Chris Coon Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Anything "NEW" and wonderful out there that everyone loves to polish brass????? I have a couple of Brass T's to shine up. I really love Brass cars, but don't really enjoy polishing brass.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bofusmosby Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 The best brass polish I have ever used is call "Semichrome". It comes in a tube like tooth-paste and will polish brass to a mirror shine.Here is a link to the polish.Competition Chemicals, Inc. - Simichrome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kaycee Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I agree. Simichrome is great. Other good brass cleaner/polishes are Brasso and Nevr-dull wads, but Simichrome is still the best and easiest that I've used. kaycee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DNC Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 English Custom Polishes is popular with the brass lamp enthusiasts and Aladdin groups. I cannot report any personal experience with their products yet but have ordered some of their products due to what I have heard from people whose opinion I value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mochet Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Brass restorers always warn against any polish containing ammonia, which causes sheet brass to crack over time. Most polishes don't say whether they contain ammonia or not, but you can sniff it.Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I've had great luck with Mothers mag and Aluminum polish. I use it on everything from plastics to Chrome, including brass, Copper, Stainless steel. Just about anything that will shine. I've been using it for 20 years atleast and best part is it's about 5.00 for the small can at any parts store. I've even used it carefully to shine up lunch boxes with fine lithograph imgaes that disappear quickly if one's not careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Al Brass Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 As a polish, the stuff below works well but not hugely better than anything else. The big feature is " THE SHINE LASTS". It outlasts anything I have used before so it gets my vote.MAASRegardsAl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Dittos on Semichrome. I use it exclusively on my nickle plating. Works really good on brass too but at the price I'm still using brasso on the 1914 Model T. Not that long ago the HCCA Gazette did an informal study on various brass polishes. Can't recall the most popular choice from that but I believe brasso and never-dull were pretty highly rated. Mochet made an interesting comment on using ammonia based cleaners. I never knew that to be the cause of cracking in brass. My understanding is that was caused by the high stress used when lamps were formed when parts were spun. If not properly annealed lamps tended to age crack over time. Maybe some brass restoration experts can chime in on this and if ammonia based cleaners are going to cause brass to crack let us know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sambarn Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I use Simichrome to clean filth and oxidization of of Brass or Nickel and Nevr-Dull to polish already clean Nickel and Chrome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mochet Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 For whatever it's worth, here's a quote from Wikipedia:"Brass is susceptible to stress corrosion cracking, especially from ammonia or substances containing or releasing ammonia. The problem is sometimes known as season cracking after it was first discovered in brass cartridge cases used for rifle ammunition during the 1920s in the Indian Army. The problem was caused by high residual stresses from cold forming of the cases during manufacture, together with chemical attack from traces of ammonia in the atmosphere. The cartridges were stored in stables and the ammonia concentration rose during the hot summer months, so initiating brittle cracks. The problem was resolved by annealing the cases, and storing the cartridges elsewhere."Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 This is my understanding of cracks in old brass. Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper. Old brass such as used in lights has a high zinc content. Zinc is not a very stable element. In the presence of moisture a process called dezincification occurs which leaches out the zinc from selected areas of the brass leaving areas of mostly low strength copper. The built up stresses in the brass caused by the original forming of the material then cause the copper rich areas to crack. There is no cure other than using a brass with a low zinc content. This damage is called "seasonal cracking" because it was noticed that the problem was much greater during the wet season and especially if near organic materials which release ammonia as they decay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 McMaster-Carr sells low zinc content brass and it is still known as Cartridge Brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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