KNOWING YOUR BRASS

Brass, a mixture of tin, zinc and copper, became popular because it was cheap and easy to work. It can be chiselled, cut, chased and cast. Its colour varies from brassy yellow to the mellow antique look of the brass made by Brass Foundry Castings, (01959) 563863 www.brasscastings.co.uk which follows an 18th century formula and makes it possible to match replacement cabinet fittings for antique furniture.

Brass oxidises and discolours unless it is polished or lacquered. The antiques world favours its natural patina, achieved with only gentle cleaning, leaving oxidisation in the crevices. Workshops often use 0000 grade wire wool or simple ammonia to highlight brass. Proprietary cleaners are more abrasive and though fine for thick brass, such as door handles and taps, must be used with care when the brass is old and thin, or on cabinet handles where it can leave white deposits on the wood. Liberon's Brass and Copper Cleaner, from £3.27 for 125ml, is less abrasive but 10 times stronger; call (01797)367555 for stockists. It works by chemical reaction and can help reverse severe tarnishing. Slow down oxidisation on polished brass by applying clear wax polish; remove it with pure turpentine when brass needs to be cleaned. Cold lacquer helps prevent brass tarnishing but tends to break down after a few years. Remove it with paint stripper and then the lacquer must either be renewed - Rustins, (020) 8450 4666, supplies metal lacquer - or start polishing. Hot lacquer, baked on after manufacture, can last for many years and is useful on door furniture, but it too will break down eventually.

If you are choosing door furniture and wonder why one set is markedly more expensive than another, the pricey one is likely to be made of superior brass and have the lacquer baked on.