Letter 757

Restoring a National Cash Register

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I am polishing a solid brass bell, and it's tiny-creviced hanger, on a sailboat and found something much better and thicker than Brasso. I initially bought it because it is in a sturdy plastic bottle. The brand is "Burnishine Copper, Brass and Metal Polish" [link is to product info at Amazon]. The polish company is in Gurnee, IL 60031. The rest is just elbow grease, then a polishing wheel and CLR [link is to product info at Amazon] polishing stick.

Nancy B
- San Antonio, Texas

Do not use ammonia or Tarn-X on brass, it is not good for it.

Simon D
- Roseville, Minnesota

What I have found that is great at removing tarnish from brass is CLR [link is to product info at Amazon] This product is used for cleaning bathroom scum from tubs and sinks. CLR contains Phosphoric acid which I read earlier in the responses is great at removing tarnish from brass. I have an old brass ceiling lamp that was heavily tarnished and this stuff worked good at removing it. I had to soak it for many hours for heavy tarnished brass before it would remove the tarnish, but what a difference afterwards. I think I'll use Brasso to polish it up.

Larry T
- Cortland, New York

For any metals, jewelry, brass, silver, chrome ANY, use Hagerty 100 [link is to product info at Amazon]. It does miracles to the worst of tarnished items. It cleans and polishes with no rinsing. It is great...

Kim M
- Phoenix, Arizona

++++ I and my neighbor friend used to use a cleanser (like Comet) for cleaning our brass, stainless steel, bathroom sinks etc. It is called Cameo [link is to product info at Amazon]. My friend and I have been looking for it for a long while and we can't find it in the Vancouver, British Columbia area. When you make a paste out of it (with a bit of water) it's a quick, and fab cleanser (especially for Copper) If anyone in this area knows where we can purchase Cameo, please let us know, Thanx, Dianne Holowka - North Vancouver, B.C., Canada Ed. note: Click the graphics to the right for the aluminum/stainless cleaner or the copper/brass/porcelain cleaner --> ++++ I have read through 95% of these; we have two 100 year old brass light fixtures. I was at wits end about how to clean them. I tried the Dremel w/Brasso...ketchup....vinegar. Before going out to buy another product, I tried this: Lysol toilet cleaner. Jackpot...in the BIGGEST way. It took me an hour to clean the whole thing by hand...minimal elbow grease, little nooks and crevices, the whole works. Finish looks very cool; like antique brass. We are VERY pleased! We are restoring a Victorian house, and desperately want to keep the fixtures, and now we will be able to. Sylvia Kroger - Centerville, South Dakota

I like Flitz [link is to product info at Amazon] which is made in Germany but usually available in hardware stores.

Joyce Bentfield
- Warwick, Rhode Island

The best way to restore brass, bronze or copper items is to have them refinished professionally. You can look in your yellow pages under metal finishers or plating.

Jeff Santeler
- Orlando, Florida

Ed. note: . . . or, since you're already on-line as you're reading this, just click here for a list of refinishing shops whose support makes these pages possible.

Brass!!! what a pain to clean; the ketchup trick works for some unknown reason and try it as it is fab there is many other mixtures you can make from house hold substances but ketchup is the best for brass. Other I have tried and work but not as well are: mixtures of salt vinegar and flour. or lemon and baking soda [link is to product info at Amazon] or vinegar and salt. or lemon juice and cream of tartar. or Worcester sauce. or toothpaste. (but please note only use clear vinegar as the brown stuff cause a weird pink reaction to the brass!!!!) But as for other metals and also for removing the lacquer from brass there is one simple answer and it is unbelievable to watch!! Take and plastic bowl place household kitchen foil in it covering the inner sides of the bowl and fill with warm water(not hot) and add soda crystals (these are found by the washing powders in the supermarkets) to the water allowing them to dissolve then take your gold/ silver/ brass object and submerge it in the water . It takes seconds and all the grime tarnish and dirt just comes straight off the foil attracts it all. You are left with beautifully clean objects.

Please note : if using this to get rid of lacquer leave in the substance slightly longer but beware it does not work on gold or silver plated objects hope these tips help!!!

Sarah Broadhurst
- England, UK

I saw TARN-X at my local grocery store, Giant Eagle. it was with the cleaners. I looked at it to do an eagle project where I am restoring an American Legion honor roll. It said on the back not to use it on brass though, I was confused about this.

Dayne Crowley
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I have tried Brasso to clean my brass ornamental kettle but it isn't working. Does anyone know how I can get it clean.

Lyndda Cavanagh
hobbyist - Brockville, Ontario, Canada

I have used Mother's Aluminum Polish [link is to product info at Amazon] on a brass bar counter & railing, it works the best. Brasso I don't like. I have to try ketchup, it is cheap and sounds like it works from everyone who has tried.

