"Lacquering / clear coating a Brass Bed"

A. Hi Sheila. You can clean it again with Brasso and wax it with museum wax. But wax makes for poor subsequent adhesion of paint or lacquer unless carefully removed. Brass lacquer or a simple one-part clearcoat made for metal are alternative to wax.

Luck & Regards,

A. I think the machine oil may rub off on your sheets and blankets. If you don't lacquer or clearcoat it you can't prevent tarnishing over the long term -- because brass tarnishes. Benzotriazole should help, and polishes like Brasso [affil link] leave a film that helps a bit, or you can wax it with car wax -- but brass lacquer is a longer-term solution.

A. Lacquer is a good answer. Brasso, will over time promote tarnish unless it is fully removed, either rub really hard with lots of clean towels or use Acetone [affil link] as a wipe down (nasty stinky solvent). Rally Car Wax [affil link] can remove a light tarnish and provide limited protection.

A good lacquer I used back in my antique days (includes several hundred restored brass beds) was a clear nitrocellulose lacquer from G.J. Nikolas [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] in IL. The 2105 clear could be bought in spray cans. (Use the bottom of the cans to do the back side of the headboard, as the spray pattern gets a little weak as the can gets empty)You may need to buy a full case.

The stuff works great. The big problem with most off the shelf spray lacquer is that the "milk-out" easily. Moisture combines with lacquer and forms a frosty appearance. 2105 goes on nice, do not do it on a rainy day. PRACTICE FIRST! Learn how to put it on heavy enough to form a solid layer but not to run, Catch runs with a paper towel and lacquer thinner [affil link] and respray. Make sure the bed is totally clean and free of tarnish. Wipe with lacquer thinner before application. Good ventilation and a mask are required!

A. Best clearcoat is Incralac [affil link] --special lacquer for copper/copper alloys(USA product)! French polish (for woodwork) is very good, too (you may dye it with curcuma or saffron - if you want)!

A. High end brass polishes containing benzotriazole form a very thin and durable copper complex surface layer (not an oil film) which keeps tarnish from forming for months indoors. The problem is to determine which contain the chemical (Goddards Long Term Brass & Copper Polish is one I know of). Benzotriazole [affil link] can be purchased from photo supply houses, costs a bit ($17 for 100 grams). It can be used in a dilute alcohol solution as a wash applied after cleaning/polishing with cloth or spray to retard tarnishing. Anhydrous denatured alcohol can be found at hardware or paint stores. The article can then be waxed or lacquered for greater durability.

A. I'd suggest some type of lacquer. Brass Tarnishes quite easily without some type of top coating.

A. Try a company that does brass band instrument repair.
They should be able to clean, polish, &lacquer your bed and advise on a source for replacement parts.