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world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


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Scratches in brass belt buckle!

Hey guys I'm in 10th grade and in ROTC.. have scratches on my brass buckle.. Not sure how they got there.. But they are.. -cries- This is my first time in uniform and I don't want to mess it up..
Anyways.. Dose anyone have any ideas on how to get them off?

Fox
ROTC - Panama City, Florida, USA
2006

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First of two simultaneous responses --

In days of old, after polishing the brass, we would coat them with fingernail polish to keep them bright and shiny. You may have a clear coat on yours that is scratched. The clear coat might be able to be removed with a solvent like alcohol or acetone [on eBay or Amazon]. If the metal is scratched, it will be a long process to get it back to desired. It will be quickest and cheapest to just buy a new buckle.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2006

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Second of two simultaneous responses -- 2006

Hi Fox,

The answer to removing scratches in your brass buckle is to grind them down.

Ideally, you should have a rotating cloth wheel, say around 1/2" or more in thickness, then use a 'grinding compound', ideally jeweler's rouge (polishing/buffing compound) [affil links], but if you haven't got that, then, after sanding down that scratch, use finer and finer sandpaper or emery paper and THEN go the final polish using Brasso [on eBay or Amazon] or some commercial brass cleaner.

Wow, do they have a R.O.T.C. in Panama ?...I used to belong to one back in the Middle Ages where we had to wear puttees instead of gaiters.

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).