Looking for a brass polish magic bullet...

[Scott --]

Hi, all -

I have a ton of brass to polish across two cameras. It's gross, dirty, and heavily tarnished. Not a nice, even patina - I want it to shine. My usual MO on this stuff is a felt wheel on a Dremel and some Flitz; I have enough to polish now that I'm looking for the quickest method possible. Something like dunking in Tarn-X, but brass-safe.

Anyone have any ideas? I've tried Brasso, salt/vinegar, and Nevr-Dull. All work, but slowly, and with a lot of elbow grease. I'm hoping for something quicker.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Scott

[Brian C. Miller]

Most likely you are working through the lacquer over the brass before getting to the brass itself. If there is no lacquer, just actual plain brass, then Brasso and Nevr-Dull work quite fast. Try a bit of lacquer remover, and then follow it with brass polish.

[lenser]

Scott,

Not quicker, but a lot less elbow grease and permanent.

I've had the brass from a couple of cameras (5x7 and 8x10 Ansco's) and several brass lenses restored the local music shop.

I had to take the brass off the cameras and the glass out of the lenses. Took all the bits to the instrument repair shop and they dipped it into a bath tub full of some wildly nasty looking (and caustic smelling) chemicals that totally stripped the crud off (I can only be reminded of DIPPPPPP!!!!!! from "Who Framed Roger Rabbitt"), then they buffed them to a very high sheen and lacquered them with a clear coat as the final step. After thirty plus years, they still shine like a brand new coin.

Well worth the time and effort.

[Jim C.]

I soaked my brass parts in lacquer thinner overnight to loosen any lacquer
that may have been applied over the tarnish, then after drying,
Brasso for about 10-20 min and used some minor elbow grease
to clean the remaining muck off, seemed the easiest and safest way to do it.

[Scott --]

Well, earlier I scrubbed an area with lacquer thinner, thinking that might be an issue. Didn't seem to do much, but I'll give it all a soak for a while and see how things progress. There are some parts that need to stay in place (I'm not filing off peened heads), but the rest will get pulled for soaking.

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone.

[John Kasaian]

A quick soak in jalapeno juice should do the trick! Fresno chili juice works just as quickly.

[Scott --]

Well, a brief follow-up: I took off some of the brass and soaked it in lacquer thinner. Then, after a few hours, put the parts, still in the lacquer thinner bath, in an ultrasonic cleaner and sonicated them for a while. Took them out and went at one piece with Flitz and a rag, the other with Flitz and a Dremel. The results are attached - the Dremeled one is on the right. Looks like I'm just going to have to suck it up and get after it with the Dremel. [sigh]

[IanG]

Try soaking in hot vinegar (or stop-bath) about 25%, it'll attach & dissolve virtually all the oxidation. It takes the zinc out of the surface layer and leaves a reddish (coper) films that's very easy to polish quickly.

That's worked well for my restorations for brass work.

Ian

[Jim C.]

Well, a brief follow-up: I took off some of the brass and soaked it in lacquer thinner. Then, after a few hours, put the parts, still in the lacquer thinner bath, in an ultrasonic cleaner and sonicated them for a while. Took them out and went at one piece with Flitz and a rag, the other with Flitz and a Dremel. The results are attached - the Dremeled one is on the right. Looks like I'm just going to have to suck it up and get after it with the Dremel. [sigh]

uhhh.... I don't think using a flammable liquid in any ultrasonic cleaner is such a good
idea, the flash point of lacquer thinner is somewhere between 5-20º F.

I've never used Flitz, but Brasso contains a mild abrasive ( feels rather coarse to me )
and it polishes the brass up to it's original mill finish nicely, were the brass parts on
your cameras that highly polished ?

[bobwysiwyg]

Have you determined if these parts are solid brass rather than brass plated steel or some other base metal?