Introduction
William Shakespeare once wrote “To be or not to be that is the question”
Alas we cannot improve on Billy the Bard’s quotation, but we do ask
To Polish Or Not To Polish – That Is The Question?
This is perhaps one of the most controversial and sensitive areas associated with antiques. Some specialists will say to polish whilst others will say not to polish, so there is little wonder that confusion exists.
Patina is often incorrectly defined and dirt and oxidation are usually not patina. In the case of copper, the lovely green surface is composed of copper carbonate and known as verdigris and incorrectly referred to as patina, is not only eating away at the copper it can also cause nausea and vomiting if eaten.
Metal Polishing Myths
What is good metal polishing practice?
Is it true that the metal polishing industry deliberately perpetuate some of the myths and bad practices? In some cases perhaps, whilst in other cases it may just be common errors of judgement.
In this section we have listed some of the most frequently answered questions about polish and polishing.
A full list of questions concerning good metal polishing and care practices can be seen in our Antiques Care Handbook and also our Metal Care Hanbook.
Myths, Half Truths and Lies
Antiques Should Never Be Polished
Absolutely not true.
An old piece does not necessarily have to be dull and dirty.
Most antique brass, copper and silver came from homes where servants were paid to polish these pieces. Should an item not be polished to a high lustre shine it would inevitably have led to the dismissal of the servant responsible.
You can polish silver but do it gently
Take extra care when cleaning the hallmarks to prevent unnecessary wear
How can one prevent or remove oxidization?
Antiques need to be restored and preserved. The aim is to maintain the original or factory delivered condition. Therefore, where applicable they need to be polished carefully, then protected by a museum quality wax and placed into a clean environment, where they will not be handled.
Over-polishing is another issue altogether.
These hallmarks are beginning to loose their clarity due to over polishing or using too harsh a polish
A little grime should always be left in the cracks to show antiquity and allow for accurate dating. Always use the finest metal polish possible when dealing with antiques, and where cleaning is sufficient, that is all that needs to be done. Not too many people will be interested in an old piece of sterling silver, or brass if it is blackened with age and tarnished. Polish it with a quality metal polish and finish it with a good wax. It is as simple as that.
If a piece is going to be restored to its original condition, there is nothing wrong with that, because you are adding to its beauty.
Of course there are items that should never be polished.
Old tools in particular, normally do better in a used condition and so are not generally restored.
Black Pewter is not normally restored.
But with copper, if it is left to go green it will slowly erode away. Polish it, wax it, and it will virtually last forever.
Regular Polishing Is The Best Way To Protect
Absolutely not true.
Occasional and rare polishing is the best way to protect.
A museum quality polish is not only very tame as an abrasive; it gives a long enduring finish. This keeps polishing at a minimum. When dusting or cleaning is sufficient to maintain a finish, then that is all that is necessary.
A museum polish should contain a PH neutral wax, if it contains any wax at all. After polishing maintaining the finish should be achievable by occasional cleaning with a museum quality wax.
The use of abrasives in a museum or on antiques needs to be rare and minimal.
Fine Polishes Do Not Cut
Yes and no.
The ability for a compound or polish to cut depends on the shape of its crystals or particles.
What is governed by its size is how deep it can gouge.
Coarse grit may be fairly round and spiky, which will tumble rather than cut.
Many abrasives have wedge shaped edges protruding from triangular looking crystals. These slice easily. They can also dig into the surface.
However, a big round crystal that tumbles won't have a deep scratch. So the size of the crystal can be as important as the shape.
Coarse grit using one type of abrasive may be a finer cut than many finer grades even if it is the same type of abrasive. The manufacturer and the manner in which the crystals that form the abrasive are cultivated, define its shape and cutting ability or scratch.
Harsh abrasives and coarse cloths leave scratches in soft materials such as silver
Environmentally Safe And Low Toxicity Polishes Are Safe To Be Exposed To
Yes, no and maybe.Environmentally safe polishes may use mild acids that occur naturally as active anti-oxidants. However, large quantities of fine metal particulates are not environmentally or physically good, especially soft and heavy metals. Large quantities in the body system through skin absorption and inhalation can have some very serious and long-term effects. Alzheimer’s disease, brittle bones, loss of teeth and skin disorders are just the beginning of a very long list of disorders associated with metals.
Always use barrier creams, face masks and whatever other protection is necessary to avoid contamination. One of the main problems with environmentally safe polishes is that they are poor performers. For the acids to be of any real use they have to be quite concentrated. Then they become not so environmentally good and often quite harsh skin irritants, so really the same rules should be applied to all metal polishes. Another draw back of acid based polish is that they normally etch into the metals and cause re-oxidisation.
Protect yourself.
Using More Polish Is Best
More polish creates a smudging problem since fingerprints (human body oils) "dissolve" the solvency of the metal polish. Additionally, too much polish may discolour the surface. Only a trace amount of polish creating a thin film should be applied, rubbing in overlapping circles using only light pressure. Remove the residue in straight lines using a soft clean cloth and buff to obtain a high lustre shine. Repeat until the required surface finish is obtained, and finish by applying one or more layers of a microcrystalline wax.
