How Do You Remove A Lacquer Finish From Brass?
Brass knobs, hinges and ornamental fixtures offer the look and feel of quality when they are clean and tarnish-free. Unfortunately, the lacquer applied to shiny brass objects yellows over the years and the brass beneath tarnishes, although much more slowly than it would without the protective lacquer. As long as the lacquer remains, it is impossible to polish the brass. Luckily, removing the lacquer isn’t too difficult. Remove the object from its surroundings, if possible. This means detaching brass finials from curtain rods and beds, taking the hinges and brass knockers from doors and disassembling items with only a small amount of brass, such as the hands in old clocks. If you doubt your ability to reassemble the object, take it to a professional for cleaning. Prepare yourself before using a commercial lacquer stripper. Strippers work well and if your object is large, such as a trumpet, it is the only way to remove the old lacquer. However, stripper fumes are highly toxic and a drop
