How to "antique" a brass handle?
 

I have an antique dresser,
with several 3.5in "swan neck" bail pull handles missing.

I can't locate anyone selling these in "antiqued" brass,
but have found them in bright brass.

I'm wondering if these would look like the old handles
after several years?
Or if there is any amateur way to make them look antique?

Any advice or suggestions gratefully received.

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

How to "antique" a brass handle?
 

On 01/10/2012 14:47, Timothy Murphy wrote:
I have an antique dresser,
with several 3.5in "swan neck" bail pull handles missing.

I can't locate anyone selling these in "antiqued" brass,
but have found them in bright brass.

I'm wondering if these would look like the old handles
after several years?
Or if there is any amateur way to make them look antique?

Any advice or suggestions gratefully received.

Check they are not lacquered, and leave for a bit.

How to "antique" a brass handle?
 

On Mon, 01 Oct 2012 14:47:26 +0100, Timothy Murphy
wrote:

I can't locate anyone selling these in "antiqued" brass,
but have found them in bright brass.

Bright brass is usually clear powder coated, not lacquer coated, and
powder coating is both difficult to remove and long lasting.

How to "antique" a brass handle?
 

"Timothy Murphy" wrote in message
...
I have an antique dresser,
with several 3.5in "swan neck" bail pull handles missing.

I can't locate anyone selling these in "antiqued" brass,
but have found them in bright brass.

Are these the sort of things you mean ?


http://www.doorhandles.co.uk/plain-d...s-p487043.html

the whole range

http://www.doorhandles.co.uk/plain-d...le-c71760.html


michael adams

....


I'm wondering if these would look like the old handles
after several years?
Or if there is any amateur way to make them look antique?

Any advice or suggestions gratefully received.

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

How to "antique" a brass handle?
 

Timothy Murphy wrote:
I have an antique dresser,
with several 3.5in "swan neck" bail pull handles missing.

I can't locate anyone selling these in "antiqued" brass,
but have found them in bright brass.

I'm wondering if these would look like the old handles
after several years?
Or if there is any amateur way to make them look antique?

Any advice or suggestions gratefully received.

yes. I once made a copper plaque and it came in a kit and once you had
embossed the copper sheet, theer was a liquid that turned the copper
instantly black and also made it stink of rotten eggs. Then you buffed
it down with wire wool and lacquered it.

With new brass, you may have it lacquered already and that needs to come
off with paint stripper or summat. There you need that liquid which
essentially accelerates ageing in a sulphur rich atmosphere creating
coppers sulphide (black) rather than the usual oxide (reddish brown to
black) to copper carbonate (verdigris green) ageing.

Ah. I have found something called 'liver of sulphur' on the net that
should do the trick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDqRzXf1yjM

http://www.kernowcraft.com/products/...-sulphur-C172/

Hmm. I must get some copper and do another plaque...

--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

How to "antique" a brass handle?
 

michael adams wrote:

I have an antique dresser,
with several 3.5in "swan neck" bail pull handles missing.

I can't locate anyone selling these in "antiqued" brass,
but have found them in bright brass.

Are these the sort of things you mean ?

http://www.doorhandles.co.uk/plain-d...-bolt-centres-
p487043.html

Thanks very much.
I hadn't come acroess that site -
maybe I missed it because it uses metric sizes,
and I was looking for 3.5 inches.


--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

How to "antique" a brass handle?
 

On Oct 1, 2:47*pm, Timothy Murphy wrote:
Or if there is any amateur way to make them look antique?

Dry ammonia process.

Clean the brass - sometimes the old ones too (if not terribly
valuable) using a 3M or Webrax plastic pad. Degrease with acteone or
similar.

Plastic tub - Tupperware or chinese takeaway, but fairly deep is good.

Splash a couple of teaspoons of ammonia into the tub. Use "strong
cleaning ammonia", about 26% and fairly easily available from old
school hardware shops, even today.

Half fill the tub with woodshavings, hamster bedding (used is fine!)
or similar.

Place the brass on top of the shavings and close the lid. Don't spill
liquid ammonia onto the brass or you get splash marks.

Leave it for an hour or two. Maybe open and turn the brass a couple of
times. Leave until cooked. Ideally use a big tub, and do all the
handles together, starting with them equally clean and shiny.

Dispose of the ammonia down a sink, or onto the garden (good
fertiliser!).