Burnished Brass

[crockett]

What is the difference (if any) between antique brass and burnished brass? Is there a quick way to create burnished brass?

 

[Stophel]

Those are merely marketing terms for doorknobs and such, and don't really mean anything. What exactly is it that you are trying to do?

 

[LRB]

Pretty much what Stophel said. You can burnish brass with mirror polished steel, but it is hard to get a really even finish without practice and experience. I believe the term burnished, at one time, may have been loosely used to mean polished as on a buffing/polishing wheel. Engravers often use burnishing tools, polished steel rods usually, to cover up slips.

 

[Stophel]

To me, "burnish" means to rub with a hard smooth object, polishing the metal (or wood, which can be done with a horn, bone, or steel burnisher) without removing any metal. Pressing it flat and smooth and shiny. Although in modern advertising parlance, "burnished brass" means basically the opposite. A dark fake patina.

Easiest and best way to "age" brass is just to handle it. Dirt, grime, sweat, and blackpowder funk will turn brass a mellow, darker color on its own. To make brass REALLY look like 200+ year old brass takes tricks that I don't know. I can make brass dark, but it still doesn't look like the old, brown brass I see on old guns.

 

[crockett]

Well, to me "burnish" means rubbing with a smooth object. I was just wondering whether there was a difference between burnish and antique. Sounds like a marketing gimmick. I usually just let time age brass.

 

[tozzybum]

bury it for a month,in nice loam or other wet soil.it was in a tv prog on how the fakers age "antiques"to fool ebay customers .itl come out nice n dull.

 

[omarick1948]

Clean and polish the brass nice and shiny. Then seal the brass whatever in an air tight container overnight with a rag that has a little household ammonia on it. The brass with dull-up nice and give you that burnished look.

This process is referred to as Fuming. I do it all of the time on brass tacks etc.

Rick

 

[tozzybum]

thanks for that far quicker ,than waiting for a couple of weeks :thumbsup: