Abacus
Antique Dealers: Polishing Furniture Brasses and
Hardware
Polish
brasses by hand.
Use
modern paste-type polish with microabrasives.
If
brass hardware is removed prior to polishing, remove
one piece at a time, polish, and replace it before
moving on to next piece.
Cautions
Mechanical
buffing wheels can damage brass surfaces.
When
polishing while brass remains on furniture, do not
polish brass edges without taking care to protect
surrounding wood finish.
The composition of brass, on average, is 65 percent
copper, 30 percent zinc, and 5 percent other minerals.
Like any other material, when brass is exposed to
air it develops a surface patina or tarnish. When
first made, furniture brasses are polished bright
and then shellacked. This is how bronze-fitted furniture
is intended to look. Originally this shellac-based
finish, used for all brasses, kept the brass appearing
polished.
Shellac
is a natural finish that may be refined in numerous
ways in order to obtain different grades of finish.
For brass finishing, shellac was tinted with natural
dyes and colorants, ranging from dark brown to clear
amber, to obtain a transparent, gold-color finish.
Another process, called fire gilding, was also used:
After being covered with a mercury and gold-powder
mixture, the brass was fired to obtain a golden-colored
coating.
Time
and use wears off the shellac finish, permitting the
now-exposed brass in some areas to tarnish to a darker
color. To keep a bright, uniform-looking brass, polish
began to be used.
Once
the decision to polish brasses has been reached, several
issues should be considered. First of all, I recommend
polishing brasses by hand exclusively. I caution against
using a buffing wheel, which can cause severe damage
to the brass, burning off its surface details with
polishing compounds.
Though
you won’t be the first to polish the brass on
your furniture, you should still exercise care during
the process. Brasses with original surfaces are rarely
found. Usually, small areas of gold- or amber-colored
shellac will be present. If this is the case, and
the piece is a valuable antique, consult a conservator
or restorer before undertaking any polishing yourself.
Polishing brass is a conservation issue and, therefore,
I feel it is best to consult a conservator, who can
help establish guidelines for polishing each piece
of furniture.
Protecting
the Finish
If
you intend to wax the piece of furniture as part of
the finishing process, applying a light coat of wax
around the perimeters of the brasses will help protect
the wood’s finish during brass polishing.
Most
often, brasses are polished in place on the furniture
rather than first being removed. If you choose to
work with the brasses attached to the piece, care
should be taken to protect the wood surface, especially
the original one. The easiest method is to insert
an index card between brasses and wood.
Then
is it best to remove brasses prior to polishing?
Only
if you are willing to take some precautions first.
For example, through use, brasses become worn and
develop a “fit.” This should be maintained,
and the best way to make certain that each piece is
returned to its original position is to remove a single
brass fitting, polish it, then put it back in place
before moving on to another piece. Alternatively,
you can place each piece on a layout board, guaranteeing
return to its original location.
A
built-up residue from previous polishing is often
seen around and under brasses. Use a soft brush to
remove this build-up, then carefully vacuum the bits
off the piece. Follow this with a cloth lightly dampened
with water.
If
I leave brasses on the furniture, should I polish
their edges as well?
Trying
to polish the edges of brasses while still installed
on furniture is impossible to do without rubbing and
damaging the wood finish. You may have seen furniture
that had lighter areas around the brasses. This came
about from polishing the edges of brasses while they
were still situated on the furniture, with no protection
or regard for the finish.
How
To Polish Brasses
I
recommend using modern paste-type brass or metal polishes
that use microabrasives. Simichrome, Four Star Metal
Polish, and Flitz are all brands I trust. Older liquid
polishes use abrasives such as pumice, rottenstone,
or tripoli, which are suspended in an ammonia-based
solution. These solutions are much more aggressive
than paste polishes that contain microabrasives and
thus can potentially do more damage to the furniture
finishes than paste polishes.
I
like to apply the polish with cheesecloth, which lifts
up tarnish and dirt rather than holding it on the
brass surface the way a smooth cotton cloth can. Use
small pieces of cloth and change them frequently.
Polish the brass until the degree of brightness you
prefer has been reached. Buff off the brass with a
soft paper towel, which will tear off rather than
grab at the points of the brass.
Once
completed, any polish residue should be removed. Microcrystalline
waxes, such as Renaissance Wax, remove this residue
well and also provide a layer of protection for the
brasses. The frequency with which you polish brasses
is a personal choice.
Should
I have the brasses shellacked?
Shellacking
brasses is the only way to prevent constant tarnishing
and polishing. If you like bright brasses and would
rather not be bothered with polishing, shellacking
should be considered.
But
polishing provides an excellent opportunity to become
more familiar with your antique furniture. Take some
time to study brass hardware. Just like the piece
of furniture that bears them, brasses are artifacts
to enjoy and study.
Robert
Fileti
