Brass Polishing

[tufhelp]

I’m not having much luck in finding information about putting a nice finish polished surface on a brass ship’s horn that has some healthy corrosion. It has not only tarnished but has gotten some corrosion/staining from what I think was a "present" from my old Saluki male dog. I pulled it out of storage and thought I’d be able to just Brasso it up and put it on eBay, but Brasso only effects the tarnish not the corrosion/staining problem. I also tried some 0000 steel wool along with the Brasso and it had a little better performance, but even after an extended polishing session with the problem persists.

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q82/willyallen/ABrassProblem.jpg

I’m thinking that I need to use something a bit more aggressive than the 0000, but I don’t want to overdue it and have a long way back to a high shine once I get to the bottom of the stains/corrosion. I was considering some high number(s) of wet & dry sand paper, or some emery cloth but I don’t know what level to start with as far as grit goes – or if I’m even on the right path. Any of your metal workers, knife makers, gun smiths have any suggestions? Thanks I appreciate your input.

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q82/willyallen/ABrassProblem-2.jpg

[idris]

This sort of corrosion, or pitting might be fixable with Jewelers Polish, which comes under the name of rouges.
used to use them about 20 years back, so I am a mite vague on the details.
<a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rouge">rouge</a> (http://LINKADDRESS)

[tufhelp]

I think that rouge is not aggressive enough. I am familiar with it and tripoli. It seems to me that they are used during the final finishing steps, usually with a cloth wheel.

It is the in-between steps for metal that I haven’t much, any experience with. I've used 0000 steel wool for my first abrasive attempt and it did some good, but the level of scrubbing I did for a few square inches was long and arduous. I'm therefore thinking more gorse abrasives, but the question is how gorse. I don't want to go to rough and then have a long climb back to the paste polishing stage.

I'm sure it is similar to wood finishing, descending levels of coarseness till the desired level of "smoothness" is achieved. I just have never done it with metal and don't know the media to use, and where to start in coarseness and the increments to jump for each stage in the process. I have the cotton cloth buffing wheels and jewelers rouge and Tripoli for the final finishing that I have used in plastic and silver polishing.

I’m not sure why I can’t seem to find anything about this process on the ole’ Google, but all I seem to run into is polishing compounds and techniques, nothing on corrosion and heavier grits and how to get back to polishing…

[rAcErRicK]

I have used rubbing compound, which has a bit more abrasives,(found in the automotive sections) and then there is valve grinding compound also. And on really rough areas, there is always the trusty sandpaper or emery cloth, in the finer grits, such as 1000 grit or so. Of course the steps to remove the scratches must be done afterward. Good luck. *:D

I have on occasion cut out discs of the paper and used them with a dremel tool. Also in the kitchen tools section there is a pot scrubber called scotchbrite that works wonders also. Rub gently though, and in small circles, deep scratches take a long time to remove too. * *;)
And then there is always toothpaste, and "mothers" makes a very good aluminum polish also for the final polishing.

[madmac]

I would wet sand it with 400 grit and work up to 600/660. Cut the paper in long strips and follow the contour of the pipe. Just like spit shinning old boots,LOL. From their use a polishing compound and finish with brasso. Sanding is the only thing that's gonna get that out.