Remember
• Using less polish gives better results
• Using more polish does not increase the shine; it only wastes polish and your money
If You Cannot See The Bright Side - Polish The Dull Side
Now that we know it is not a cardinal sin to polish antiques, we now need to consider what happens when we clean and polish a surface.
To explain this we need the help of a little technology.
When the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction are the same, the maximum amount of information is transmitted. This happens when the surface is completely flat, so the ideal surface is a straight line.
Ideally we want to achieve a flat surface, but in practice this is not actually possible, so we must be content with a surface that is as close to the ideal that can be achieved.
When a surface is examined through a microscope it looks something like a mountain range as shown below.
The uneven surface causes the light to be diffused and information becomes lost or muddied. This results in a dull or slightly out of focus effect. To improve matters we need to flatten the peaks to try to get closer to the ideal straight line. This will then reflect more light and become more shiny – exactly the effect we need.
The question is how to achieve this effect?
By selecting the correct polish, the peaks will be flattened and the troughs or valleys will be cleaned and filled with wax thus reducing the distance between the top of the mountain and the bottom of the valley. As this distance reduces, the flatter the surface becomes and thus closer to the ideal straight line.
Types of polish can be compared with grades of sand paper. The coarser the grade the rougher the surface achieved. Conversely, the finer the grade of sand paper the smoother the surface achieved. It can be clearly seen that the correct choice of polish is critical to achieve a smooth surface.
Museum quality environment friendly products are available using the latest technology that reduces the need to re-polish and thus making ownership of copper, brass, gold, silver and other items more friendly and less time consuming.
It is our belief that the popularity of stainless steel is due to a large extent on the one main principle that it is easier to keep in good condition and requires little polishing. Now that copper and brass are as easy to keep as stainless steel, we may see a revival in the use of these metals.
The most important thing about preserving antiques and precious metals is handling or at least the avoidance of it. Sweat is very acidic. Every time a metal is handled, unless some kind of preventive steps are taken, such as gloves or cloth, acid is transferred from the hand to the item, allowing the acids to begin the action we call tarnish or oxidation.
Now that the correct polish is being used and handling is kept to a minimum, the next major problem is caused by incorrect handling when polishing. We know that stress causes problems with the human body and needs to be avoided, so also with antiques.
Polishing - A Bright Idea
Machine Polishing
There are several accessory options for cleaning and polishing. Accessory brushes including bristle, carbon steel, stainless steel and brass can clean a surface effortlessly. Polishing compounds can be applied with a cloth, felt and bristle brushes. Cloth, felt, emery, impregnated accessories can be used for polishing and must be attached to the correct material.
1 The best polishing results will always be achieved with slower speeds and a light touch. Too much pressure can create surface scratches that will take longer to remove.
Slow Speed, Light Touch
2 To remove dirt from small crevices and hard to reach areas, bristle brushes are ideal! Rotary brushes should always be run at or less that 15,000 rpm.
Bristle Brushes For Crevices
3 Polishing compound is a solid material. Best results come from touching the slowly spinning accessory to the solid compound. To avoid swirl marks, use the compound sparingly.
Polishing Compound
4 A clean felt accessory will easily remove the compound and bring the item to a lustre.
Clean Felt Brush To Finish
5 Irrespective of the type of machine and buffing compound used, the shine will always be improved by hand polishing
Hand Polishing
General common sense will avoid many of the commonly seen problems
Choose your polishing cloths with care
If the cloth is too coarse it can scratch the surface of soft metals such as copper, gold and silver as well as the paintwork on the car
Select a ph Neutral environment friendly polish that is suitable for the material to be treated
Shake the bottle well before and during use to mix the components that will settle over time
Apply a small amount of polish to a soft polishing cloth
Firmly Support The Item
Do not rest it against a hard surface – typically a kitchen worktop. Instead place several layers of old cloth on top of the worktop to cushion the object. The worktop could scratch or deform the item, or the item could scratch the worktop
Incorrectly Supported
Always support lids that are hinged, to prevent the hinges from being overstressed. An overstressed hinge will result in the lid fitting incorrectly.
Do not polish delicate decoration, filigree and similar with a cloth. The cloth can become attached to the decoration and cause it to be pulled, distorted or broken. Instead, use a soft brush or cotton buds soaked with the polish. To remove the polish, use a clean brush or cotton bud and gently stroke the surface until clean and shiny
Polish gently with an overlapping circular motion
Always polish with a gentle overlapping circular motion. This will ensure a smoother surface than one always polished with a parallel motion. Grass lawns are also mowed in different directions to get a better surface – if it is good enough for Mother Nature; it is surely good enough for us.
Remove the polish in straight parallel lines with a soft clean cloth
Lightly spray with cold water to lubricate the surface and help remove microscope residue particles
Always finish with a good quality micro-fibre cloth and buff to a high lustre shine
Remember to have your sunglasses ready, because you will need them.
Happy polishing
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