Kathie Nystedt
- Langenburg, Sk., Canada

Like most people posting, I've tried many things. What I've found is that ketchup doesn't boil well. You end up with a mess. It does, however, remove the tarnish. I've tried lemon juice and found it to be mild. I tried brasso and Tarn-X and some other store purchasable brass product. None of them removed the tarnish easily. I also tried a grinding buffer and the Dremel. Not a fan of either and quite expensive in the long run. I am cleaning all of my brass on a grand piano, including a 56" hinge.

I found vinegar works the best so far. I soak it overnight and polish with Brasso the next day. Then I clean it and soak it again. The pieces are around 100 years old.

My Dad, a Chemical Engineer, said all of these home remedies contain acetic acid and that's why they work. So anything with acetic acid will work in the same way, and the higher the concentration, the quicker it will work, however, it is burning off the layers, so don't leave it soaking for too long.

Trina Werkema
- West Chester, Pennsylvania

When I was in the Navy I would use stuff called Nevr-Dull [link is to product info at Amazon]. An easier method is to use a drink aid like kool aid. just match the color of the drink aid with the color of the brass or copper. Usually orange or yellow works well .

Good luck.

Brian O
- Highspire, Pennsylvania

To clean brass and copper that is very tarnished use coker and a small buffing wheel attached to your power drill. It works quickly and puts a shine on it that you can not get by hand cleaning. The coker (coke-ker) and buffing wheels are cheaper than chemical cleaners and can be purchased thru WW Grainger or check with your local bumper nickel plater. They can also tell you what grade (like Sandpaper [link is to product info at Rockler]) you will need. Be careful the metal gets hot easily. Once you have it all cleaned, wearing gloves to avoid finger prints, simply put on a coat of turtle wax (car wax)and buff just like you would a car. Your items will stay shiny much longer and the wax is easy to remove when its time to polish it again.

Becky Jones
- Independence, Missouri

I had been struggling mightily to clean an old antique brass and crystal chandelier which we purchased in Europe. It was absolutely brown with oxidation - it looked more bronze that brass. I could see that scrubbing with Brasso [link is to product info at Amazon], Wenol [link is to product info at Amazon] and Flitz [link is to product info at Amazon]was not a long-term answer - instead I was headed for a case of carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis. So, I decided to search the web for a better way and arrived at this website.

Of all the concoctions suggested, I elected the one closest to where I was working on the piece....Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner [link is to product info at Amazon]! I squeezed a little on a paper towel and applied to an arm of the chandelier. To my amazement and glee, the oxidation literally disappeared!!!! Honest....I'm really not kidding!!! It worked in seconds with virtually no elbow grease. Immediately after cleaning off the Lysol, I reapplied the Wenol to finish the job and bring out the true colors of the brass....this is just too cool!!

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions you've shared!

Robert Keeley
- Oldsmar, Florida

For all those confused about Tarn-X, there are several different types. One of them is called Tarn-x Brass Glaze. All of the other types are not meant for use on brass. This has been more difficult to find because fewer stores sell it, however, my local Ace Hardware has it. Hoping it will work...

Trina Werkema
- West Chester, Pennsylvania

I just hung up my brass chandelier that has been put away since 1978. I was excited to get out that I use Tarn-x on it, thinking I used it before on brass. I read the bottle when it was too late. It now has ruined my finish. What can I do?

Michelle Homewood
- South Boomifield, Ohio

WOW the ketchup tip for tarnished brass works better than the store bought stuff, smells better and is much cheaper! Thanks!

KAT CRUZ
- Delray Beach, Florida

Holy criminy! Ketchup works! Just wanted to let the fine gentleman know further down in this board that his recommendation for ketchup for brass tarnish removal was fantastic. I have an intricate brass dragon that store-bought brands were hardly touching. I coated him in ketchup, let him set for about an hour and removed all the ketchup from the nooks and crannies with a soft toothbrush. The dragon is back to his flaming beauty. Thanks!

Diane Armitage
just an owner of too much brass - Laguna Beach, California

December 19, 2008 Holy St. George! But please remember that, gentle as Ketchup (or vinegar and salt) are on people, they are extremely aggressive to brass. If it's a robust brass article, it's probably fine, but these materials can harm delicate items Regards, Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey January 21, 2009 I have been restoring brass cash registers for 20+ years and find that coating lacquered parts with 'Gunk' for about an hour before washing and scrubbing with a soft bristled brush in hot soapy water works great. Paul Lamotte - Winnipeg Beach,MB, Canada June 20, 2009 I have a brass ships bell, with an inscription reading 1949.It has a finish on it,but spite of this it has become dark in colour. I would like to take the finish off, shine and re-finish the bell. Do you have any suggestions for removing the finish? Anne Wasse-Lyon house-wife - Savannah, GA, USA 1     2     3