Solar Fixes
There are many alloys of copper. Bronze is comprised of copper (60%) and tin (40%). If you add about 10% zinc to copper, though, you get something rather unique called brass. 
What makes it unique, among other characteristics, is its resistence to salt water corrosion. This, in addition to its strength, is why most faucets in the home have brass underneath. (If you don’t believe me, take a discarded faucet to the grinding wheel and see what’s underneath, even if it is silver in color.) 
In fact, taking a silver-colored faucet to a wire wheel will remove any electroplating and reveal, often, a beautiful brass underneath. We did this to a piece we obtained from an antique house and found ourselves a gem that now adorns our bathroom.
Isn’t it interesting that many fixtures aboard old wind-blown vessels were made of brass? Now we know the reason. We can also be grateful for its beautiful color, reminiscent of the sun that makes it glow brighter than surrounding objects because it reflects strongly in the sun’s spectrum of colors.
For this latter reason, raw or polished brass is a good choice in a home or room that does not use fluorescent lights. So called “natural” lighting, or incandescent lighting, gives off a spectrum of color that more closely matches what brass naturally reflects.
If you’re thinking along these lines, be sure to browse the brass options available at Knobs, Hinges and More, where you’ll find brass fixtures from Avante, Bellwith Keeler, Brass Accents, Brass Elegans, Colonial Bronze, Colony Mailboxes, Deltana, Perrin & Rowe, Rohl and Schaub.
Add comment May 11th, 2007
