Model a ford fire truck polishing

[firechief5215]

Hi Im trying to polish the brass on our model a ford fire truck fire extinguishers and nozzles.I have read a lot on other sites beings this is off track of the model a but I came here beacuse I trust you great information and I have never been sent down the wrong street here THANKS. Im using a power buffer but I have no idea where to start, Buffing wheels, Polish And also the procedure for applying lacquer. Thank you Billy

[Joe K]

The best brass polish bar none is the old fashioned BRASSO. I've used it both using a 3x5 card (military belt buckles to remove the lacquer finish), and with diapers (to get the final sheen) and with power buffing wheels on various steam whistles and other engineering paraphenalia. (maybe more your application?)

As to keeping it brass colored, there is the old fashioned polyurethane and clear lacquer, but there are other substances used similarly today which have all the advantages of the keeping the tarnish away, and are minus the disadvantage of yellowing in the sun (although ANY coating will degrade in the sun given enough sun or enough time.)

There are certain "dips" one can use that can help remove corrosion - but the problem for you is not the verdigris - but rather the polish - which the chemical dips tend to attack grain boundaries of the metal and prevent a nice sheen/polish. I would advise you to stay away from anything quick and easy.

If you already have a lacquer or poly on your brass parts, you may find it to your advantage to use a paint stripper to remove the coating before attempting to polish. My old stand by on these matter has been TM-4 stripper - but the EPA has gotten to this similarly to many methyl-ethyl-ketone strippers. Everything is going "environmentally friendly" now, which MEK most definitely AIN'T. Pick out the most expensive stripper on the shelf that contains MEK and you can hardly do wrong. (remember the adage of paint strippers - what money doesn't make up for in strippers, Mr. Armstrong does.)

Others may have a more modern product than Brasso that works for them - but it's hard to imagine a polishing agent that can work better.

Joe K

[Tom Wesenberg]

I have found the same thing as Joe. Brasso worked for me in the Army and it still works, but the quick and easy dips don't do the job, plus the brass tarnishes much quicker after trying them.

[Mike V. Florida]

http://www.peacocklabs.com/pdf/permalacdescription.pdf

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For protecting metal / brass after polishing I have used Penetrol with excellent results. The brass on my carburator linkages and the drain petcock for the radiator all look as if I did them yesterday even though it has been two years. I used it on the bare steel faces on the flywheels of my hit and miss engines and it has protected them from rust for over 10 years now. Penetrol is a paint additive you can get in most all hardware stores.
Also works good for protecting the metal finish on spark plugs, head studs/nuts etc...
Dave