Techniques Used to Prepare a Brass Metal Surface for Polishing
- Revive old furniture by preparing brass handles for polishing.brass handle image by hazel proudlove from Fotolia.com
Cleaning precedes any polishing procedure for metal. You cannot completely polish metals like brass without first thoroughly cleaning them. Some products on the market contain ammonia, which will quickly remove any brass tarnish but may also remove a surface layer of the brass with it. Protect your brass by cleaning and polishing it as soon as you notice tarnish and by using soft chemicals on the brass. - For brass that is barely dirty or tarnished, simply rinse it in soapy water. Fill a bowl with warm water, and add a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent. Use a mild detergent that doesn't contain a fragrance to eliminate any residue on the brass item. Lightly brush the brass object with an old toothbrush to clean any hard-to-reach areas.
- Professional metal cleaners and polishers use a metal polishing wheel to remove the dirt and tarnish from heavily tarnished brass items. These wheels are automatic and only require some pressure. Wheels remove the top layer of the brass along with the tarnish and are commonly used on older brass, which generally doesn't not have a tarnish-free alloy skin, according to polishing expert Tim Carter.
- If your brass is heavily tarnished but is fragile, you can use a cleaning wheel to remove the tarnish. In this case, use a caustic brass cleaner, which generally contains citric acid and instructs you to leave the solution on the brass. Some brass cleaners may also include a neutralizer to prevent the solution from eating away the top layer of brass.
