Brasso removing engraving..

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B2L

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Hasn't anyone thought of this?

When they're new give them a quick light polish to remove any marks/prints and then a light spray with a clear lacquer. I don't know if I'm wrong suggesting this but it seems like common sense to me.

You could do that but it is cheating :D

For the purist/collector this really isn't an option. It changes the luster and feel of the brass. Also, some like the patina brass takes on over time, it gives it a softer, almost leather like, look and feel.
 

The Torch

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Hasn't anyone thought of this?

When they're new give them a quick light polish to remove any marks/prints and then a light spray with a clear lacquer. I don't know if I'm wrong suggesting this but it seems like common sense to me.

the problem with a clear lacquer is that if it chips, good luck restoring anything without bumps showing (can it be removed with acetone? Would it even stick to brass?). Maybe a clear plastic with a sticky back would be easier to deal with. No idea how it would affect the brass in the long run, though.

You could do that but it is cheating :D

For the purist/collector this really isn't an option. It changes the luster and feel of the brass. Also, some like the patina brass takes on over time, it gives it a softer, almost leather like, look and feel.

Especially when it's really old, but shiny things are also great. I'd be so torn I would have to buy 2.
 

bluesbishop

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An old "trick" we used when I was in the Marine Corp to polish brass was Brasso with Newspaper. You keep rubbing as the black build up gets on the paper...it almost acts as a super fine grit polishing paper...no swirl marks and mirror finish.

I also collect vintage razors and use either mother's aluminum and Mag polish, or MAAS metal polish on my razors and my 70-100 yr plus old razors look brand new.

For daily wipe downs, a fine microfiber ...most cotton towels will leave swirl marks.


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Maurice Pudlo

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Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coating similar to the zenkote branded process would do the trick, but it would alter the color of the mod.

If I were interested in doing this I'd go with a titanium carbo-nitride (TiCN) PVD coating. I'd look here Titanium Carbo-Nitride (TiCN) Coating for a start on my search.

Maurice

An old "trick" we used when I was in the Marine Corp to polish brass was Brasso with Newspaper. You keep rubbing as the black build up gets on the paper...it almost acts as a super fine grit polishing paper...so swirl marks and mirror finish.

New dollar bills work really well too, especially on brass belt buckles where there is a lot of smooth surface.

Maurice
 
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icemanistheking

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Brasso is abrasive. Cap Cod cloths or Mother's Mag Polish are better options.
I personally use Mother's on all of my brass and copper devices and it works wonders.

Anyway, regarding laser etching, it's not very deep and will eventually wear out sooner or later depending on what kind of polish you use.

This. I've had some horrifying moments on an (authentic) brass Origin and Chi You where it looked like the engraving was almost completely faded. Fast forward two days later, and darker than ever.

Make sure you are using microfiber cloths to prevent scratching.

And I've not personally had good results with Brasso.
 
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icemanistheking

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Brasso is abrasive. Cap Cod cloths or Mother's Mag Polish are better options.
I personally use Mother's on all of my brass and copper devices and it works wonders.

Anyway, regarding laser etching, it's not very deep and will eventually wear out sooner or later depending on what kind of polish you use.

All polishes are abrasive to some degree, yes?
 

The Torch

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All polishes are abrasive to some degree, yes?

Yes. It's how they work, but the finer the grains in the polish, the less the scratching is visible to the point where you get mirror finish. You do need to start with coarser stuff to remove bad scratches and work you way to finer stuff -It's the exact same principle as sandpaper. Brasso is better suited to restore something that has a really bad patina and/or very visible scratches and is of a compatible metal composition. Mother's and Autoglym have excellent finishing products that work on just about anything I've tried so far, including some plastic lenses, although they were designed mainly for aluminum. Autoglym's stuff made my plate armor look better than it should (but don't tell anyone, that's a secret)
 

p7willm

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The patina is created by the surface of the brass reacting to it's environment. The metals in the brass bond with stuff, like air, and the patina is helped by acid, like is found in your sweat. To polish brass you need to remove the metal that has bonded with other stuff. Most of the polishing action is just scraping it away with an abrasive. Some cleaning is done with chemicals that react with the metal. Whenever you polish you will remove more metal from high areas and less from the low areas, the engraving. Over time you will wear down the top down to the level of the engraving.

Lacquer will stick and it will protect brass, and other metals. The problem is that it is soft and will scratch/chip. That exposes the brass and it will tarnish where it is exposed. It will look like hell and you will have to polish, scrape, away the lacquer and apply again. If you just apply new lacquer over the scratched lacquer you will be able to see the scratches.

Aluminum and stainless steel also patina. Aluminum forms an aluminum oxide coating that is clear and any scratches reform the clear coating. In stainless steel I thing the chromium migrates to the surface and also creates a clear coating.
 
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