Clearcoating brass after polishing

[skipmac]

I am refinishing an old brass bed and want some advise on finishing or clearcoating the brass after it is polished. I am following the instructions in the buffing manual and my test pieces came out quite well. Reading through the forums I see some clues to the sealing process but most of the questions seem to focus on aluminum or other metals besides brass.

1. Degreasing - It seems like I need to clean or degrease the part before clearcoating. I have seen various products mentioned, acetone, SP Degreaser, etc. Which should I use for this application?

2. Which clearcoat product - The info on the Caswell website for the VHT products again does not mention brass as far as I could see. Are the VHT products safe and suitable for brass? If so, which one should I use? I do not have the facilities for hi-temp baking but could beg/borrow/steal an infrared heat lamp. My goal for the finish is maximum lifespan (so I don't have to repeat this process anytime soon) and non-yellowing finish to maintain the color. Ultra tough finish should not be necesarry as I don't expect a bed to see wear and abrassion like a bike or car.

3. How much (or how many cans) clear coat should I need for the project? This is a fairly large, kingsize bed. If the answer is 10-15 spray cans is the product available in quarts that I can thin and spray with my own paint gun?

Thanks
Skip

[Snakedriver]

The only clear coat available for copper bearing metals that could be considered permanent is Incralac. INCRA is the International Copper Research Assoc.

E-mail me off line for a website that sells this. Its about $25.00/Qt and the advertized life of the coating is about five years. Maybe many more if its going to be in a dark bedroom.

Good luck.