8.26.2008

Shiny Brass Solution!

Okay girlies.  You asked for it, and here it is!  I have what I think is the best solution to the whole "I hate shiny brass" conundrum.  First of all, thank you for all your suggestions.  I was leaning towards painting the brass bed, just to be done with it, but so many of you said "Don't paint!  You never know when brass will be back!" and I think you are right.  It forced me to be a little sleuth and I am so glad I put the time into it.  Wait till you hear about my discovery!

It's called Brass Ager.  I talked to someone at a cabinet hardware shop near where I used to live in Cincinnati and he told me about this miracle solution.  He said it will age and darken brass; the more you use the darker it will become.  But the best part?  If, later on, you want to revert back to the original shiny-ness, it can be restored.  I guess you just shine it back up the way you normally would with brass.   Isn't that fantastic?

The only catch is that a lot of brass has a lacquer on it to make it shiny.  It's hard to tell until you get into the project if your piece has lacquer or not.  If it does, before you use Brass Ager, you have to use straight Acetone (easily found at Lowes or similar) to break down the lacquer.

Here's a picture of my lovely new friend, Brass Ager.  

I have scoured Denver for a shop that will sell this, to no avail.  I am guessing it would be just as hard for you to find it in your town.  Luckily, I found a place online that sells it.  Here is the link.  I know when I googled Brass Ager there were other shops out there, so this is by no means the only place to look.  

I should also mention, though, that if you have something brass that you want to paint instead of just darken, check my comments section on the original post for lots of good ideas and advice.  Screaming Meme in particular had some good pointers in my comments for painting brass.

In the meantime, I will be sitting on my front porch waiting for my little box o' Brass Ager to arrive.  I will definitely keep you posted when I've tried it.  Thanks again for all your ideas and suggestions!




20 comments:

Rae said...

What a brilliant product!! Can't wait to see the end results!

Blogger said...

That's really cool! I can't wait to see how it turns out :)

That reminds me that I need to look for some Rub and Buff at Michael's this week..I want to do something with my kitchen hardware.

I love Screaming Meme, she's so creative and just so gosh darned cute :)

Bella

Jboo said...

I can't wait to see how it turns out too! Maybe I'll look for that and try it on my brass chandelier. Thanks for checking it out!

Janet

Christy said...

Looking forward to the final project.

My banana bread was very yummy this morning with my cup of coffee:)

Have a great day!

Jo said...

Can't wait to see pictures of the "new" bed!

Sarah said...

Thank you for your precious and sweet comment on my blog today. It means a lot. Blessings.

Anonymous said...

Good luck - can't wait to see how it turns out.

Mary said...

Great to know! Didn't know this existed.

Thanks,
Mary

Our Complete Family said...

What a nifty product! I'm so glad you found it and so glad you have a solution to your brass bed dilema! Hope you are all relaxed with gorgeous weather to sit on your porch for a bit today! Miss Priss and I were out for a few hours after taking Bryce to school this morning and it was GORGEOUS here in my neck of the woods!!! Happy day wishes~ Les

Anonymous said...

Hey,Bumble Bee~I can't wait to see the end resolves!...I'm going to get some and keep it on hand....You never know when you'll come across brass...And now that I know about this...I want to try it out! Thank you, my little Bumble Bee! :)Have a awesome day!!!!!

Sara's Sweet Surprise said...

I've got a (white) cast iron and brass bed. It has aged naturally, unfortunately it took MANY, MANY, years though. Your method will be a lot easier and faster! I'll be back to see the unveiling.
Come take a peek at my blog. I'm getting ready for a *HUGE* blog warming give away, retailing at $200.
I'll Also be doing a Fall/Halloween tutorial on a project based on the high end styles you've seen,at a fraction of the price!
Have a *Sweet* Day!
Sara

Mrs. Gray's Class said...

Great - I wonder if that would work on my contractor special brass light fixtures! Can't wait to see the finished project.

Carry Grace said...

I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Half Gaelic, Half Garlic! said...

This is the best of both worlds....the look you want now, without ruining the original piece....how perfect!!

Can't wait to see the finished product!!


Lisa

Naturally Caffeinated Family said...

ooh cool, can't wait to see how it turns out!!

Eloise said...

I just found your blog and have thoroughly enjoyed exploring in here! You have such great taste, and I like your zest for life.

Can't wait to see how the bed turns out. I love family pieces, and the 'Brass Ager' looks like a great solution for remaking this bed. Your little girl will love it, I'm sure!

Unknown said...

I'm glad you are going to age it instead of paint it. I bet you'll be happy with your decision!

ZONE F DG TEAM said...

Do keep us posted.

Chris said...

How awesome! Now I HAVE to see how it turns out! I don't have anything big, but I have lots of brass candlesticks that are just waiting to be abused! Let us know!

Anonymous said...

Did the Brass Ager work on your shiny brass?er