Hi I thought I would share my first restoration and repair with you all perhaps this is not quite up to the standards expected but it is my first attempt and I know nothing about lanterns except what I learn on here and what I get from the members . Before After
The expected standard is up to you. You have to do what pleases you not us. We have people who like to make them look new and others who leave them alone and just make them run. It is the difference between those who like to say "this is what it looked like when it was sold" and those who say "this is an experienced lamp and you can tell because of how it looks". In between is a good clean and fettle to work. These are nice simple lamps which normaly restore well and function pretty good too. Nice job. ::Neil::
Hi Wilf most of the marks on it were only surface marks so I just cleaned it with Braso which is something I use on the chrome on my car.
'Orrible stuff Brasso. That fluid of the devil is designed to ensure your brass lamp tank stress cracks. It is loaded with ammonia and will damage the chemical balance of the brass. So use it on the hood by all means but keep it away from the tank. ::Neil::
Is there a non-ammonia containing alternative to Brasso , Neil? That's if I ever gets around ter polishin' me lamps, that is...
I clean enamel hoods and paintwork with scotbrite (like a scouring pad stuff) and T-CUT used for car paintwork pete
Not easy. Autosol is better I guess but even that has a chemical base. Best is to use a polishing wheel and the correct brown soap. I remember we had a brass expert give us a talk at an HLC meeting a few years ago. Interesting stuff because he considered a contributing factor to brass founts stress cracking was actually the modern use of cleaners containing ammonia. He suggested that because of these most houses and in particular kitchens, had a certain ammount of ammonia in the air which over some time damaged the brass. His advice was never to use any chemicals of any kind on brass. If you use an acid such as citric or vinegar for instance the brass goes a coppery colour and that tells you that you have actually removed some of the zinc and this will have left small surface irregularities or cracks in the metal surface and these would then expand and weaken the brass when further chemicals are applied such as Brasso or other polishes containing chemicals. Brass is funny stuff and because it is prone to suffer badly to chemical attack just from stuff in the air it should always be protected. It is for this reason that manufacturers nearly always lacquered polished brass items. There is a problem here of course and that is that modern spray clear lacquers do not provide good protection and you need to apply maybe 6 coats to achieve a good seal. Better is the brush applied stuff designed to protect brass but not so easy to get a good finish that way. Mostly these days I don't polish stuff and tend to paint the brass with a heavy coat and stove it on. Maybe not so pretty looking but I would rather preserve at the expense of aesthetics. ::Neil::
