I Rubbed the Lamp, but Nothing Happened...

[Jim Cate]

G'DAy all,
Here's a simple query: A long time ago I won some races, and was awarded a really nice HYE brass trawler lamp, suitably engraved, as a prize. I've kept it through three boats now, and love it dearly. When it was new it was coated with some form of lacquer that kept it shiny no matter what befell it. After a few years some pits formed in the coating, and corrosion started in the brass under the pits. Looked a bit daggy, 'cause you couldn't get polish into the pits. Eventually Ann threw a wobbley, and so with a lot of difficulty I removed the remaining lacquer (bloody tough stuff it is), and she began the thankless task of keeping it polished. The fun seems to have gone out of that task (!), and I would like to replace the original lacquer... but no one I've asked knows what it is.
Any help would be appreciated by me, Ann and the bloody lamp which is getting tired of having its bum rubbed so much!
Cheers,
Jim and Ann S/v Insatiable II lying Burnett River, Qld, Oz

[FrankZ]

I don't know if it will help but back in my toy solider days we had a spray on coating to help protect the paint once you had spent all that time painting the miniatures. It was an in house brand for the company I worked for but you can find it, and similar at hobby shops (the ones that sell R/C stuff and games). I don't know if it is suitable for the material.

[delmarrey]

Get a clear lacquer in the spray can at the hardware stores.

I use this on my thruhull fittings after sandblasting. They seem to last for ever.

e.g. Buy Watco Lacquer Gloss Spray at Woodcraft.com

[anjou]

Clear lacquer is available in aerosol cans for spraying all sorts of car parts.

[SouthernComfort]

Nitro Celluloise laquer is the one you are after. It is the same as found in clear nail polish. You can find spraycans of it at hobby shops, Walmart etc.

Goodluck.

[Hud3]

We've had brass items stripped and re-lacquered by a professional, but sooner or later the spots come back. Here's what a manufacturer of quality brass items says to do. Might be worth a try.

Once you have removed the lacquer you can maintain the brass quite easily with simple regular maintenance. First wash and dry your item with warm soapy water to ensure the brass is clean. Next you can polish with a cloth that has previously been soaked in a metal polish such as Brasso™ and allowed to dry for 24 hours. The cloth can be used more than once to clean your brass because the polish will have soaked into the material of the cloth by leaving it for 24 hours - this will save on polish and give a better finish!

After polishing up with a dry cloth, wipe your brass with a little olive oil. To maintain the finish on un-lacquered brass it is simply necessary to wipe once a week with liquid ammonia and then a little olive oil to create a hard wearing finish on the brass that will require very little further polishing!

Brass Door Furniture FAQ and Maintenance