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Bright brass refinishing

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I originally purchased solid brass door hardware which is now very dull. The mfg. told me to remove the lacquer, polish with a very fine 0000 steel wool [affil link] and spray with a Brass Lacquer [affil link]. I did all this BUT I would like to know how to get a very bright polished look and a very durable lacquer coating.

Gordon H [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Mukilteo, Washington

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I hate to argue with the manufacturer, who should know better than any of us, but I don't think fine steel wool is enough to restore a bright brass look. I think you need to buff with Brasso [affil link], Twinkle, Copper Glo [affil link] or some other compound after the steel wool step. Then lacquer. The more patience you have in terms of multiple thin coats, the better. There are copper/brass specialists like G.J. Nikolas [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] who may be able to offer a lacquer well tailored to the specific use.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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Hello Gordon,

If you look around the internet, you can find suppliers of polishing compound and buffing wheels, some that attach to a drill. Maybe polishing the brass with an abrasive polish like Brasso would do. Whatever you decide to do, wipe the part down with acetone Acetone [affil link] or lacquer thinner [affil link] prior to lacquering. If you want a durable lacquer finish, maybe go with a higher quality lacquer rather than a cheap one (you get what you pay for).

Best of luck,

Jake Koch
G. J. Nikolas &Co.,Inc.

Bellwood, Illinois