We usually only do posts on how to polish all types of metal. But in today’s post we will show you how to age bright brass hardware. If you have older furniture many people do not want to put stark shiny brass on it . A better way to go is an aged finish that blends in so well with the furniture that it doesn’t catch your eye. Below are step by step instructions as well as pictures before, after and during the process. It took us about 15 minutes to do the job shown.
Materials Used
- Brass aging solution
- 0000 steel wool
- Nitrile gloves
- Container for holding aging solution
- Needle nose pliers
- Paper Towels
- Funnel to filter used aging solution
A caveat here in that this aging process will only produce good results with brass hardware which does not have a lacquer coating or any other type of hard finish on it. Any plastic container works well as long as it has a flat bottom. Pour as much aging solution in it as needed so a to completely submerge the item under the liquid. Place the items to be aged into the aging solution bath and move them around a bit so as to dislodge any air bubbles that might be on the items. Watch and wait until they get as dark as you would like them. When they are about the color you like or even a bit darker, we use a pair of needle nose pliers to pick them up and place them on a paper towel to dry. Once you wipe them dry with the paper towel, we usually don a pair of nitrile gloves to keep our hands clean while handling the brass. Then take a small piece of 0000 steel wool ( very fine ) and gently buff the brass to the desired sheen. If it is not dark enough or if there is a spot of bright brass showing somewhere, just dip it back in the solution and repeat the process. The nice thing about aging hardware this way is that no two pieces are exactly alike. Much more in keeping in the way that brass ages naturally. Versus buying aged hardware in one of the big box stores where it is either spatter coated to look old or has a factory finish on it that makes them look all alike. When you are done with the brass aging liquid, line a funnel with a paper towel, or use a coffee filter, and pour the solution back into the brass ager bottle. This will filter out any debris and you can then re-sue the liquid over and over. Don’t worry if the brass comes out to dark, you can always use a little Simichrome polish available at Simichrome.com Looking for a nice selection of brass furniture hardware? Try our recommended supplier WinterBrookFarmAntiques.com
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