Giving cast brass it's "shine" back

[Ctreanor13]

Apologies if this is the wrong section..

Evening guys,
At work were currently refurbishing some antique lights for a dudes castle. The last (of 15) one is causing some difficulties. The majority of the parts of this chandelier were put through our ceramic bowl polisher and came up top. One section however had to be repaired (the lads soldered it to minimize the heat input) and it has dulled the finish. Is there anything that the pieces can be soaked or submerged in to try give it a similar finish to the others? Afraid to put it through the vibrating bowl as we fear it will further break (already some hairline cracks)

 

[Kram]

You will need go do a test first on some other peice of brass.

A weak caustic solution should brighten it up removing oxides. 5% Ammonia is the active chemical ingriedient in Brasso.

Be aware of acids that are often suggested, they will preferentially leach zinc turning the parts a matt pink colour.

 

[MoreWellie]

Looking at the pictures, are you sure it was always just plain brass?

From the colouring, especially in picture 2, it looks like it might have been copper plated and then silver plated on top which was common practice

appreciate you have them in your hands and I can only go what I see in the pictures

 

[Kram]

The photos do look much more like tarnished silver/silver plating than brass.

 

[DAPPH]

If it is white brass .......... all we did with our intricate brasses and brass cap badges whilst I was in HMF was use a soft pig hair nail brush and some Daz soap powder . Wet it , dip it in powder , scrub & rub with the damp nail brush , rinse in luke warm water part dry and keep your fingers off the cleaned dried brass , so use thin cotton gloves.
Then if you were feeling really flush with money waste some of it on a bit of Dur-a - glit silver & brass cleaning wading to get the protective oils on it , but for you it will be I suspect not needed if you lacquer the clean brass once it is fully dry but still warm ss.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

if you lacquer the clean bra once it is fully dry but still warm

D'you reckon that's what Madonna does? [sorry, couldn't resist ]

 

[DAPPH]

D'you reckon that's what Madonna does? [sorry, couldn't resist ]

Now correctecd . .I reckon her man would have been brassed off if she did .

 

[Ctreanor13]

Apologies, the colour hasn't came through all that great. 5 year old phone camera isn't the best. It's definitely cast brass, the quality of which we can't say as it's just so old. The silver could possibly be some of the bits that were soldered? It came up a treat today with Brasso (surprise surprise)and I'm told a combined total of 4 hours running polishing and blasts in the ultrasonic. I'll try get some pics tomorrow