Antique Brass

If the shiny new look of your brass items do not appeal you, then you can sure go in for an antique brass look for that rustic effect. Read on to know more

Brass is an alloy of 67% copper and 33% zinc. It has wide applications in home decorating, in the form of electric fixtures, lamp shades, faucets and other accent pieces. While the gold like shine of new brass items indeed looks royal and elegant, some people prefer the antique or worn out look on their brass items. Antique brass is a result of a chemical process called oxidation, which takes place over a span of years. However, one does not need to wait for years to get the worn out look on their brass. You can artificially antique brass to get the desired rusty look.

How to Antique Brass

Antique brass finish can be obtained with the help of certain chemicals. Ferric nitrate is often used to antique brass. You can give an antique brass polish to a brand new brass item with high shine as well as any old item. However, prior to antique polishing, clean the brass item thoroughly. You can use cleaning products such as a dish soap or liquid detergent for this purpose. Thoroughly cleanse the brass surface and remove any visible dirt, grime, etc. Clinging dirt can prevent the chemicals from uniformly getting the antique polish on the surface. After cleaning the brass item, wipe it dry with a soft washcloth. There are quite some ways in which you can antique polish your brass item. Also read on how to clean brass, as it will be useful.

The first method involves adding half a teaspoon of ferric nitrate to a pint of distilled water. Gently warm the brass surface that is to be polished. You can place it in an oven at low heat. Next, spray or use a paint brush to apply the solution on the brass surface. Allow it to dry for sometime. Check the tint of the antique polish and decide if you wish to give another coat of ferric nitrate solution. The second method is a little complicated one, but it also produces the richest and most rustic result. Add a spoonful of ferric chloride to the above ferric nitrate solution. The solution thus formed is called Florentine solution. Apply this solution in the same way as mentioned above. Once you get a brown tint, wash the solution off with cold water. Dry the brass item with damp newspapers. Now use a 00 steel wool to brush the surface of the brass item. Leave the brass item untouched for 12 hours. After that, check the tint and repeat the procedure if required. You can repeat it as many times as you wish, until you get the desired antique finish.

Another method of oxidation of brass items is by using vinegar. You can substitute vinegar for ferric nitrate solution and repeat the procedure as given in the first method. An alternative to this method is suspending the brass item in a container of vinegar. Take a large container of vinegar and suspend the brass item with cheesecloth or a rubber band. The fumes emanating from vinegar oxidize the surface and give it the required antique look. However, the oxidation done by this method is not very effective. Hence, you would better rely on the above two methods.

Antique brass finish can also be done on non brass objects. You can find specialized antique polish paints in the market, which can give the desired antique look to any material. However, avoid using these spray paints in the areas that are exposed to a lot of manual handling or rough weather.

After getting the desired antique brass look, you must seal it with bee wax or paste wax to preserve its rustic look. Cleaning antique brass on a regular basis is also important. You can use special brass cleaning solutions for this purpose. Avoid the use of harsh chemicals or solvents for the cleaning purpose.