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Buffed brass has silver colored areas

March 25, 2008

I have 6 or 7 brass lamps that I had in Florida ( salt in the air )and were not well cared for. They look very tired. I have started with one to see if I could "do it myself". I adapted my grinder for buffing. I stripped whatever lacquer or shellac there was. I've cut and color buffed the parts finishing with a red jeweler's rouge (polishing/buffing compound) [affil links], then washed in soapy warm water and dried with soft cloth but I find areas that appear silver in color. A magnet is not attracted to the brass so it's solid. Have I buffed too aggressively, not enough? Wrong compounds? Do you have any ideas what is causing the silver colored areas?

Ben Broderick
hobbyist - Castleton on the Hudson, NY USA

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I would not be so sure that they are brass, Ben. They may be aluminum or die cast zinc. So it's possible that the brass plating is worn off. The best answer would be to send them to a plating shop for replating, but it's possible that a wax based rub like Rub'N'Buff [affil links] may be good enough. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
March 27, 2008