Here are two of our brass candlesticks. People who read this blog know we (me) are Wombles. I think we have seven pairs and a couple of candlelabras.
I bought these about twenty five years a go from an antique fair in England. They are Victorian and cost me twenty six Pounds. I wouldn't sell them though. I have bought candlesticks for ten Euros a pair on carboot sales recently.
When we do eventually emigrate again. Well we moved to Ireland and that's further than France.They will go in a box/shipping container with the rest of our stuff.
I blame my late father. He always collected brass and copper and my parents walls always looked like some olde worlde English country pub. Except we had Anaglypta walls and no exposed beams on the ceiling and no resident drunk or pub bore: "nice wallpaper pattern what?"
Any road or any way. If you buy any tarnished copper or brass and you want to clean it up. Place your item in a washing up bowl. Then sprinkle some cider vinegar (we used malt) on an area and then sprinkle it with some table salt. Leave it for a minute to form a paste. Then scrub away with a scouring pad.
Some people don't like to disturb the patina on their copper and brass ornaments, especially if they are antique. So just use Brasso.
If you want to continue giving it a deep clean. Repeat the vinegar, salt paste scrubbing until you have covered all the object. Then wash all the muck off with hot water. Leave it to dry on ye olde draining board. Now get out the Duraglit or Brasso and with a soft cloth start singing: "Shine your buttons with Brasso"...
Tomorrow or later. I will clean some more of my brass and copper. It's like painting Blackpool tower or the Forth Bridge.
What do you collect? Have you ever sold everything you ever owned and moved sticks? I have read of people who have. Could you? Is there anything you wouldn't sell?
When we do eventually emigrate again. Well we moved to Ireland and that's further than France.They will go in a box/shipping container with the rest of our stuff.
I blame my late father. He always collected brass and copper and my parents walls always looked like some olde worlde English country pub. Except we had Anaglypta walls and no exposed beams on the ceiling and no resident drunk or pub bore: "nice wallpaper pattern what?"
Any road or any way. If you buy any tarnished copper or brass and you want to clean it up. Place your item in a washing up bowl. Then sprinkle some cider vinegar (we used malt) on an area and then sprinkle it with some table salt. Leave it for a minute to form a paste. Then scrub away with a scouring pad.
Some people don't like to disturb the patina on their copper and brass ornaments, especially if they are antique. So just use Brasso.
If you want to continue giving it a deep clean. Repeat the vinegar, salt paste scrubbing until you have covered all the object. Then wash all the muck off with hot water. Leave it to dry on ye olde draining board. Now get out the Duraglit or Brasso and with a soft cloth start singing: "Shine your buttons with Brasso"...
Tomorrow or later. I will clean some more of my brass and copper. It's like painting Blackpool tower or the Forth Bridge.
What do you collect? Have you ever sold everything you ever owned and moved sticks? I have read of people who have. Could you? Is there anything you wouldn't sell?
I don't collect anything Dave, although I am partial to jugs so will often buy one if I see one I like on a charity stall or similar. The ones that have 75p on them, or less! I put a bid in for a box of assorted vases at Diss Auction rooms when I first moved here and got it for £10. My mother always cleaned the brass with Brasso.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel. Will you swap me your Clarice Cliff jug! I am joking. I would like to collect it though. I use to love going to the big carboot sales in England and Wales. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe Clarice Cliff came from Diss Auction too but I had to pay proper money for it!
DeleteJust had a look on eBay after seeing your comment. Was it less than a hundred? Looks a good investment.
ReplyDeleteYes it was less than a £100. I use it to enjoy it. I don't want it packed away out of sight in a cupboard.
DeleteI agree with you that are no use packed away in a cupboard. They call it a press in Ireland. Their hot press is what Brits call an airing cupboard.
DeleteI like the candlesticks. We never clean anything in this house. A woman comes once a month and does. What she does I don't know. There's a red spider on the window ledge in the kitchen. I sometimes throw these insects out the windows and sometimes I let them stay in the house.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Kim told me to leave a comment for him on your Bratwurst comment.
Thanks Gwil. We never kill spiders in our house. I am often found to be rescuing them from the bath. Wish I xocou get your woman to clean and polish the copper and brass. Thanks!
DeleteWish I could get.. Silly word suggest!
DeleteI used to have quite a bit of Copper and brass, but it never seemed to stay shiny for long, so much of it is now mouldering in the loft. My weakness is for liqueur glasses.
ReplyDeleteHi FID. I don't mind it being dull. You can spray your copper and brass with clear laquer after polishing them. It's easy to remove the clear laquer with laquer removal if you wan? Your liqueur glasses sound great. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI remember having as a child we would have brass polishing sessions using brasso, I used to enjoy making everything shine again, but these days i just dont seem to have the time.
ReplyDeleteYes polishing brass and copper takes up a lot of time. Some items I polish regular and some get polished once a year. It passes my time during the long dark nights of Autumn and Winter. Roll on Summer. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI never got it right with brass or copper, aside from the fact that it was energy sapping. Now, if I had known how to clean I would have been a happier girl.
ReplyDeleteYes it can be energy sapping Valerie. We probably have far too much copper and brass. But being the Womble that I am. If I like something and it's reasonably priced. It ends up coming home with us. Thanks!
ReplyDelete