I have this cheap binder clip from Amazon, which wasn’t actually cheap imo, but whatever. I like the cat. I’d like to keep using it, but the “brass” paint is rubbing off, and it smells like metal. I think it reacts with the oils in my hands or something. I’ve only been using it for a few weeks.
Is there something I can do to keep it looking nice and perhaps prevent it from wearing down so quickly?
Get clear coat spray. Test a little in a spot that isn’t visible to make sure it doesn’t react with the surface negatively. Spray some onto cloth that won’t leave behind fibers or you’ll be sad, then wipe a little on a corner and make sure the material and surface coloring don’t react or run.
After you’ve let it dry, check it.
Hang it from a wire or something so you can get all sides in one pass.
Spray clear coat LIGHTLY.
Like… SUPER LIGHTLY. One small pass. Let it dry. Spray from about 6-8 inches from the clip and move your hand in one direction smoothly… left to right or whatever. Don’t do the hairspray thing where you’re just dousing it.
Look at the clip again, make sure you’re not messing it up.
Spray again LIGHTLY.
You don’t want to build up a thick goop on the outside or it will be awful looking and you’ll ruin your thing.
Let it dry.
Don’t handle it while it’s drying.
Did I mention to spray LIGHTLY? (It will make all the difference).
Ive got an expert spray painter I can call on to help me with this.
Do you think I could repaint some of the brass color that has come off already?
You could, but I think that if you preserve it as-is, you’ll be happier.
I work on vintage guitars and other instruments. Wear and tear is called “patina,” which I’m sure you’ve heard. In years to come, you’ll come to enjoy that little bit that’s gone away… but if you try to fix it, it might get worse and you’ll end up like Calvin trying to cut his own hair.
😂 that’s a pretty good argument
On one hand, the patina of real brass oxidizing can be pretty nice. On the other hand, the ‘patina’ of brass-colored paint rubbing off of plastic or pot metal or whatever the Hell that thing’s actually made of… not so much.
So, you’re saying that OP, asking for advice on a simple clear coat, should just wing it and try to color match then paint the rubbed off copper themselves?
Cool. Great advice.
No, I said no such thing. Quit putting words in my mouth.
What I said – the only thing I said – was disagreeing with your rationalizing of the wear as somehow a good thing.
Alternatively, there’s always Shellac - it’s kind of a lost artform now but it’s a really awesome material to use.
It’s a lost art form because it’s not easy to work with and you often have to buy it from specialty stores to get the good stuff. It’s made from insect carapaces. I use it when refinishing guitars for an aged, amber appearance.
I’m not sure how much of a “lost artform” it can be when you can just buy a can of the stuff at Home Depot.
(Sure, that isn’t “the good stuff” as per @[email protected], but IMO it’s not a big deal. “Clear” and “thin” are the correct choices for OP anyway, so the only disadvantage to this premixed spray compared to buying flakes and mixing it yourself is that whatever is leftover in the can will probably go bad before OP has a use for it. Also, I’ve found spray shellac to be very easy to work with, but I suppose YMMV.)
Could always use clear nail polish
How does it clip?
It it’s simple, and you want, take a picture with a zoom lens from a decent distance away, straight on, with no angle at all. Then measure the height, width at widest point, and thickness.
If I have time after the holiday, I could craft that into a 3D model that you could provide to a place like PCBWay to have printed, or even machined in actual brass.
Posting that in a 3D Printing or CAD community might also find you a volunteer that could do this for you with a more definitive timeframe.
That being said, thats easy with a flat piece, but I’m not sure what I’m looking at as a “clip”.
Each flat part of the clip is about 1.5mm thick.
I’d love for the cat to live on as a 3d model to use for things even if a binder clip isn’t the end result. But the machine in brass idea very intriguing. I’ve got a few handy people at work I can ask if they know anybody nearby who does this. Can you CNC brass? Is that the same as ‘machining it’.
And flooding with comments but I’m bored ATM, here’s a premade model of similar style: https://www.printables.com/model/1001548-black-cat-and-moon-wall-art
Looks like there are a number of styles of these in case you weren’t aware: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807120439578.html
Yep, looks the same on the Amazon store. I usually get crafty stuff from AliExpress, but recently my orders are getting cancelled by my bank :/ so then I end up getting it on Amazon.
