Brass ring question

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jon11

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 25, 2013
619
591
Quick question-

How would you clean the brass ring that is used to reinforce the mortise? I have a couple that are tarnishing or rusting?

 

Metal polishing pastes and liquids keep me as a jeweler in business. They eat away a significant layer of metal, till either the thing breaks or wears thin. I repair things cleaned with this day in and day out. Please, please, please keep using this, and remember me when the time comes for the repair. :puffy:
However, if you cannot afford the repair, the cloth gently brushing the surface will remove the polish, without eating a bite out of the metal. YMMV

 

jon11

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 25, 2013
619
591
Thanks Michael. As long as I can bring that ring back to looking like new at anytime, I may just leave it as I believe the tarnish is actually a protective layer... Correct?

 
Well, true, in that it prevents the tarnish and oxidization from continuing deeper into the metal. Bridges like the Golden Gate and large metal structures like the Statue of Liberty keep a layer of oxides for this reason. And, yes, some tarnish can have it's own appeal. It's a personal decision for sure.
Me, I like shiny sterling silver and gold bands, and just wiping down my pipes gently before racking them keeps all the evils at bay.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
I agree that using polishing compounds incorrectly will damage your goods. A very small amount and a light touch are the keys to not rubbing the metal into nothingness. Kind of like properly using a pipe reamer compared to, well, you know...

 

okiescout

Lifer
Jan 27, 2013
1,530
6
Me, I like shiny sterling silver and gold bands.
Me too. Shiny items bring out the crow in me. I like the patina look on some antique items, but not items like my pipes, guns, or knives. I have a number of pipes that have metal that is in various stages of tarnish, but was holding off because I remembered a discussion similar to this effect you had on the forum some time back. Just had not taken the time to look it up, but I do not remember you giving any details on a specific cloth. Michael, is the jewelry polish cloth treated? What name do they go by?

 
I posted a link.

But, really any of the polishing clothes will work. They usually have two clothes attached with a sewn seem. One, usually the white or lighter colored one is the most aggressive. It will have a very mild etchant/abrasive. Just gently brush this without any pressure. It removes tarnish like magic. But, you could eat through a ring or chain in no time if you really over-did it. The other, usually darker cloth has a microcrystaline wax embedded in the cloth to bring up the shine and protect the surface with an inert archival protective layer, that is very microscopic.
I just give my pipes a quick wipe down and then rack them.

 
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