Small scratches on brass - how to get oxidation back?

[depaor01]

Hi all,

Whilst in the throes of a photography session I left a WWI Prussian Enlisted Man's buckle on the ground and accidentally kicked it . Thankfully the front isn't damaged, neither is the top. However there are tiny scratches at the bottom exposing bright brass underneath:

Is there any way of accelerating the return of the patina that might dull the scratches, or should I leave it alone?

Thanks,

Dave

[centurion]

Unless someone knows a sure fire, proven, safe way I'd leave it alone and let nature take its course otherwise you could cause much worse damage. It'll dull with tine.

[depaor01]

That was my first thought and I might well take that approach. Bloody annoying though. Even the original owner left it scratch-free...

[Khaki]

Hello Dave,

They really don't look too bad, you probably feel irritated about the accident and that makes them seem worse than they are. I agree with Centurion just leave it alone, fortunately brass tarnishes quickly and they probably wont be very noticeable after a while.

regards

khaki

[redbarchetta]

You can 're-patinise' brass with ammonia. Apply it with a paint brush into the scratches and leave it to dry. It doesn't work instantly, but it does over a few weeks. Have used this on brass shell cases where well-meaning people have tried to polish off what was obviously patinated by the original maker.

James

[Khaki]

It's a bit hard to tell from the photo exactly how deep the scratches are, do they catch your fingernail? and what is the rest of the buckle like, does it show wear and tear, or is it mint? These are considerations i would look at before deciding on restoration. Brass is a relatively easily worked metal for polishing out scratches. I am sure that with care you can improve on the scratches, but whether you can match the patina with the rest of the buckle artificially I am not so sure.

Good luck,

khaki

[David Filsell]

I have patinised brass wood screws very successfully in urine (as advised by an old cabinet maker). It works, but I'm not sure I would use it on an valued belt buckle.

[depaor01]

Thanks all - some interesting ideas there - Khaki you're right in that I'm just cheesed off at my clumsiness. The buckle is unscratched condition elsewhere.

I think I'll leave it for the moment and if the marks are still there next year I'll try some of the other "interesting" methods!

Thanks again,

Dave

[MikB]

Another possibility is cold gun-bluing solution - perhaps applied with a tiny paintbrush and left to work. The stuff varies a lot in strength, so it's hard to guess how long.

Regards,

MikB

[shippingsteel]

With very small areas that need treating with a solution, I always use a cotton tip (stick) which avoids unneccessary running which can spoil.

I always make sure I have two things in my cleaning / restoration 'box of tricks' that I find incredibly useful - wooden toothpicks & cotton tips.

Cheers, S>S

[pylon1357]

I assume you are not planning to part with the buckle anytime soon. I would leave it alone. Personally, anytime I have had an ooops, I leave well enough alone and hope for the best. I am happy to report, so far so good. I have never ruined anything trying to restore or bring back patina.

[centurion]

Used to work with a guy who had a part time business as a not too scrupulous antique dealer on the side. He had all sorts of techniques for ageing things and applying patinas but would only apply them to an entire object as he said that trying to get two parts of the same surface to have matching patinas was nigh on impossible and the results usually stood out like a sore thumb. If he had a removable part (like a hook or a bolt) that was damaged he might replace it with a suitably aged replica component but he wouldn't try and repair it.

[MikB]

He had all sorts of techniques for ageing things and applying patinas but would only apply them to an entire object as he said that trying to get two parts of the same surface to have matching patinas was nigh on impossible and the results usually stood out like a sore thumb.

That's true if you're restoring it for sale, and it doesn't make commercial sense to spend much time over the restoration. But I think you can do a damage-limitation exercise on part of an object if your motives allow you to take the trouble.

Regards,

MikB

[centurion]

That's true if you're restoring it for sale, and it doesn't make commercial sense to spend much time over the restoration. But I think you can do a damage-limitation exercise on part of an object if your motives allow you to take the trouble.

Regards,

MikB

His point had nothing to do with ethics merely that it too often didn't work and made things worse.

[MikB]

His point had nothing to do with ethics merely that it too often didn't work and made things worse.

If he was a 'not too scrupulous antiques dealer', I'd say it probably did have something to do with the amount of effort worth expending against a probable return.

Regards,

MikB

[centurion]

If he was a 'not too scrupulous antiques dealer', I'd say it probably did have something to do with the amount of effort worth expending against a probable return.

Regards,

MikB

Same thing - wasted effort

[martin_sole]

Used to work with a guy who had a part time business as a not too scrupulous antique dealer on the side. He had all sorts of techniques for ageing things and applying patinas but would only apply them to an entire object as he said that trying to get two parts of the same surface to have matching patinas was nigh on impossible and the results usually stood out like a sore thumb

Excellent advice. The opportunity to burger things up even more doesn't make it worth the risk