Very odd. I use a virtual number with an REI capital one there usually, no problems thus far, and I’ve ordered a lot (mostly electronic parts)
It was really frustrating.
When I’m back from holiday (in the new year) I’ll take a look at the pictures.
PCBWay can machine brass: https://www.pcbway.com/rapid-prototyping/cnc-machining/
You basically just upload the model and it generates a quote. Amazing how easy it is to order custom-made items these days
This is fantastic. Now I’m just looking at where to buy a spring that will fit.
Could use a spring from a chip-clip. If it’s too narrow, some washers or spacers would hold it in place. Or adjust the model to fit the spring. FreeCAD is a wonderful thing 😉
I don’t have time to smooth this out with manual tracing, but I did the best I could with the Lemmy posted picture and some automated workflow: https://www.printables.com/model/1120050-cat#preview.file.D5qTC
Wow! That’s so cool! Thanks so much! You’ve made my Christmas!
Hah, you’re welcome, just sorry I don’t have time to clean it up and smooth out those edges!
A clearcoat spray paint could work.
Do check what the optimal humidity conditions are first, since it can turn cloudy if it is too humid and that is very noticible on small objects.
also some of the “clearcoat” sprays I’ve found have flecks in them by design, and can only have a single letter hidden somewhere on the can difference from the ones without flecks in them. that was a fun learning experience.
Thanks for the tip on humidity. That’s definitely a problem in my area.
Yeah, I clear coated some tabletop minis over the course of a week and one time didn’t check humidity and ended up with some looking frosted because it was apparently 70% humidity when I sprayed them that one day.
Maybe a couple of coats of slightly thinned clear nail polish?
Don’t do this.
Edit: People, read my post. I’m saying this from experience. Don’t do this. Putting “maybe a couple of coats” of nail polish is a recipe for OP ruin their object if done poorly.
Don’t down vote me because you don’t like my tone. I’m trying to protect OP’s little treasure. Stop being so damned reactive and sensitive.
Haha, thanks for the care you took in outlining steps on your other post. I’ve definitely ruined stuff with the nail polish before. It’s just not very strong, and even if it is ok to begin with, it doesn’t last.
I promise I won’t do this 😂
Nail polish needs UV to cure properly and it becomes glassy and will break over time. It might bond with the surface of the clip and pull little bits of paint up with it, making it look worse… and that’s only if it doesn’t get gooped on and look runny afterward.
This person is correct.
I’ve finished, painted, sealed, and repaired enough stuff to know that “maybe try clear nail polish” is a terrible idea for OP.
Nail polish is very hard to get to go on smoothly over a large area and OP is very likely to end up with an uneven or marred finish. If you just put down nail polish, you are not going to get a lasting finish on much of any material without cleaning and degreasing it first.
I would clean/degrease (I don’t know what to use as I can’t tell what the material is). I would lean toward using some type of spray top coat (again, I don’t know which product because I don’t know the material). You still need to know how to spray on finishes, but I find it much easier to do well than brush on finishes.
So I found the link on Amazon and one of the listings says it is brass coated zinc alloy. The cat detail looks like enamel.
My best guess is to use a spray lacquer for enamel, such as this:
I suspect the “brass” over zinc that is on that clip isn’t just brass - if it were brass plated zinc, I’d be totally comfortable using that spray lacquer over it. Instead, it’s probably some type of brass colored paint (or paint containing actual brass.
This means that you have mystery paint (and mystery “enamel”) that you are trying to coat. Because of that, no matter what top coat you choose, there is a chance it won’t work well and the solvents in the top coat could melt/harm the clip.
But… if I were in your situation, I would try the spray above and cross my fingers.
If you go that route:
Gently dab a bit of rubbing alcohol somewhere that you won’t be too sad if it hurts the finish. Give it a little rub. If it doesn’t mess with the finish, then you’re probably good to use rubbing alcohol to do final cleaning before top coating with lacquer.
Spray a tiny bit of the lacquer on a something (like the corner of a paper towel. immediately rub it on a spot on the clip to do the same type of test. Is the finish ok? Then you’re probably good to proceed.
Before spraying, clean the clip gently but thoroughly with dish soap and water. Rinse well. Dry well.
