Cape Cod Polish | January 19, 2010
There are two questions we are frequently asked at Cape Cod Polish regarding brass:
1. Should I lacquer my brass to protect it?
2. How do I get lacquer off brass?
These two questions are very telling. Just like any protctive coating, lacquer doesn't last forever, and it doesn't wear off evenly.
In areas like Cape Cod, lacquer finishes get quite a beating from salt air spray and the elements. After a while, small holes (called pits) begin to form. High humidity and air pollution also harm laquer. Lacquer can also be worn off or scratched up if it is touched frequently (on a brass door knob or on a brass kick plate, for example.)
What happens when pitting or scratching occurs? These tiny holes and scratches in the lacquer allow air to come into contact with the actual brass surface. From these tiny areas of contact, tarnish can spread under the surface of the lacquer. This tarnish bloom can spread over huge areas of a brass object. The worst part is you can't polish it off, because it's under the lacquer. In this case the only thing to do is to remove the lacquer.
How to remove lacquer.
To summarize our on-line brochure "Caring for your Fine Metals": "...lacquer can be removed with acetone or amyl acetate (banana oil). Coated objects can also be stripped with a solution of baking soda and boiling water (1 cup soda to 2 gallons boiling water). Let the article stand in the water until it cools and peel off the lacquer." Keep in mind this is not an easy job.
After the lacquer is removed then you can polish the brass.
So, if you are planning to lacquer an outdoor or frequently used object, you probably will do better just polishing it with Cape Cod Polishing Cloths. Just make a point of giving it a once over every so often to make sure it's not starting to tarnish. And if it's a rarely touched, indoor object? Then just polish it with Cape Cod Polishing Cloths. Our cloths leave a protective coating to lengthen the time between polishing.
One of our favorite brass companies is Jefferson Brass out of McLean, VA: www.jeffersonbrass.com. They have a beutiful line of brass door knockers, brass candlesticks, and fireplace tools and they never lacquer their pieces.
Hey, you asked...
Best Regards,
Jared Block
Cape Cod Polish | January 5, 2010
If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes.- Mark Twain
Well, we had our first (and hopefully last) blizzard on December 19th. The office in Dennis got about 18 inches of snow as did my house in Chatham. As a proud Cape Codder, I have only had my driveway plowed once. That was during the Blizzard of 2004 when we lived in Dennis and had almost three feet of snow!
Our fool-proof plan for enjoying snow shoveling is as follows:
1. Shovel for 30 min and play with kids in snow.
2. Go inside and and drink hot chocolate.
3. Shovel for 30 min and play with dog in snow.
4. Go inside and drink eggnog.
5. Shovel for 30 min and play with kids in snow.
6. Return indoors and drink hot toddies OR eat pumpkin pie(your choice).
7. Take a nap.
8. Repeat above as necessary. May take 1-3 days.
Unfortunately, during this blizzard, my daughter had a fever of 103 and green goo pouring out of her ear. The doctor was able to call in an antibiotic to the local pharmacy, but we had to get there before 6pm. And it would not stop snowing. And my daughter was crying with pain. So we developed a new shoveling regimen:
1. Shovel snow until burning sensations in chest and arms.
2. Keep shoveling until arms won't move.
3. Run inside, use bathroom, medicate child, put a video on for kids.
4. Repeat.
It took us from 10am to 4pm to dig out our vertical drop of a driveway. The antibiotic was picked up and Ben Gay was purchased.
If you are a "year-rounder" you know that snow accumulation is difficult to predict for Cape Cod. We have started using www.capecodweather.net as our online local weather source. It's a great combination of radar, local forecasting, and reader submitted photos. My plan for this summer is to look at their tide charts and hit the beaches only at low tide so there is more room to for everybody to spread out.
I can't believe I'm planning my storming of the beaches while there is snow on the ground...
Best Regards,
Jared Block
Well, we had our first (and hopefully last) blizzard on December 19th. The office in Dennis got about 18 inches of snow as did my house in Chatham. As a proud Cape Codder, I have only had my driveway plowed once. That was during the Blizzard of 2004 when we lived in Dennis and had almost three feet of snow!
Our fool-proof plan for enjoying snow shoveling is as follows:
1. Shovel for 30 min and play with kids in snow.
2. Go inside and and drink hot chocolate.
3. Shovel for 30 min and play with dog in snow.
4. Go inside and drink eggnog.
5. Shovel for 30 min and play with kids in snow.
6. Return indoors and drink hot toddies OR eat pumpkin pie(your choice).
7. Take a nap.
8. Repeat above as necessary. May take 1-3 days.
Unfortunately, during this blizzard, my daughter had a fever of 103 and green goo pouring out of her ear. The doctor was able to call in an antibiotic to the local pharmacy, but we had to get there before 6pm. And it would not stop snowing. And my daughter was crying with pain. So we developed a new shoveling regimen:
1. Shovel snow until burning sensations in chest and arms.
2. Keep shoveling until arms won't move.
3. Run inside, use bathroom, medicate child, put a video on for kids.
4. Repeat.
It took us from 10am to 4pm to dig out our vertical drop of a driveway. The antibiotic was picked up and Ben Gay was purchased.
If you are a "year-rounder" you know that snow accumulation is difficult to predict for Cape Cod. We have started using www.capecodweather.net as our online local weather source. It's a great combination of radar, local forecasting, and reader submitted photos. My plan for this summer is to look at their tide charts and hit the beaches only at low tide so there is more room to for everybody to spread out.
I can't believe I'm planning my storming of the beaches while there is snow on the ground...
Best Regards,
Jared Block
Cape Cod Polish | December 10, 2009
Hopefully, you already have your silver out and ready for the holiday season. When silver is used, cleaned, and stored regularly, it fares much better than silver that is put away for long periods of time. This is because people tend to forget about stored pieces. If they were not cleaned, polished, and stored correctly in the first place, you may find some unpleasant surprises waiting for you later.
If your silver is tarnished or dull when you get it out of storage, polish it with Cape Cod Polishing Cloths for a mirror-like shine. Always be sure to wash silverware that will come into contact with food and beverages with a mild dish soap before use.
Here are more tips for protecting your silverware during use and in storage from our "Caring for Your Fine Metals" brochure.
Silverware in use:
Peas, olives, salad dressing, fruit juices, perspiration, vinegar, table salt, eggs, and perfume are only some of the enemies of silver. These all emit sulfur gases and/or acids that can cause tarnishing and etching. Unchecked, etching from acid can lead to unsightly, permanent pit marks. Fruits and flowers also give off gases and acids as they decay. So wilted flowers and leaves, and over-ripe fruit should be removed daily from silver containers. Condiments, salt, and candy should never be stored in silver containers and dishes.
Cleaning Silverware:
Silverware should be washed immediately after dinner with a phosphate-free, dish washing liquid. If you cannot wash silver utensils and serving pieces immediately, rinse them off and let them soak in water. Not only does this protect silverware from harmful foods, but the frustration of cleaning dried food off of silverware causes most of us scrape and scour. This increases the risk of creating scratches. A soft towel should be used for drying. NEVER put your silverware in the dishwasher.
Final clean and polish:
Before you put your silverware away, gently give it a final clean and polish with Cape Cod Polishing Cloths. Cape Cod Polishing Cloths leave a brilliant shine and an anti-tarnish coating on your pieces to help protect them between polishings. After your silver has been polished, it should be minimally handled with freshly washed and dried hands. White cotton gloves such as Cape Cod Touch Up Gloves are an excellent choice for avoiding finger smudges when handling polished pieces.
Storage:
Only wrap your silver in archival, acid-free tissue, or flannel treated with anti-tarnish protection. Never wrap silver pieces in felt, chamois leather, or newspaper. Felt and chamois leather give off hydrogen sulfide, a strong tarnish inducer. Newspaper contains harmful acids. Don't secure or bundle pieces with rubber bands. Rubber can corrode silver through flannel in a matter of weeks.
With proper care, fine silver pieces are made to last beyond a lifetime. Please email us at info@capecodpolish.com to find a store in your area that carries Cape Cod Polishing Cloths. Feel free to post any questions you may have regarding the cleaning and storage of fine metals. We will do our best to answer them promptly.
Happy Holidays from the folks at Cape Cod Polish!
If your silver is tarnished or dull when you get it out of storage, polish it with Cape Cod Polishing Cloths for a mirror-like shine. Always be sure to wash silverware that will come into contact with food and beverages with a mild dish soap before use.
Here are more tips for protecting your silverware during use and in storage from our "Caring for Your Fine Metals" brochure.
Silverware in use:
Peas, olives, salad dressing, fruit juices, perspiration, vinegar, table salt, eggs, and perfume are only some of the enemies of silver. These all emit sulfur gases and/or acids that can cause tarnishing and etching. Unchecked, etching from acid can lead to unsightly, permanent pit marks. Fruits and flowers also give off gases and acids as they decay. So wilted flowers and leaves, and over-ripe fruit should be removed daily from silver containers. Condiments, salt, and candy should never be stored in silver containers and dishes.
Cleaning Silverware:
Silverware should be washed immediately after dinner with a phosphate-free, dish washing liquid. If you cannot wash silver utensils and serving pieces immediately, rinse them off and let them soak in water. Not only does this protect silverware from harmful foods, but the frustration of cleaning dried food off of silverware causes most of us scrape and scour. This increases the risk of creating scratches. A soft towel should be used for drying. NEVER put your silverware in the dishwasher.
Final clean and polish:
Before you put your silverware away, gently give it a final clean and polish with Cape Cod Polishing Cloths. Cape Cod Polishing Cloths leave a brilliant shine and an anti-tarnish coating on your pieces to help protect them between polishings. After your silver has been polished, it should be minimally handled with freshly washed and dried hands. White cotton gloves such as Cape Cod Touch Up Gloves are an excellent choice for avoiding finger smudges when handling polished pieces.
Storage:
Only wrap your silver in archival, acid-free tissue, or flannel treated with anti-tarnish protection. Never wrap silver pieces in felt, chamois leather, or newspaper. Felt and chamois leather give off hydrogen sulfide, a strong tarnish inducer. Newspaper contains harmful acids. Don't secure or bundle pieces with rubber bands. Rubber can corrode silver through flannel in a matter of weeks.
With proper care, fine silver pieces are made to last beyond a lifetime. Please email us at info@capecodpolish.com to find a store in your area that carries Cape Cod Polishing Cloths. Feel free to post any questions you may have regarding the cleaning and storage of fine metals. We will do our best to answer them promptly.
Happy Holidays from the folks at Cape Cod Polish!