brass buckles aging

[dormicica]

Hi everyone,
just received my Schott 689 HH jacket. It looks great, my only concern is that the brass buckles and the zip look like shiny gold. is there any way I could age (discolor) them without the risk of damaging the surrounding leather? Thanks for any insight.

 

[Edward]

Wear it out and about. My experience with brass is that once it is exposed to the elements (even in the summer months) it will oxidise and darken very, very quickly. I have "antiqued" metals in the past but painting them all over with glossy black paint (normally acrylic, but I think you could probably use enamel too), leaving it for one minute, then rubbing over the surface with a clean cloth - leaves the black down in all the crevices etc, gives it az bit more of an aged look. For brasas buckles on a jacket, though, I'd just wear it and let them age naturally. If you don't polish them, they'll dull down and look old in no time.

 

[griffer]

I thought you said "KNUCKLES". Ooops.

 

[Mike K.]

Have you looked into brass aging solution?

http://houseofantiquehardware.com/s...eTaxiPc3mTe34Pa38Ta38Nah10?sc=13&category=145

http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-94__sku-36665.html

 

[Alan Eardley]

Oh, boy, you asked for this...

Hi everyone,
just received my Schott 689 HH jacket. It looks great, my only concern is that the brass buckles and the zip look like shiny gold. is there any way I could age (discolor) them without the risk of damaging the surrounding leather? Thanks for any insight.

...I quote from the bible of antique restorers:

'Method 2: An old traditional method of colouring new brass or bronze was to immerse the item in warm urine, producing a fine aged appearance in ¬? to 1 hour. The reaction can be controlled to some extent by the temperature of the urine. Horse urine was commonly used, as their hay and oats diet produced a much greater ammonia content. After immersion wash in clean water. This is one of the best methods of producing a realistic patination of age on these metals, simple, controllable and effective'.

Know any co-operative horses?

It's ammonia that has the effect, BTW. If you can't enlist an equine collaborator, resort to ammonia (not peroxide) bleach. Paint it on carefully, don't get it on the leather or cloth.

Good luck!

Alan

 

[Mike K.]

Hmmmm....
Horse urine on a horsehide jacket. I wonder what that might smell like.

 

[LocktownDog]

Yup. Uric acid in the urine does indeed work. But so does the acetic acid in vinegar and orange juice. And they sure do smell a whole lot better. You might also try using a brass wire brush to scuff up the buckles a bit first.

Richard

 

[Rick Blaine]

Amonia works, after a fashion...

I just went into my kitchen, pulled out some ammonia & dipped this pin

of contemporary manufacture, I had hopes to make it look as though it might be authentic to the period. I set it aside to dry & in front of my eyes I watched the etched bits darken causing the elements in relief to pop out. I had hoped for a patina more like oxidized copper, like this:

but this is a start.

 

[Alan Eardley]

Yup. Uric acid in the urine does indeed work. But so does the acetic acid in vinegar and orange juice. And they sure do smell a whole lot better. You might also try using a brass wire brush to scuff up the buckles a bit first.

Richard

Those are methods 3 and 4 in the bible for antique restorers. I didn't mention them because they don't seem so much fun, somehow...

Alan

 

[John Lever]

As an antiques restorer I have antiqued hundreds if not thousands of pieces of brass copper and bronze. As Andrew states in his post the problem is not to contaminate the leather surrounding the work piece. Some items will have been coated with lacquer to help maintain their bright appearance and to reduce oxidation. This has be removed before any colour change will take place.
There are several products on the market that will do this from paint stripper to cellulose thinners. A safer method is 0000 steel wool or car cutting paste such as T cut. If the metal object can be removed, then a blast with a blow torch will give an instant colour change !
I usually use something called Tourmaline solution similar to the product in the photograph. Urine acts very slowly in my experience. If you want a totally green patina type finish then battery acid [sulphric] and salt water work well, also kitchen spray bleach will produce verdigris.
Andrew, I am interested in the handbook you refer to. Can you give a full title and publisher please ?
Thanks, John

 

[BellyTank]

I have found citric acid great for removing patination on brass and copper.

B
T

 

[Peacoat]

Yes, as stated above, new brass is covered with lacquer. It needs to be removed before the aging process can begin. A simple and readily available substance for removal is fingernail polish remover. Just don't get it on the leather. You can protect the leather by slipping a thin piece of plastic, cut in the middle, under the button. If nothing else is available, an old credit card will work.

 

[Tomasso]

Those are methods 3 and 4 in the bible for antique restorers. I didn't mention them because they don't seem so much fun, somehow...

If you say so. :eusa_doh:

 

[Alan Eardley]

Yes, as stated above, new brass is covered with lacquer. It needs to be removed before the aging process can begin. A simple and readily available substance for removal is fingernail polish remover. Just don't get it on the leather. You can protect the leather by slipping a thin piece of plastic, cut in the middle, under the button. If nothing else is available, an old credit card will work.

That's usually acetone. Some people use it to age leather.

Alan

 

[Edward]

...I quote from the bible of antique restorers:

'Method 2: An old traditional method of colouring new brass or bronze was to immerse the item in warm urine, producing a fine aged appearance in ¬? to 1 hour. The reaction can be controlled to some extent by the temperature of the urine. Horse urine was commonly used, as their hay and oats diet produced a much greater ammonia content. After immersion wash in clean water. This is one of the best methods of producing a realistic patination of age on these metals, simple, controllable and effective'.

Know any co-operative horses?

It's ammonia that has the effect, BTW. If you can't enlist an equine collaborator, resort to ammonia (not peroxide) bleach. Paint it on carefully, don't get it on the leather or cloth.

Good luck!

Alan

I'd forgotten about this, but I have read that many of the guys in the US Civil War re-enactment scene will routinely, er, pee pee on their brass buttons to keep them looking "right."

 

[Rick Blaine]

After 48 hrs in amonia...

...started out as bright as a new penny too!

 

[bgbdesign]

I have had good results with a product called brass black or aluminum black(basically the same)in which the active ingredient is selenium dixoide.

You need to make sure any coating is removed before treating the brass as many brass buckles and parts are coated to prevent tarnish.

Birchwood casey sells products in the US and the UK so most large sporting goods that carry hunting equipment should carry it.

all the best
bg

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2005-10,GGLD:en&q=brass+black

 

[dormicica]

Hey everyone,
I was away for some time, now I am back to thank you for all the pieces of advice. I am really educated now, at least in brass aging science. I will try what you have suggested and let you know the outcome.
Best,
Tamas from Hungary