Give the thing a good rub with a soft cloth and rubbing alcohol to get any other remnants/grease off the clip before painting.
Give the clip a light coat of spray enamel. Follow directions for ambient temperature and recoat time. Give it another coat a bit heavier. Maybe even a third.
Let it dry and cure for a long time. The lacquer will seem completely dry and “done” after a day, but it won’t be fully cured. Giving it time to fully harden before messing with it too much.
Other notes: dust is your enemy. It’ll stick to your top coat while it’s drying. Try to minimize dust and similar nasties.
If you haven’t done used spray cans much, learn to use them first. Do a practice pass on something you don’t care about. It’s really easy to put on too much and have your clearcoat run. No fun.
Just two cents here - not an expert. Brass that is unlaquered oxidizes and tarnishes extremely easily, and touching it with your skin/hands will certainly do that. If it used to stay shiny, the laquer or other coating probably has worn off. No biggie.
Get some brass polish from a hardware store and clean it up. You may want to hit it with some very fine steel wool first to clean off any remaining laquer/coat for an even polish. If you want to keep some parts darker, be careful and finicky to only polish what you want to brighten up.
Fresh clear coat or a laquer when you’re done would keep it looking shiny when done. Make sure all of the polishing compound has been completely wiped clean before you coat. Wear gloves when you polish to keep skin oils and salt off the material.
If you clear coat it as is, it will just be maintain the current tarnish, which doesn’t sound like your goal.
Personally I like how brass weathers and patinas. Google brass finishing to find guidance from the internet freaks.
I have a pen loop on this same notebook that is advertised as brass, and it’s not wearing like this is. I don’t think this is actually brass. It looks like it was maybe painted? Not sure, and I’m also not an expert.
Found one shop selling it on Amazon that says it’s “Brass Plated Zinc Alloy”, but other stores selling it just say it’s “metal”.,
Ya if very thinly plated and a high use item you may have just worn through the pretty part. Then the paint/coat options might be better if you want it to look new again. Seems like a lot for a little, but choose your battles I guess. Good luck!
Similar to the nail polish suggestion, they also make clear spray paint.
dip it in lacquer or epoxy, shave out the middle where the paper goes once it’s set?
Can I ask where to buy one
Another option: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807120439578.html
Dwpetzo Vintage Moon Cat Themed Metal Book Clip for TN Travelers Moterm Midori Notebook Accessories, Decorative Binder Clip for Bullet Journal Junk Journal Collage Page Holder Art Journaling https://a.co/d/2swgwht
I don’t know how much you want to spend or how many other things you might want to preserve. But they actually make specific lacquers for jewelry.
You can also find them on Amazon.
I bought the one on Amazon, it was absurdly expensive for what it is, but I wanted to protect a slice of meteorite from rusting.
That sounds like a super cool project! Do you have pictures?
I don’t, but all I did was buy a cut price of meteor and some decorative wire and pliers. Practiced wrapping it until it didn’t look awful, then dipped it in the lacquer.
I seriously think No.
This is a mixed-material piece that looks good but is going to be destroyed regardless. Modgepodge, lacquer, shellac, varnish, clearcoat… they’re all going to wreck it. There are too many “metal coatings”, films, paints and so forth on this. Just use it and throw it away, looks like it’s cheap Chinesium
There are brass paints you could apply and then seal it with any of a variety of products. I use something called Protectaclear, but you could get a cyanoacrylate spray, or something like that. Don’t get something cheap and generic because who knows what crap they might put in there.
What about Etsy and paying someone to recreate something similar in a better material?
That sounds like it would get very expensive very fast.
Yeah, I don’t have the money to do a custom request like that. But I do have the time to fiddle around with my own pet projects, and a little amount of money to get crafty with.
This looks like it would be great as a stamp. Lots of relief.
I agree. Would love a stamp of this.
See if you can find a community college class or go to an art center and see if they can help you out
Much more involved but you could give it a resin or a CA glue finish. That would involve some hand sanding and polishing potentially but would be way stronger
I’m willing to put in some work if it will last. Do you have more details on how to do this?
Also, do you think I could repaint some of the brass color that has come off so far before I do this?
If you have clear nail polish that would probably work. Otherwise I’d buy a clear acrylic spray paint, probably glossy finish, but any would work.
