Bronze fitting refinishing

[Bill Merrick]

What's the best or more appropriate condition to maintain the bronze work on the boat?

My boat will be going into the water shortly after 13 years of abandonment, storage, and finally refit. Much of the bronze work has a dark bronze patina and a lot of green oxide. Wire brushing will give it a modest uniform color with not a great deal of appeal. Is the dark brown condition the preferred look or should all the bronze be kept in a polished condition on the boat? ( Sounds exhausting!)

Bill Merrick
S/V Carmina
Alden Mistral, 981-A
Seattle, WA

 

[Quetzalsailor]

Old bronze

Were it mine, I would not touch it.

Two good options: Polish with compounds and cloth wheel. The stuff was originally ground and polished when new. Clean and wax in the same way statuary is conserved.

A bad option would be to wire brush, particularly with anything other than bronze or brass. The steel wheel or brush would leave little shards of steel embedded which would corrode. And it makes a scratchy mess of the original smooth surfaces.