Camphor sea chest

[Tonyz]

This may have been one of the first Q I ever asked on this forum but things got delayed (procrastination :rolleyes:)
Anyway I have this old sea chest that had english newspaper from 1960's in it.
It was badly damaged and one of the first things I did was sand the hell out of it, it came up well then I waxed it but never didnt treat or something but in places you can still rub wax off it.
So how to remedy that?

then the hinges and catch were RS so I purchased (not bunnies crap) and there they sat.

I would like a way to 'antique' them rather than glaring new brass metal work

[Chief Tiff]

If they're real brass and not just plated steel you can age them several ways; sanding off the shine and soaking them in vinegar, heating them up with a blowtorch until they oxidise or simply throwing them out on the lawn for six months or so!

Just be aware though that artificially aged fittings stand out like dogs pods unless you also distress them a bit and knock off any crisp edges that show.

[Tonyz]

thanks chief, and if they are just plated ?:(
how do I tell the difference?

[Chief Tiff]

thanks chief, and if they are just plated ?:(
how do I tell the difference?

If they’re plated steel they’ll be magnetic; wave a magnet at them.

If they’re steel all is not lost; you can still make them look period-ish. Hit them with a blowtorch to get them good and hot (glowing dull red if you can) then quench them in cold water and leave them out overnight to attract the rust fairy. Then you have a couple of choices; brush them with any phosphoric acid-based rust remover/converter and paint them with black enamel. Or; just brush them with Feronite which is a different type of rust converter (NFI what is in it but it turns rust a purply-black). Metal fittings were usually painted black to protect them but I have seen some really old iron fittings that were “protected” by a heavy coating of scale and it wouldn’t have been too hard to rust-blue them and keep them oiled or varnished. You want them to have a flash of rust on them as it gives texture to the metal surface.

[Tonyz]

appreciate this, cheers