Sunday 11 October 2009

How to clean and care for your brass

Before we start on how and when your brass should be cleaned I’ll endeavour to explain the complexities of the metal and why some brass is yellow and another is nearly white.

The dictionary definition of brass is that it is an alloy of copper and zinc but the percentage of zinc and copper can vary greatly giving us many different types and hues of brass. Types range from Cartridge Brass (30% zinc) to Tombac which has a 15% zinc content and is used mainly in jewellery. As you can imagine the higher the copper content the darker the brass will be whereas higher zinc content will give the brass a whitish yellow appearance.When first cleaned your brass will in all probability look very pale (Classic Letterbox - below) but this shouldn’t lead to concern as when it is left exposed to the elements for a few days it will darken or tarnish and will take on a rich mellow patina. Modern brass hardware is normally lacquered to eliminate tarnishing but in time the lacquer is prone to peeling or blistering unless it is put on through Electrophoresis.

Our personal view is, we don’t really like lacquering and prefer to see door furniture (Door Knockers, Letterplates, Centre Pulls, Door Knobs etc) build up a mature patina over its lifetime. That isn’t to say we don’t like clean hardware but there are ways to have the best of both worlds and that is the reason for this blog.
1) Never use anything abrasive on your brass such as wire wool or a scouring pad; it will leave marks, I promise.
2) Before you decide to use any of the market brands of metal polish try some warm soapy water and a soft nail brush. This will remove the dirt and grime as well as clean your brass, dry off with a lint free cloth and you’ll see straight away what I mean about patina. The surface exposed to cleaning will be shiny whereas the crevasses will be slightly darker giving an aged appearance, over time cleaning like this will give your hardware that mature mellow appearance I mentioned above.
3) There are various natural and household products that are quite effective when cleaning any stubborn stains and grime on brass, here are a few we would recommend.

o Lemon - Cut a lemon in half and remove any visible seeds, sprinkle a little household salt on to a board and dip the cut side of the lemon into the salt, holding the rind gently rub your brass surface with the cut face of the lemon (you may need to dip back into the salt occasionally) then wash or wipe with warm soapy water before wiping dry with a clean dry cloth.
o Sauces - Acidic sauces such as Ketchup and Worcestershire Sauce are also good alternatives for cleaning brass. Using a clean, damp cloth, gently cover the brass with the sauce and leave for about a minute, then using another clean cloth wipe it off, again wash with warm sopy water and then dry witha soft clean cloth. It will give a good result but not as good as lemon and salt.
o Toothpaste – Although not as effective as the above two, toothpaste is a gentle way of cleaning hard to get at areas on any brass objects, even more effective when using a toothbrush
o Onions, salt and vinegar and ammonia will also be quite effective when cleaning brass but if the above doesn’t meet your needs then you may want to try using a good recognised metal polish such as Brasso, remember to read the manufacturers instructions and keep away from naked flames.

If you are an eco-warrior or just like to save a few pence then lemon and salt will be your best route to shiny door hardware, if you are not, then we recommend a metal polish along the lines of Brasso. When using any of the above it would be advisable to wear something to protect your hands such as rubber or latex gloves.

Aftercare – When your brass has been cleaned and is dry you can protect it with a beeswax furniture polish spray, just a light spray and wipe off any excess. This will leave a thin coat of beeswax on your brass and will extend the time between cleaning.

Saturday 10 October 2009

Butlers / Servants Bell - Fitting

If you are installing a complete Bell Pull system,  we advise that before you fit the Internal Bell and any pulleys required you fit the external bell rod as shown in our previous blog

Parts List
Bell assembly – Extension pulleyDirectional pulley – Nylon cord – Wall plugs and screws

Tolls Required
Drill – 8mm masonry drill bit – Slotted screwdriver – Small hammer – Scissors

Fitting Instructions
Step 1 – Mark the position of the two holes in the wooden fixing plate (A) on the Butlers Bell. For best results the hole in pull bar (i) should be at the same height as the bottom of the V in the pulley wheel in which the cord runs (try to keep the cord horizontal) Drill two 8mm holes, plug and secure fixing plate (A) with the screws provided.
Step 2 – Connect the pull cord to your bell pull and thread it through the pulleys you have inside the house. Tie the loose end to the hole in pull bar (i) using a double knot. Ensure it is captive and taut.

Step 3 – Test your bell pull and adjust cord tension as necessary. Cut off excess cord using sharp scissors when satisfied.

Your bell pull is now ready for use.

Step 4 – (optional) Fix pulley (B) if your bell cord requires more support.

Step 5 – (optional) Use pulley (C) if you need to change the direction in which your pull cord runs from vertical to horizontal. Before fitting, ensure that the bottom of the V in the pulley wheel is aligned both vertically and horizontally with other pulley / pull points.

Cleaning
Dust periodically with soft dry cloth.