Brass Keeps Tarnishing

[ggbsk]

I am restoring and cleaning a brass plated bed. It was very tarnished when I started. i am doing one side and then the other. i cleaned one side of the head of the bed. The next day, the part I cleaned was half as bright as when I finished. How can I keep it from tarnishing more - at least until i finish? It will almost be like starting again from scratch.

Thanks
GB

 

[Ian]

Are you using something like "Brasso" to polish it? Even without a protective coating, that's fairly quick to tarnish.

You many want to give it a lacquer coat afterwards. I recently polished our doorhandles and window fittings, as some were starting to tarnish, once they were polished with Brasso I went over with a few coats of "Rustins Clear Metal Lacquer" - I'd expect this to last a good number of years.

 

[ggbsk]

I used Barkeepers Friend to clean it. It worked better than anything else I tried. The problem is that it tarnished before I even finished doing the other side so I could not put a protective coat on.

 

[TedO]

I agree with Ian. Spray on lacquer as soon as you have finished polishing. Clean it good first and do small sections of your bed at a time. Spraying several thin coats work better
than one heavy one. You shouldn't have to do that again for several years.