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Tips on How to Paint a Different Color Over Brass

A fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to breathe new life into a variety of decorations around your home. Many people do not like the look of shiny brass and would love a way to camouflage the look. Painting brass can be tricky as a single coat of paint won't adhere to brass. You need to do some preparation before painting your brass.

Things You'll Need

Clean, dry rags
Cleaning product such as 409
Water
Liquid sander deglosser such as Crown Quart Liquid Sander/Deglosser
Acetone
Metal primer such as Rustoleum Metal Primer
Fine grain sandpaper
Metal paint such as Rustoleum
Paintbrushes
Clear enamel or polyurethane
Rubber gloves

Instructions

- 1
  Clean your brass object thoroughly with a cleaner such as 409 and a clean, dry rag. After cleaning, wet a second rag with clean water and clean the object again. Allow to dry completely.
- 2
  Prepare the brass surface by applying liquid sander deglosser with a clean, dry rag. Allow to dry.
- 3
  Apply a coat of acetone with a clean rag following the liquid sander to further rough up the surface of the brass.
- 4
  Prime the brass with a primer designed to work on metal. Apply as many coats as needed to fully cover the object and allow each coat to thoroughly dry between applications.
- 5
  Smooth out any bumps or drips in the coats of primer with the fine grain sandpaper.
- 6
  Apply as many coats of paint designed for metal as needed to completely cover the object, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly in between.
- 7
  Finish with an application of clear enamel, if you used a light color paint, or polyurethane, for a darker color.

Antiquing