Cleaning Brass Post Office Box Doors

[Rick Melson]

I've bought some old POB doors to make banks for the grandkids.

Having trouble getting the doors clean. Have tried soap and water and brass
polish but they are still only about halfway there.

Anyone have experience with these?

Thanks,
Rick

[Lew Hodgett]

Rick Melson wrote:
> I've bought some old POB doors to make banks for the grandkids.
>
> Having trouble getting the doors clean. Have tried soap and water and brass
> polish but they are still only about halfway there.

Brasso and elbow grease followed by spray lacquer.

Lew

[Pat Barber]

"If" they are really solid brass, Brasso will be more than
happy to clean that door.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1425223&cp&kw=brasso

One other thing to look at, is if the door has a "clear coat"
spraryed over the entire surface. If so, that will need to
be stripped off prior to polishing.

[Mike]

Back when I used to play drums a lot, I used a cymbal cleaning compound
that you would wipe on, let it sit and wipe off - really easy to use.
You should be able to find it in a good music store (one that sells
drums!)

Mike

[janaha...@yahoo.com]

Bar Keepers Friend and a toothbrush. Jana

[janaha...@yahoo.com]

Bar Keepers Friend and a toothbrush. Jana

[CW]

Mother's mag and aluminum polish. Works just as well on brass. Years ago,
when I was in army basic training, the brass polish of choice was Brasso as
that was what was available in the PX. One of the guys in our barracks
brought a can of Mothers with him. He was told, after the first inspection,
to either supply it to the rest of us or use Brasso like everyone else. It's
that good.

"Rick Melson" <ne...@themelsons.com> wrote in message
news:k672h.870$0r....@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...

[B A R R Y]

CW wrote:
> Mother's mag and aluminum polish.

-- SNIP- -

One of the guys in our barracks
> brought a can of Mothers with him. He was told, after the first inspection,
> to either supply it to the rest of us or use Brasso like everyone else. It's
> that good.

Mother's makes many fantastic products.

I've used their silicone free waxes, rubbing compounds, and plexiglass
compounds and cleaners, none has done less than totally impress me!

As they're not cheap, I see them as another one of those price vs. value
demonstrations.

[Dave Jackson]

I'll second the Mother's polish suggestion. I spent several months this
spring polishing a 1965 Airstream. First with rubbing compound and then the
final polish with Mother's. The results are stunning! --dave

"B A R R Y" <beech2...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Q3l2h.705$vP1...@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com...

[B A R R Y]

Dave Jackson wrote:
> I'll second the Mother's polish suggestion. I spent several months this
> spring polishing a 1965 Airstream. First with rubbing compound and then the
> final polish with Mother's. The results are stunning! --dave

I know some folks who do the same with polished airplanes.

Damn, it's gorgeous when the metal is clean!

[J T]

Fri, Nov 3, 2006, 12:57pm (EST+5) beech2...@yahoo.com
(B A R R Y) doth sayeth:

I know some folks who do the same with polished airplanes.
Damn, it's gorgeous when the metal is clean!

How about a pickup? Too much work for my taste.
http://www.jimmyshine.com/BareNekid-index.htm

JOAT
If it can't kill you, it ain't a sport.

[B A R R Y]

J T wrote:
>
> How about a pickup? Too much work for my taste.
> http://www.jimmyshine.com/BareNekid-index.htm
>

Actually, that's very cool.

[Rick Melson]

Tried the Barkeepers Friend and it worked great -- it does take a bit of
elbow grease.

Also tried the Mother's mag/aluminum polish -- it did not work quite as well
on these heavily soiled doors.

Thanks.

Rick

<janaha...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1162416336.3...@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

[sgckasse1]

replying to Lew Hodgett, sgckasse1 wrote:
I got this info from someone else and it works! 1/2 Coca Cola 1/2 Amonia. Mix
in bowl. But Post office door in for about 20min. Use an old toothbrush and
just watch the gunk come off. It AMAZING and simple!

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/woodworking/cleaning-brass-post-office-box-doors-345015-.htm

[Daniel]

replying to Rick Melson, Daniel wrote:
Really fine grade Steel wool then find a polish suitable for brass

[notbob]

On 2017-08-08, Daniel <caedfaa9ed1216d60ef...@example.com> wrote:

> [...] find a polish suitable for brass

No such thing!

