How to Make Brass Lamps With an Antique Bronze Finish

Making brass lamps with an antique bronze finish requires only a few minutes but can change the entire look of a room. Bright brass finishes look glaring in an otherwise understated room, while an antique bronze finish blends with subtle elegance. Change the bright, sometimes garish finish of "builder's brass" to an antique bronze finish with antiquing solution. It's a fix that changes the lamp's entire look and prevents having to replace expensive lighting fixtures.

Rubber gloves
Fine steel wool
Lacquer remover
Clean soft cloths
Brass light fixture
Plastic tub
Antiquing solution
Water
Wax

Instructions

- 1
  Put on rubber gloves and dab some lacquer remover on a piece of fine steel wool.
- 2
  Buff the brass fixture with the steel wool and lacquer remover to strip off the protective clear coat on the brass. Wipe off any excess lacquer remover.
- 3
  Fill a plastic tub with ten parts lukewarm water and one part antiquing solution.
- 4
  Make sure the light fixture is unplugged, and remove all the external hardware and bulbs, then submerge the fixture in the antiquing solution and agitate to remove all air bubbles that could cause uneven antiquing.
- 5
  Watch the color of the brass deepen and remove the fixture when the color is to taste. Rinse the fixture under running water to remove the antiquing solution, then dry the fixture completely to prevent continued darkening of the brass.
- 6
  Buff the entire fixture with protective wax and a clean, soft cloth to keep the fixture from continuing to age.

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