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Q: Cleaning brass ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Cleaning brass
Category: Family and Home
Asked by: wpiatt-ga
List Price: $4.00
Posted: 10 Apr 2002 11:11 PDT
Expires: 10 May 2002 11:11 PDT
Question ID: 12
How does one remove wax from a brass lamp without damaging the brass?
Answer  
Subject: Re: Cleaning brass
Answered By: dscotton-ga on 10 Apr 2002 15:58 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
I found 2 different ways of removing wax from brass:

1. Wash in hot, soapy water. You can find this information at this site:

http://doityourself.com/clean/brass.htm

"..To polish antique brass pieces: wash in hot, soapy water to remove grime, 
wax, etc. Rinse and dry. Moisten a soft cloth with boiled linseed oil and rub 
on the brass surface until all the dirt and grease have been removed.....Very 
old brass items, especially if in poor condition, require special care. Consult 
museum experts for advice.."

I checked a museum site (Henry Ford Museum) to see what they recommend for 
cleaning brass. They did not really address the issue that you are concerned 
with but it was very informative generally. You can read that article at:

http://www.hfmgv.org/research/cis/brass.html#2 

2. Another method that was interesting was 'Blow drying'. Its mentioned at this 
site:

http://groups.google.com/groups?
q=remove+wax+from+brass&hl=en&selm=335928FF.56D7%40swbell.net&rnum=10

Here's an excerpt from that discussion:

"..First, is the brass laquered?  Removing candlewax with a knife often
removes the laquer.  Using a brass cleaner on top of the laquer damages
the finish, too.  You can't polish through the most likely damaged
laquer coating...and need to remove it. 
In my opinion the best method is to heat the wax with a hair blow dryer and 
wipe it off with a trash rag or paper towels as it melts.  My husband has a 
modified hair dryer that is much hotter than usual because he uses it for
electical work..."

Blow drying at high heat might actually work!  I hope this helps.
wpiatt-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars
Thanks, I'll try that.

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