Hi Guys Got this awhile back and its been just sitting on the shelf. Decided its time to lazarus-ize it. Took a wire wheel to it and underneath all the crud was this beautiful patina. So the questions are... Do I prime and paint it in its original colour or lacquer it as is. To be honest I'm liking the aged look. And what causes this copper effect. I thought these were made out of pure brass.
Hi @Paul Burnell Brass isn’t a base metal, it’s an alloy of Copper and Zinc.. have a look online for the many types of brasses out there.. I think folks have talked about the varying quality of the brass found in the (tilley) lamps/lanterns around this time.. very common to see multiple flecks of differing colours in with the brass when stripped of paint I remember that some members have also had issues with perforations with some of the pork pie types so I would recommend a good pressure test before any form of finish? Maybe start with a ‘dunk test’ ? hope that helps, regards pb
The copper on the surface may be a result of an acid that has removed the zinc from the brass leaving the copper behind. I have used plastikote paint directly on fonts with good results. Coming along !
Great information there @podbros I'm ashamed to say that I didn't know copper was an ingredient of brass. It makes total sense now. I will definitely do a complete dunk test, normally I just use a spray bottle and fairy liquid, but this seems to merit the full monty.
@Fireexit1 Thanks, I just googled plastikote and it looks like great stuff..... I tend to go for the Halfords brand paint, its reasonably priced and easy to source... Since this is my first and only pork pie I may just try it.
