Bank door brass clean up

I am making some banks using old brass postal box doors. I just received the doors today and, needless to say, the brass is quite tarnished. I tried some old Brasso we had in a cupboard but it didn't do much to cut the tarnish. Any suggestions as to how to clean up the doors would be appreciated. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Bob Rufener

I am making some banks using old brass postal box doors. I just received the doors today and, needless to say, the brass is quite tarnished. I tried some old Brasso we had in a cupboard but it didn't do much to cut the tarnish. Any suggestions as to how to clean up the doors would be appreciated. Thanks.

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I rubbed a lot of brass in the Navy.
And Brasso was the Navy’s brass polish of choice, and it will take off some heavy tarnish. I am quite sure it will work, it just takes a lot of rubbing.
That said I am fairly sure there easier ways.

Hello,
Try wiping one with lacquer thinner to see if there's a clear coat on the brass.
Clear lacquer was/is often applied to brass in an attempt to retard tarnishing.
Brasso won't go through the clear coat.

Also, what size are they?

Whenever I have any small metal parts - like copper or brass hinges, I toss them in my Dillion case cleaner. After a few hours in there, they come out looking like brand new.
For really tough cleaning - like removing a clear coat - crushed walnut shells cut through it very well. Follow that with regular corn cob media, and the brass looks like you spent hours with a rag cleaning it.

If you know anyone that reloads/handloads ammunition, you might ask them to toss one in their tumbler to see how it comes out.

My experience with Brasso was that it got into cracks and crevices and eventually caused more corrosion. My favorite brass polishing compound is Simichrome paste. As I recall the post office boxes, they had a pebbled surface. Suggest you use a stiff bristled brush and your polish. A wheel would help a lot.

I use Flitz Polish, and it works great. I think it is alot easier to use than Brasso.

http://www.flitz-polish.com/?leadsou...FQslHgodz3t0Kw

I have found that a mixture of equall parts of vinager and salt works well on the worst tarnish. Use a stiff brush to scoop some salt from the mixture and rub away. The stronger the vinager and the finer the salt the better the result. This only removes tarnish, so you will need to polish the brass after.