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Removing tarnish on brass, copper, bronze
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What agent will instantly, on contact remove tarnish from brass/copper/bronze? (I used to use a product called 'Shower Power' but am now unable to find it.)
THANX!
Carole Burns--
Hi Carole,
To remove tarnish from brass/copper/bronze, you may need a formulation consisting of reductive acids, complexing agents, wetting agents and corrosion inhibitors.
Ling Hao- Grand Rapids, Michigan
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Hi, Carole. Ling is usually right and is probably right this time. But I'm guessing that you're a consumer looking for a commercially available spray or polish to remove tarnish from your household items, rather than a formula according to which you would blend together the acids and agents that he mentions. There are many copper/brass polishes. The very slowest acting ones like Brasso [linked by editor to product info at Amazon] leave the item the warmest and richest. The very fastest working, like vinegar plus salt (lemon juice plus salt, ketchup, hot sauce), leave the item orange and raw looking, and can damage really fine detail. The compromise that I personally use is Revere Copper & Stainless Cleaner => Disclosure: this website may receive a commission if you buy products via these links. Regards, |
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Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
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To remove the tarnish is not the point, what do you intend to do to prevent it from returning? There are products used in the printed circuits industry that prevent tarnish but on a temporary basis. A varnish or lacquer will help.
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To remove tarnish from brass is best to polish it to the the finish you want and then a clear coat. This will keep it from tarnishing.
Sincerely,
Tony Penaplating shop - Miami, Florida
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S |
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I would like to clean some copper contacts and connectors. Polishing is not practical. What can I soak then in to remove tarnishing and corrosion? Trom Dom- Rochester New York Hi, Trom. To bright dip copper you need a solution that contains an oxidizing acid. Nitric acid is pretty nasty stuff, so I'd suggest you go with sulfuric acid + Hydrogen Peroxide [linked by editor to product info at Amazon] instead. This is available as a proprietary which contains stabilizers so the peroxide doesn't wastefully decompose too fast. A local plating supply house will understand what you are looking for. Good luck. Regards,
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I have an old fireplace which is so tarnished/corroded I can barely tell what metal it is. I found one or two spots that reveal the original metal, it has a copper tone to it. The rest of the metal is corroded to dark brown and spots of white (maybe just dirt?). I would love to be able to see the beauty of this 1907 fireplace in it's original state.. any ideas for cleaners, polishers... I can not afford a professional.
Anne Marlow- Lansing, Michigan
Hi, Anne. I suspect it's cast iron with copper plating. If so, you will not get it to good condition yourself because most of the plating is gone. But the first step is to test it with a magnet: if it's magnetic, it's steel or iron, so you only options are to paint it or have it replated. If it's not magnetic, it is probably solid brass, bronze, or copper and it can be cleaned aggressively with a strong brass polish. Good luck.
Regards,
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Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
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I recently received a dresser with brass handles from my great-grandmother. The dresser is in perfect conditions, but being that it is old the handles have turned completely black from tarnish and polishing 18 of them is just not effective or efficient. Isn't there anything the brass can be soaked in to be rid of the tarnish? Brasso [linked by editor to product info at Amazon] is just not cutting it!
Cassandra Ayala- Bakersfield, California
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Ok, don't laugh. For heavily tarnished brass soak the item in Coca Cola for a few days (sometimes up to a week for heavy tarnish). It will not remove the tarnish entirely, but will make it easy to scrub off using a stiff brush and either Brasso or Comet cleaner in a thin paste. Follow up with Brasso to brighten finish and then clear coat it for a finish that will last. Note: you may need to change the Coke after a day or two.
Dirk Roberts- St Louis, Missouri
October 5, 2008
How do you clean copper heating vents that have been left and are badly discolored? I have tried steel wool by suggestion and also vinegar and salt to try and clean and restore it but it was no go! Any suggestions? It is a floor heat vent that we bought and it sand blasted to clean it up and they told us just to steel wool it but that didn't work! Any suggestions?
Kirsty Koziehobbyist - Winnipeg, MB, Canada
January 3, 2009
Hi, Kirsty. Please see my answer to Anne, above. I believe your situation is the same.
Regards,
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Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
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March 18, 2009
Hello everyone. I know everyone has asked over and over again how to remove the heavy tarnish from brass, but with no real answers that have proved effective. Well now I am going to tell everyone the secret of the pros, and how to do it in three easy steps. I was about to pull my hair out when I couldn't get a brass fan blade on an antique fan to look even somewhat presentable with brasso. I was lucky enough to get the local silversmith to tell me exactly what he and every other silver plater, and silversmith uses to get brass to a mirror shine. My black corroded brass fan blade looked like a mirror after about 20 minutes, following this exact procedure. - Shawnee Kansas |
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May 29, 2011 -- this entry appended to this thread by editor in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread
Hi. We have a copper butter dish and it had a large amount of green stuff on it. I covered it in ketchup and the green stuff turned black/brown and the copper turned pinkish. I scrubbed the black/brown stuff but it won't come of. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Al Hollander- Montello, Wisconsin, USA
August 18, 2011
Our machine shop has brass and copper parts that are used for marketing purposes (take to trade shows, etc) and I would like to know how to make them shine again in a cost-effective fashion. Any suggestions?
Allan Johnsonmachining - Pikeville, Tennessee, USA
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August 18, 2011 Hi, Allan. The easy way is with a strong brass and copper polish like Revere Copper & Stainless Cleaner => If this doesn't give enough shine, you will probably have to buff them with a buffing pad on a Dremel tool, a rechargeable drill, or an actual buffing machine. For the buffing compound you can certainly try the aforementioned copper polish, but you may need to move on on a real buffing compound. Good luck. Regards,
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August 26, 2011
Just to advise that if you are in search of a product or some material to remove highly tarnished brass or copper the combination of Vinegar and Iodized salt is the combination to use. This will remove the tarnish from the bronze or copper upon making contact with the tarnished piece. This has been proven. Upon applying you should immediately wash off the contents with water. Please note that the results will be a dull finish. You should use Brasso to get a shiny finished surface.
Oscar Byington- San Antonio,Texas USA
January 7, 2012
Barkeeper's Friend works wonders for removing tarnish from brass and other metals too!
Christina Lawrenceis - Sacramento, California, USA
January 18, 2012
What kind of clear coat can be used on brass or copper specifically? Any kind of varnish or shellac, or something special?
Karl Seas- Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA