Making Bronze shine again

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Stillraining

Stillraining

.
Dec 8, 2007
478
Irwin 41 CC Ketch LaConner WA
Pictured is the Seacock I was going to replace. However after tearing it down I found that it is in relitive good service, so I just want to clean it up , make it shine like new , grease it up and put it back into service. My question is whats the best way? 1) an acid type etch?...Sounds like the easy and sure way but will it hurt it. or 2) A good o'l wire brushing?.. hard to get every where but I know it won't hurt it.
 
Stillraining

Stillraining

.
Dec 8, 2007
478
Irwin 41 CC Ketch LaConner WA
Pictured is the Seacock I was going to replace. However after tearing it down I found that it is in relitive good service, so I just want to clean it up , make it shine like new , grease it up and put it back into service. My question is whats the best way? 1) an acid type etch?...Sounds like the easy and sure way but will it hurt it. or 2) A good o'l wire brushing?.. hard to get every where but I know it won't hurt it.
 

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Ross

Ross

.
Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
Bronze won't stay shiney. It is the nature of

bronze to darken with age. A stainless steel wire brush will clean the crud off. A carbon steel wire brush will leave steel residue that will rust.
 
Ross

Ross

.
Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
Bronze won't stay shiney. It is the nature of

bronze to darken with age. A stainless steel wire brush will clean the crud off. A carbon steel wire brush will leave steel residue that will rust.
 
Paul Akers

Paul Akers

.
Dec 3, 2003
2,101
Hunter Legend 37 Portsmouth, RI
I Like Ross' Explanation...

...and agree that a good brushing will eventually discolor again, but you will know it is clean. Like a brass doorknob, you may want to retain some luster by spraying with a clear lacquer? That might help, else just brush it once a year!
 
Paul Akers

Paul Akers

.
Dec 3, 2003
2,101
Hunter Legend 37 Portsmouth, RI
I Like Ross' Explanation...

...and agree that a good brushing will eventually discolor again, but you will know it is clean. Like a brass doorknob, you may want to retain some luster by spraying with a clear lacquer? That might help, else just brush it once a year!
 
Chris Burti

Chris Burti

.
Dec 2, 2003
480
Catalina C-320 Washington, NC
Oxalic acid

as in Zud, Barkeepers Friend, wood bleach, etc. It is an organic acid and a reducing agent. That is the opposite of oxidation of which tarnish is the byproduct. Combine one of the household cleansers containg oxalic acid with a good stiff stainless wire brushing and the fitting will shine up with a reasonable amount of effort. Annual touch up will keep the fitting looking Bristol fashion. i works on brass and copper and is also good for rust on stainless steel fittings or on sails and fiberglass rust stains from stainless streel fittings
 
Chris Burti

Chris Burti

.
Dec 2, 2003
480
Catalina C-320 Washington, NC
Oxalic acid

as in Zud, Barkeepers Friend, wood bleach, etc. It is an organic acid and a reducing agent. That is the opposite of oxidation of which tarnish is the byproduct. Combine one of the household cleansers containg oxalic acid with a good stiff stainless wire brushing and the fitting will shine up with a reasonable amount of effort. Annual touch up will keep the fitting looking Bristol fashion. i works on brass and copper and is also good for rust on stainless steel fittings or on sails and fiberglass rust stains from stainless streel fittings
 
sailortonyb Allied Mis

sailortonyb Allied Mis

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Jun 12, 2004
1,181
Allied Mistress 39 Ketch Kemah,Tx.
Clear Laquer shine

I have used clear laquer in the past. I used it in aerodol can form and lightly sprayed. It will hold up to the southern sun for at least a month sometimes longer. Wipe off old laquer with a rag wetted in laquer thinner and respray ahain. Only takes less than a minute when brass or bronze is already shiney. Tony B
 
sailortonyb Allied Mis

sailortonyb Allied Mis

.
Jun 12, 2004
1,181
Allied Mistress 39 Ketch Kemah,Tx.
Clear Laquer shine

I have used clear laquer in the past. I used it in aerodol can form and lightly sprayed. It will hold up to the southern sun for at least a month sometimes longer. Wipe off old laquer with a rag wetted in laquer thinner and respray ahain. Only takes less than a minute when brass or bronze is already shiney. Tony B
 
W

Warren Milberg

I'm all for cleaning up

old or aging equipment, but it's hard to really tell from the picture how much the bronze on your seacock may have deteriorated. From this end of cyberspace, the flange looks like it might be pretty corroded. If you scrape some of the greenish tarnish away and see any pink, you may want to go back to Plan A to replace this seacock. If you decide to clean it up, post another picture of the finished product. Good luck with this.
 
W

Warren Milberg

I'm all for cleaning up

old or aging equipment, but it's hard to really tell from the picture how much the bronze on your seacock may have deteriorated. From this end of cyberspace, the flange looks like it might be pretty corroded. If you scrape some of the greenish tarnish away and see any pink, you may want to go back to Plan A to replace this seacock. If you decide to clean it up, post another picture of the finished product. Good luck with this.
 
RichH

RichH

.
Feb 14, 2005
4,773
Tayana 37 cutter; I20/M20 SCOWS Worton Creek, MD
That 'green' is called 'verdigris'

and is composed of copper acetate. The only way to remove it (without leaching the small amount of zinc out the bronze) is by soaking in alcohol then abrading the surface by mechanical means: wire wheel, sanding, sand blasting, then polishing etc. I wouldnt attempt any 'acid' methods as this can extract some of the zinc content from the bronze that added for 'machinability' purposes. To keep bronze from going 'green': apply a mix of beeswax and olive oil ... will promote the formation of *brown* oxide layers and prevent the green acetate from forming .... but you have to so that quite often. All those BROWN bronze statues are regularly 'treated' with a mix of: beeswax, pumice, lemon juice, olive oil and rubbed and rubbed ... this is how the 'ancients' burnished their bronze. The best coating Ive ever found ( I mechanically mirror-polish most of my boats exterior bronze with fabric wheel and jewelers rouge) is **many thick** coats of 2-part clear urethane-acrylic and will last several years. (I'm suspicious that the infamous 'polyglow' may be a possible bronze coating if applied 'thick'). Ive found over the years that spray-on lacquers and urethanes are too permeable to oxygen when on bronze and then the bronze quickly turns to brown anyway; although, the thicker the lacquer the longer lasting ... but only 'months'.
 
RichH

RichH

.
Feb 14, 2005
4,773
Tayana 37 cutter; I20/M20 SCOWS Worton Creek, MD
That 'green' is called 'verdigris'

and is composed of copper acetate. The only way to remove it (without leaching the small amount of zinc out the bronze) is by soaking in alcohol then abrading the surface by mechanical means: wire wheel, sanding, sand blasting, then polishing etc. I wouldnt attempt any 'acid' methods as this can extract some of the zinc content from the bronze that added for 'machinability' purposes. To keep bronze from going 'green': apply a mix of beeswax and olive oil ... will promote the formation of *brown* oxide layers and prevent the green acetate from forming .... but you have to so that quite often. All those BROWN bronze statues are regularly 'treated' with a mix of: beeswax, pumice, lemon juice, olive oil and rubbed and rubbed ... this is how the 'ancients' burnished their bronze. The best coating Ive ever found ( I mechanically mirror-polish most of my boats exterior bronze with fabric wheel and jewelers rouge) is **many thick** coats of 2-part clear urethane-acrylic and will last several years. (I'm suspicious that the infamous 'polyglow' may be a possible bronze coating if applied 'thick'). Ive found over the years that spray-on lacquers and urethanes are too permeable to oxygen when on bronze and then the bronze quickly turns to brown anyway; although, the thicker the lacquer the longer lasting ... but only 'months'.
 
L

larry w

.
Jun 16, 2005
476
- - long beach, CA
Weren't any of you guys

ever in the military? BRASSO!! If the material is rough, apply the Brasso liberally with a stiff-bristle brush and polish it the same way.
 
L

larry w

.
Jun 16, 2005
476
- - long beach, CA
Weren't any of you guys

ever in the military? BRASSO!! If the material is rough, apply the Brasso liberally with a stiff-bristle brush and polish it the same way.
 
Fred Ficarra

Fred Ficarra

.
Dec 2, 2003
4,245
- - Seabeck WA
When I chat with a local I often ask;

How's the weather over there? OK, now that we've got that out of the way Stillraining, go Seahawks! ;) Oh, seacocks. Looks pretty salty to me. I'd just wire brush it AFTER assembly and call it good. Brushing after assembly keeps the crud out.
 
Fred Ficarra

Fred Ficarra

.
Dec 2, 2003
4,245
- - Seabeck WA
When I chat with a local I often ask;

How's the weather over there? OK, now that we've got that out of the way Stillraining, go Seahawks! ;) Oh, seacocks. Looks pretty salty to me. I'd just wire brush it AFTER assembly and call it good. Brushing after assembly keeps the crud out.
 
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