Summary for brass copper polishing Discussion
Brass/copper polishing in old temples is the core question here: Sanjay Shinde of Pune, Maharashtra asked for the chemical composition of commercial polishes like Brasso so his restoration group could clean brass and copper parts of a remote village temple, including idols, on a tight budget. The thread excerpt provided does not include a technical answer or recipe, so no specific formulation is given in the source. The only later note is an update from Ted Mooney, P.E., saying the original website link is broken, but that does not add polishing guidance. Based on the excerpt alone, the practical takeaway is that the discussion is a request for low-cost polishing information rather than a resolved method, and no authoritative composition is supplied in the visible text.
We are a social organization based in the Maharashtra state of India. recently we have taken up a restoration job for an old temple in a remote village. a major portion of the temple (including the idols) are of brass / copper. Due to paucity of funds we can ill afford to use expensive metal polish such as “Brasso”
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link] . Can any one of you be kind enough to send us the chemical composition of such polishes so that we can be cost effective in this noble task ? You could also visit our website
www.indiablessings.com ⇩
which is for the religious minded people. with regards, sanjay
Sanjay Shinde
– Pune/Maharashtra/india
2000
Ed. update Nov. 2023: The above link is broken. Thankfully, the Internet Archive preserved a copy here 🙂
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A. Ok this is an old post but if you still need the info, ketchup, normal household ketchup, can do it. The vinegar
⇦ in bulk on
or
Amazon [affil link] in it is what removes the tarnish – try that or just use straight vinegar. I hope it helps and that you see this.
Patrick Donahue
– New Jersey
2003
A. Ketchup or vinegar & salt are indeed powerful brass & copper cleaners but dissolve some of the zinc, leaving the metal looking rather pink or salmon colored. They are ideal for reducing the labor element, but I would be careful about something so aggressive being used on antiquities.
If you can’t afford to buy Brasso
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link] you can search expired patents for the composition of brass polishes, and gain some insights from the SDS (Safety Data Sheet) — just google “SDS Brasso”.
Good luck!
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.