Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


-----

Brass Bed, How Do I Add Character?

I have a brass bed with clear lacquer finish, 25 years old. I would like to remove the clear lacquer finish and enjoy a brass finish with more character. How do I do this? Is this a bad idea?

Lois Anne Indorf
hobby - San Francisco, California
2004

---

Hi Lois Anne, you first need to pumice [on eBay or Amazon] your bed and then polish it afterward (a car polish could do...). One thing though: don't pumice too much as you might go through the brass plating (if plating it is...)

Seb Sanchez
- Montpellier, France
2004


Vintage Brass Beds & Parts on eBay

If the metal is magnetic it is probably plated brass on steel; if it is non-magnetic it is probably solid brass.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2004

---

What does it mean to pumice brass. I have two brass lamps with deep engraving on which I used Brasso [on eBay or Amazon], which I have made difficult to clean.

Gloria Rainier
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2004

---

I'm not sure that I agree that pumice is the best way to remove lacquer; lacquer thinner [on eBay or Amazon] might be better in some cases. But to answer your question pumice is finely ground lava, an abrasive cleaner. It's available in powder, little sticks, and large blocks, and I think that that some cleaners like Bon-Ami [affil links] are essentially pumice in powder form. But it sounds like it would be unlikely to help you in cleaning out the engraved areas.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2004

---

I recently brought a brass bed for my new home and I would like to restore it to a reasonable condition. It is two toned with a darker shade for the rails and a light shade for accents on the corners. I think the lighter shades are painted. There is small amounts of rust where some of the joints come together and the brass is very tarnished. I have tried the lemon/salt/water mix and Brasso and while it took the dirt off, I still have some tarnish and rust. It also revealed that there are spots where the entire finish has been scratched off (like where it was sitting up against a wall). Is there any thing I can do? Or should I just paint over it?

Thanks

Alecia Mullins
- Farmville, Vermont
2004

----
Ed. note: If you would like to have it replated, Alecia, please see finishing.com's Jobshop Directory.

I want to know how to age a brass plated headboard. I am also considering a painted finish to give it that cottage look.

Lisa Wantland
group home manager - Jefferson, North Carolina
2004

Ed. note: Brass can be darkened with liver of sulfur, Lisa. But with plated brass you don't have much thickness to work with , so test it on a non-obvious spot, and even then there may be inconsistency problems.

Sourcing: liver of sulfur [on eBay or Amazon]