Sealing Brass?

[Wal WerbelParticipant @walwerbel59154]

Hello all,

Having recently made a couple of brass signs (pics below) I'm wondering about how to seal – or even whether or not to bother.

My options so far are

• Spray on clear-coat
• Brush on shellac based lacquer
• Wax

I'm already using shellac to seal in the patina and I'm gravitating towards wax for the bare metal bits – my reasoning being that it's non-permanent and will allow for easier maintenance – ie. not having to remove lacquer once it crazes and the brass below starts to blacken.

Any opinions and further tips?

Many thanks.

Wal.

[Wal WerbelParticipant @walwerbel59154]

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

DO NOT laquer ! Unless extreme care is used the lacquer WILL NOT adhere to a polished surface and VERY easily chip with handeling. There is not prize for guessing how I know this ! The No 9 is brass the other looks more like a bronze ? Noel.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Microscope makers used to lacquer their instruments successfully why not use whatever they used (shellac based I believe). Personally I use Halfords clear lacquer and have never had it craze (so far).

[Mike CrossfieldParticipant @mikecrossfield92481]

If, as seems likely, the items are going to be exposed to the weather, the only real solution is lacquer. I can recommend Incralac. This was developed specifically for copper based alloys. A bit pricey, but good stuff. Available in tins or aerosol cans.

Mike

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

I believe you can get clear powder coating – that might be an option?

Rob

[Jon LawesParticipant @jonlawes51698]

We used Incralac for brass letters on the stern of a boat; they have retained their polish nicely with no sign of cracking or crazing yet, and its been on there longer than I can remember.

[Wal WerbelParticipant @walwerbel59154]

Incralac it is, then.

Many thanks for your advice!

Wal.

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

Wal, lovely work! Please could you tell us how you made these? Presumably not cast, as traditionally done (?).

[Edit} Oh, just seen your other post. Presumably similar technique…

Edited By Kiwi Bloke on 12/05/2022 08:42:53

[Wal WerbelParticipant @walwerbel59154]

Posted by Kiwi Bloke on 12/05/2022 08:39:31:

Wal, lovely work! Please could you tell us how you made these? Presumably not cast, as traditionally done (?).

[Edit} Oh, just seen your other post. Presumably similar technique…

Edited By Kiwi Bloke on 12/05/2022 08:42:53

Kiwi, this technique is achieved using the 'texture' tool-path in VCarve. It's pretty cool but it takes an age to machine – less detail and bigger tools speed it up a bit, but there's a lot of up down, move a bit, up down, move a bit etc. Fine for one-offs, but certainly not a production technique, for example – the texture on the Church Villa sign took around 6-7 hours..! On my other post (the badge) the texture is modelled and machined with a 0.7mm ball-nose end-mill.

Wal.

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