Many moons ago, when I was still in the USAF fire dept, we hadda
polish a lot of brass, so I KNOW!

I remember when I was in Basic, our training barracks were so old, we
had brass bathroom fittings, which we hadda polish, of course. Our TI
(DI) told us to steal the bottles of Tabasco(TM) sauce off the mess
hall tables. We used it and it worked as good as can be expected by a
buncha dumb kids.

Months later, when I finally got assigned a duty station, I had enough
money to buy a can of Brasso(TM). You would think Brasso(TM) would work
better than crappy ol' Tabasco sauce. NO, it does not!!

The only thing that gets tarnish off of brass is "elbow grease"! IOW,
prepare to have a tired arm. ;)

nb

[Markem]

I have wondered about the stuff I polished at Lackland, seemed like it
was paper thin. Has it all been polished away and needed to be
replace?

Jewelers rouge and a cloth wheel can save your arm though.

[notbob]

On 2017-08-08, Markem <mark...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I have wondered about the stuff I polished at Lackland.....

Seems I'm not alone!

> Jewelers rouge and a cloth wheel can save your arm though.

I once bought a spindle/dbl arbor wheel with two(2) buffing wheels.
Sears sold 'em fer $19USD, minus electric motor (70s). I got a 1/2
hrspwr electric motor at a flea mkt fer $10USD.

Now, Stew-Mac....

<http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Finishing/Buffing/StewMac_Buffing_Arbor.html>

....wants $300USD+ fer essentially the same thing.

If you know of a cheaper offering, I'd love to learn of it! ;)

nb

[Scott Lurndal]

Grizzley has one for $100.

[G Ross]

HF has a 6 inch buffer for $50

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-buffer-61557.html

--
GW Ross

[Ed Pawlowski]

All you need is a motor and arbor. Mine is home made from decades ago.
I had a guy at work make the arbor for me in the machine shop.

[MOP CAP]

Some people call those arbors that go on the ends of motor shafts
"widow makers"
CP

[whit3rd]

On Tuesday, August 8, 2017 at 9:14:00 AM UTC-7, notbob wrote:
> On 2017-08-08, Daniel <caedfaa9ed1216d60ef...@example.com> wrote:
>
> > [...] find a polish suitable for brass
>
> No such thing!
>
> Many moons ago, when I was still in the USAF fire dept, we hadda
> polish a lot of brass, so I KNOW!

> The only thing that gets tarnish off of brass is "elbow grease"!

If the objects are removable, the old barrel-of-sawdust with a few blocks o'wood
and a pint of metal polish, slowly turned by a motor, will tumble it clean
and smooth in a lazy day.

[J. Clarke]

In article <euu6a1...@mid.individual.net>, not...@nothome.com says...

Nevr-Dull Magic Wadding.

[G Ross]

Daniel wrote:
> replying to Rick Melson, Daniel wrote:
> Really fine grade Steel wool then find a polish suitable for brass
>

After 11 years, I hope the brass is clean. In fact, it is probably
time to re-do it. Lew Hodgett told him how.

--
GW Ross

[notbob]

On 2017-08-09, J. Clarke <j.clark...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Nevr-Dull Magic Wadding.

Great on chrome! Never tried it on brass.

I was outta the AF by time I discovered Nevr-Dull, so tried to avoid
brass like the plague. I usta weld/sil-solder brass/copper, but we
always had nitric acid(?) dip tanks to chemically clean both. This at
a govt lab.

Hmmmm.... I gotta all brass pepper grinder I can try my old can of
Nevr-Dull, on. The can may be TOO old. The wadding tends to dry out,
after a few yrs.

nb

[Unquestionably Confused]

Pull it out of the can and tear off a bit from the bottom of the
"roll." That stuff lasts forever. I think the can I have sitting in
the shop is now 25+ years. Never tried to reconstitute it, but I
suppose it's possible. Naptha is a major component.

[notbob]

On 2017-08-09, Unquestionably Confused <noway....@nowhere.net> wrote:

> Naptha is a major component.

Smells like it.

Takes rust spots offa chrome like nobodies' business. I kept my
Trumpet Bonnie shining like the proverbial sun, with that stuff. ;)

nb