Polishing Bronze

Vajra · Post by **Vajra** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:52 am

Now that I have recored parts of my deck and am in the process of repainting the nonskid, I figured I would take the opportunity of having all of the bronze hardware off the boat to polish it. To tackle that project I have a few questions:

Any suggestions on how best to remove the caked on caulking that is covering my porthole frames. The previous installation method was very messing. Can I sand the bronze? Any solvents that are effective?

Any suggestions on how to polish the bronze? My wife suggests Never Dull. Any thoughts?

Finally, Tim, what brand ov spray on laquer do you recommend from your experience and how many coats.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Post by **Tim** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 12:05 pm

Sand away to your heart's content. Just choose the finest grit of sandpaper that will do the job. I sanded all my bronze when I had it off the boat, and that was that. If you want a perfect, glossy, smooth finish on there, then you have to go with polishing wheels, etc. All I wanted to do was remove paint and corrosion; I like the "antique" look that remains.

Nev-R dull is fine for cleaning up minor surface corrosion on stainless steel and the like, but lacks the guts to do any real polishing. For heavier verdigris and corrosion, go with sandpaper and/or buffing wheels, depending on how much you're "into" it.

I use Ace brand clear spray lacquer. It's as good as any, though, as I have previously stated on several occasions, be prepared for plenty of maintenance going forward. It lasts for a season or so (well, depending on where you are), but needs recoating and possibly some renewal on at least an annual basis (at least around here). Year-round exposure would probably require quarterly maintenance.

tikvah59 · Post by **tikvah59** » Sun May 09, 2004 12:01 am

I put two wire wheels on my bench grinder - a fine and a coarse grade. My ports and other hardware were caked with caulk and paint. Using both wheels worked well and seemed to be pretty efficient, although there were some spots that required a Dremel.

I'm planning to leave mine bare, so I didn't bother to polish them.