloves or similar. The brass could be polished using natural chalk, I got some time ago from some chalk cliffs in Hampshire. It might be possible to get jewellers rouge still. Let any chalk that you get dry out for some time before you use it. Years ago it was possible to buy ready prepared hot laquer but I doubt if this is possible today, anyway you need to get the brass hot, but not too hot or the laquer will boil as you brush it onto the brass. Don't hold the brass with your fingers when you laquer it. I could probably rake up a recipe for you if you really want to make your own laquer.
    I'm sure that you're really pleased this question and I'm convinced that you'll go down the cellulose route.
    Best wishes,
    Pete.

  3. #3
    Senior for sure
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    Re: Polishing/relacquering brass lenses

    Hi Pete - thanks for all of the info. I'm not concerned about getting the old off and polishing up - that I know how to do. its more of a question as to whether I should do it or not....

  4. #4

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    Re: Polishing/relacquering brass lenses

    I've got the Voigtlander Euryscop III #IV, the glass is as new, the brass on the other hand, is a wonderful patina that simply says 'wonderful 100yr old lens', wonderful character, years ago, I would've tried to restore the lens to brand new looking, now...................the look reflects to me all the other owners who used this lens, and the photographs they must've taken,.................................almost as if the lens is saying 'I'm not a college student, I grown up and been around the world and seen quite a lot'.

    Just like a beautful woman, as much fun to look at as it is to touch and to use.
    Jonathan Brewer

    www.imageandartifact.bz

  5. #5

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    Re: Polishing/relacquering brass lenses

    On the other hand when I was a clockmaker / restorer we polished and burnished untill the clocks looked better than when they left the original factories. The big auction houses never complained, neither did the customers as it was what they were paying for. A good restoration job dosn't reduce the value of a clock so why should it affect an old lens? We even burnished every steel screw on the clock and this certainly didn't happen in the original factories.
    Pete.

  6. #6
    alec4444's Avatar
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    Re: Polishing/relacquering brass lenses

    Well, I'm not sure if you did it yet, but it's really a philosophical difference, and it's up to you. Here's my perspective as someone who loves old things:

    As with all antiques, and things to be cherished, I am not the owner of the object per se, but rather a temporary caretaker along this object's journey through time. Any decision we make to alter the look of the object has an impact on every future owner. With this in mind I have always preferred preservation over restoration.

    In Italy, some of the master stone carvings have been "cleaned up" and polished to their original glory. Is it better? Some people say yes, others say no. One thing is for sure: it's altered what every future visitor will see, and there's no going back.

    Your lens, your call!

    --A

  7. #7

    Re: Polishing/relacquering brass lenses

    It's a lens not a Rodin, clean it up and refinish it. You will be very pleased. Who is going to say, "Oh that lens was refinished and now it's not the same for me". I cleaned and removed the dull black paint from a lens and the brass under it is as nice as a morning sunrise.

  8. #8

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    Re: Polishing/relacquering brass lenses

    You probably already know that it is important during the cleaning and repolishing not to "dub over" any corners or other features which should remain cleanly defined. This is probably the best reason not to use something like steel wool which will conform to the surface too easily. (Crocus cloth backed up by hardwood might be a better choice.)

    Some time ago the question of brass lacquering came up (possibly in another forum) with regards to camera parts, and the discussion led to Nikolas lacquers. No personal experience with them, but the description sounds just about perfect:

    (http://www.finish1.com/page_products_eco_11693.htm)

    Good luck!

  9. #9
    westernlens al olson's Avatar
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    Re: Polishing/relacquering brass lenses

    You might want to try Brasso if you can find it. We used to use it in the Army to polish our brass.

    It contains a solvent that cut through the original laquer on our belt buckles and it also contains a mild polishing abrasive similar to jewlers' rouge.

    I don't recall seeing it on the store shelves since my release in the early 60s, but if you can't find it in the grocery or hardware stores, try someone who has access to the PX.

    I need to find some for myself because I want to refinish some clock weights.

    Cheers,
    al

  10. #10

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    Re: Polishing/relacquering brass lenses

    I did a search on Brasso. Stanley London sells 8 oz. (235ml) for $2.99. There are lots of other sources including Ace Hardware, but they sell by the gallon.

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