Sealing engraved brass

[dlcw]

Just finished my first brass engravings and was wondering what would be the best clear coat to use to seal the brass against tarnishing? I used Never-Dull to polish the brass to a really bright shine. I've cleaned the surface with lacquer thinner.

Spar lacquer, spray shellac, spray urethane, etc.?

In the Coast Guard we just polished all the ship's brass every three or four days to keep it nice and shiny.

Thanks,

Don
www.dlwoodworks.com (http://www.dlwoodworks.com)

[Gary Campbell]

Don...
Nitrocellulose or Acrylic Lacquer. Make sure its very clean first.
Gary

[coach]

Coast Guard.........
I was stationed on the Vigilant and at Otis A.F.B.

[radavis]

In the marine corp on the brass on our dress unform we us lacquer, that was a no no but some did any way, done some here lately and I try acrylic lacquer, and shellac, both work well.
Robert

[navigator7]

Coast Guard...
Westport Wa, Bar Patrol
Coos Bay, Ore. 143' Cutter Modoc Quartermaster
Seattle, Wa. 41' Utility boat Coxswain

I hate brass unless I'm machining it.

[garyb]

You might also try permalac

We I came off my sea billet to run the boatshed at Lonsdale, I took all the brass cleats & staghorns off the Admirals 33' crusier and had them chromed at the dockyard, solved the problem of them going green......now everyone wants to go green huh.......

[englert]

Glad to see all of those that "can do". Ooh-Rah!

Served one tour on the USS Nassau during the first Gulf War. Nine months on a ship. I don't envy anyone that lifestyle.

Brasso. Never-dull. Memories of endless shining, especially on recruiting duty. Then there was anodized. Great stuff! Never tried to put a coating on the brass. Just shined again.

Semper Fi,


Dennis Englert
MSgt USMC Retired

[dlcw]

This is great!

Glad to see so many former and retired US Armed Forces members. Each fall my wife and I shut down our shop to paid work and put together scrollsawn Christmas ornaments (my wife) and turned wood pen/pencil sets (me) and donate them to service members. It's our way of saying thanks!

I retired after 23 years in the Coast Guard. Lots of shipboard duty (CGC Venturous, CGC Jarvis) doing drug enforcement in the Pacific off South America, Central America and North America. Also did a lot of fisheries treaties enforcement in Alaskan waters and off the northwest. Yep, lots of brass to shine!

Thank you to all members for your unselfish Armed Forces service. You are the unsung heroes of this nation!

Don

[navigator7]

I don't know about you Don, but I'm really proud our coast line is precisely where we left it!

Boy, the duties of the Coast Guard have sure changed since I was in.

[r_jones]

Dennis,
Funny thing I was on the Nassua with you, same time, same place... Who were you with? I was with VMA-331

Semper FI

Ron

[englert]

I responded to Ron in a private PM. FYI. Ron was with a Harrier squadron. Harriers are the jump jets that can take off vertically. So if you watched CNN during the first Gulf War, then you would have seen Harriers taking off from the USS Nassau.

I don't know what Ron's position was with VMA-331, but I served as the Aviation Supply Chief for Marine Air Group 40. Our unit was dispatched across five ships and often splintered out with small detachments to other ships. I served with a Major and Corporal. We were responsible for assisting and expediting high priority part requirements for the other units aboard those five ships.

On a whole, the group was primarily a helicopter unit. By design, the USS Nassau, LHA-4 was a ship designed for amphibious assault by Marines with landing craft and helicoptors. When MAG-40 was formed, VMA-331's Harriers were included and were a major part of the war effort. A lot of bombing missions were launched from the Nassau.

Anyways, Ron quite a coincidence and a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Semper Fi, Dennis