Most of the "modern" firegrates have a coating on them to "preserve" them. They usually deteriorate, flake, degrade or whatever. If yours has this coating, it can be stripped back to solid brass (assuming that it is?) with a metal polish or abrasive (steel wool?) and polished. The trouble is that once you polish, you need to repolish on a regular basis or find a protectant that can do a better job than the one you already (may or may not already) have. Or have one of the "downstairs" staff do it for you!

…. assuming that makes sense ………………. which it probably doesn't!

Polishing brass can be very therapeutic …… and time consuming!

Mike

Oh and opportunity to establish brass or plate..just for future reference. ..

Cream of Tartar mixed to stiff paste with lemon juice .

Apply and scrub with small brushes . Toothbrushes for detail areas .

Works in seconds .

Eye + hand protection advised .

Commercial mixes based on same ingredients used to be available . One make was AmWay (US)

MikeW

Diane DO NOT READ THIS !!

Only way to address women's logic is with men's logic.

Just get any old cleaning material, Brasso will be fine.

Spend 10 minutes polishing a bit then go off and do what you want for the next hour.

Storm into the house in an evil mood and curse that this is hard work and all you have to show for an hour and ten minutes is this. Waving said poker around.

have a cup of tea, 'calm down' and say this thing isn't going to beat me.

Outside again 10 minutes cleaning, one hour making bits.

Anyone who sends this post to Ower Gert is dead…………………..

Go to your boots get a packet of citric acid, mix in a large bucket put items into take out after a while brasso and tell dear wife what a clever person you are.

bob

Edited By Springbok on 11/01/2014 19:28:42

Autosmart "Smart Wheels" It is used for cleaning brake dust off wheels. Use it all the time for cleaning engine components etc, brilliant stuff. Spray it on, wash it off. Tell her it took you two hours and play to your hearts content.

I'm confused, how do you combine 'women' and 'logic' in the same sentence …………………?

Edited By ChrisH on 11/01/2014 21:47:05

JohnS & ChrisH,

Stop it please!

My sides are hurting and ready to burst.

Geoff – My day has been made with laughter.

Stick the bits in citric acid over night (the home brew shop should be cheaper than Boots, or try the garden shop), then a few minutes with the Brasso and an old tooth brush. Then get one of the clear coatings, preferably a heat proof one, you should be right for a few years before you need to clean them again. Ian S C

On the subject of "woman's logic", I'm reminded of the time, a few years ago, when I came home from work to find my wife thumbing through my latest, unread copy of Model Engineer. Not wishing to spoil her enjoyment of her new found hobby, I made a cuppa and waited patiently for her to finish perusing. Worried thoughts started to cross my mind of maybe having to share my workshop with her and the more terrifying thought of one of her 'tidy-ups' in there!

After about 10 minutes of seemingly intense study she looked up and exclaimed "what a cheeky b****r! Someone has put an advert in the classifieds saying ' top slide wanted for a Colchester Student'. " Puzzled, I asked her why she thought the advert was cheeky. "Well" she replied " it's obvious really, you model engineers are all old, he's just saying he's a student to try and get his top slide a bit cheaper!"

It still makes me chuckle when I think about it! Luckily for me her interest ended there and my workshop remains a disorganised, untidy haven only refered to by her as 'the Dark Side'!

Regards, Martin.