Brass Clean up

[Bob G.]

My first time cleaning and polishing the brass on my TY was not too successful.I used Flitz to clean and Never Dull to polish and still not satisfied. Any suggestions??
Bob G.
CD TY SOFIA

[Oswego John]

Hi Bob,

I'm not recommending that anyone do this, but I'll tell you what happened to me one day recently.

I was using oxalic acid powder (Savogran, I think) mixed with hot water to take some black, weathered streaks out of some trim. I inadvertently (read sloppily) splashed some of the concoction on a bronze fitting. When I hosed the area off I noticed the metal where the bleach touched was bright and shiny.

Sorry, patina lovers. I'm just answering Bob's question. But think, more, of my predicament. I now have a winch that looks like a spotted Dalmation, half green and half bright shiny metal. What to do?

If I shine up the rest of the fitting, other pier strollers will spot it and will silently think of me as being lazy for not finishing all of the other fittings. On the other hand, I could wear shades and ignore the winch for a couple of years until the glare is gone and the green is back. What to do? What to do?

Pondering my fate in SUNNY Oswego
(Mitch, are you with us?)
O J

[winthrop fisher]

Hi.... it is not brass it is bronzes and there is not a good cleaner out there for bronzes, you have to wet sand bronzes to make it look good then wax it very year, you have to do it that way. but bronzes can make you real sick if not done right. i would tell you to leave it alone. good bronzes will turn black, thats OK....winthrop

My first time cleaning and polishing the brass on my TY was not too successful.I used Flitz to clean and Never Dull to polish and still not satisfied. Any suggestions??
Bob G.
CD TY SOFIA

[Neil Gordon]

My first time cleaning and polishing the brass on my TY was not too successful.I used Flitz to clean and Never Dull to polish and still not satisfied. Any suggestions??
Bob G.
CD TY SOFIA

It's bronze. Forget about polishing it and go sailing instead.

[Will Wheatley]

I spent a good amount of time polishing the Bronze fittings on Suzi Q when I first got her. I used a drill with a nylon brush attachment. The shine lasted a few weeks at best.
Someone suggested wax to keep the shine but I wonder if painting it with clear coat; like a lot of cars have to protect the paint, would work. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Happy Sailoring~~~~/)~~~~

[Oswego John]

Hi Will,

For a long time, people have sprayed clear lacquer on copper, brass, bronze, etc. You can get it in an aerosol type can in most hardware and home supply stores. One coat is okay. Two coats are better. Three or more coats give the longest protection.

O J

[Brian D.]

I had a similar experience as John, noticing by accident that On and Off hull cleaner (also acid) that got on the ports took the green right off, leaving the light bronze color. however, it seems to decide where it takes it off, so for whatever reason, doesn't it work on the whole thing (leaves it spotty). ergo, not worth bothering with.

I just noticed on Saturday that the area of the bow chock that the mooring lines goes through is still shiny bronze. it has been over six months since a mooring line has been through the chock, "polishing" it, and the boat's certainly been exposed to the air and elements. I was curious why the shine still lasts.

Brian
CD33

[Jhn Vigor]

Brian, I'm told that the more finely you polish metals such as brass, bronze and stainless steel, the longer the shine lasts. I used to have to polish my brass ship's clock and barometer set every year at least to forestall corrosion until a friend told me to take them to a jeweller. He buffed them with some ultra-fine magic jeweller's potion, and I haven't had to touch them in three years. Perhaps that's also why professionally polished stainless steel rarely gets those brown stains.

The theory probably has something to do with a reduction of the surface area available for oxidation. The smoother you can get it, the less area is exposed. In your case, the mooring line did a great job of buffing the bronze really microscopically smooth.

John Vigor
CD27 "Sangoma"
Bellingham, WA

[Ed Haley]

Two years ago, I purchased 2 4" low profile bronze cowls from Mariner's Hardware. They were extremely bright and shiny when received. After installation, it didn't long for them to start tarnishing. Since they looked so lovely, I thought I would keep them bright and shiny (the only bright bronze on Mokita). I used Barkeeper's Friend to clean the tarnish and bring it back to a like-new shine. Barkeeper's Friend has no abrasives and is used to clean copper-bottom pots and pans. It works well on bronze too. However, I've never used it on heavily tarnished bronze.

After I clean them up to shiny condition, I put some NuFinish auto polish over the cowls. The shiny bronze usually lasts for most of a season before needing cleaning again. I did it last summer and see no need to do it yet. But that's me being lazy, I'm sure. I'll wait till it warms up.

I'm not sure if this would work in a salt water environment. Maybe use lacquer as Oswego John instructs.

[Neil Gordon]

Lacquer will work as long as it's totally intact. Once the elements get under the lacquer, tarnish will begin underneath and the lacquer will begin to separate from the bronze.

When they start shining up the Statue of Liberty, I'll consider polishing the ports and other bronze fittings on LIQUIDITY. In the meantime, I'll convert polishing and shining time into sailing time.

[Steve Laume]

When I was back in high school. Near th middle of the last century, I used to polish lots of brass. It was when there was lots of time, working with a machine was fun and having the power to change something was rare. Mostly I think it was because I had a bunch of old harness buckles and they looked really cool all shined up. I used a cloth buffing wheel charged with buffing compound and just polished away till they gleamed. I have done lots of this over the years. Silver jewlery is very rewarding. After it is polished say solid brass switch plates or door hardware you can spray them with clear coat but it is still temporary over a few years. Then to repolish you not only have to remove the patina but also the finish. I will leave all of the bronze on the boat in it's beautiful weathered state but I couldn't resist taking the builders plate and the head seacock handle home and they are gleaming. I didn't put anything on them figuring the head hand will be "handled" enough to stay some what bright and I can rub the builders plate once and a while on the way down the hatch. A bell might also inspire to shine. It seems to me that polishing brass/bronze was probible just a way to keep a crew occupied on long voyages, Steve.

[Brian D.]

John,

That is interesting. It makes a lot of sense, especially since the most weathered of the CD bronze tends to be a bit textured, and thus would have more surface area.

Thank you for the info.

Regards,

Brian
CD33

[Mark Yashinsky]

most of the bronze stuff you would be working on is cast, hence the rough surface and probably have small pockets through out the piece, from the casting process. Most brass stuff would have been rolled out and would have a smooth surface and no pockets. The bronze have to "sanded" smooth first, and being soft, will tend to clog the abrasive. From there on both, you can go into buffing, like starting w/ tripoli then to a white rouge, for that mirror finish. Still need to protect the shine, though.

[Neil Gordon]

The bronze have to "sanded" smooth first, and being soft, will tend to clog the abrasive. From there on both, you can go into buffing, like starting w/ tripoli then to a white rouge, for that mirror finish. Still need to protect the shine, though.

Repeat slowly... over and over... "Summer is for sailing... Summer is for sailing... Summer is for sailing..."

[Bob G.]

Neil,
What I noticed since I came on board, and excuse the pun, that the CD sailors are a proud bunch. They know that they have great boats and want to care for them to insure many years of fine service. You care for your boat and your boat will take care of you.The famous football coach Vince Lombardi once said "If you take care of all the little things, all the big things will fall into place " So what if a person wants to take care of their brass or bronze,it all part of our mutual interest of sailing.

Bob G.
CD TY SOFIA