Durable Coating for Brass

Question:

I am the plant manager of a brass fixture manufacturer. I remember seeing a reference in the recent issue to a clinic article in a past issue of Painting Clinic. Did you by any chance mention in the article a good product and process to be used to clearcoat brass? If you did, please e-mail that clinic session so I can discuss it with our coating line manager. We’ve experimented with products from several paint and powder suppliers but the finish seems “cloudy.” We are trying to come close to a crystal clear finish which one of our competitors offers on his brass products. R. P.

Answer:

Actually R. P., Painting Clinic had several questions regarding durable clear finishes for brass over the past several years. Unfortunately, none of them mentioned a specific product because that would be against the policy of this column.

There are many durable clear coat products available for protecting polished brass. Before applying an organic protective coating, polish the brass surfaces to remove corrosion products. Next, remove all traces of polishing compounds, oily soils and other contaminants. It is very important that the surface be prepared properly to maximize coating adhesion. Then coat the product immediately after preparation. The coatings can be applied by brushing, dipping or spraying. They can be conventional coatings, waterborne coatings, electrophoretic coatings or powder coatings. Suppliers of these coatings are listed under the various categories in the Products finishing 2005 Directory and Technology Guide and online at www.pfonline.com/suppliers.html. I’m sorry that I can’t give you specific product names.