You never get it clean on the inside. I wonder if there is a place you can have it done in a bath. You can always spray paint it.

Aren't these supposed to have a patina? To make it totally bright brass would remove alot of the wonderful detail. I beileve handmade pieces like this have solder and imperfections anyway, so since your have put so much into polishing it this much, perhaps now you could consider adding some/leaving some patina, and maybe even lacquering it keep it from tarnishing again.

I did a search and this looks promising--equal parts lemon juice and vinegar, followed up by metal polish:

http://www.andalucia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=26031

Have you tried Bar Keeper's Friend? Not sure if it would help, but it's cheap and it may just work! Plus, you can use it on many other items in the household. Not sure about Vinegar, but I know if you soak copper in vinegar, it does release the tarnish. I'll look it up real quick. That way, you could at least totally submerge it in a tub and give yourself a break, before scrubbing again.

HI --- They are supposed to have a tarnished look to them . Sometimes that rustic finish is built into the metal to give them the old look because that is the style and what most people want .So you may never get it to the new brass finish look.

How to Clean Brass With Vinegar & Salt
X Bridie Cavanaugh Bridie Cavanaugh is a freelance writer and business analyst living in the Boston area. Her writing has been published on eHow and several pet and travel websites. She has experience writing reviews, technical documents, business requirements and training materials. She holds an undergraduate degree from Regis College and an M.B.A. from Suffolk University.

By Bridie Cavanaugh, eHow Contributor

Clean brass naturally Over time, the surface of brass will oxidize and dull. While some people like this tarnished look, others prefer a shinier brass. To get rid of tarnish, polish your brass naturally with salt and vinegar. Prior to cleaning your item, test that it is composed of actual brass and not brass-plated steel. Brass-plated steel requires a different type of cleaning. Pure brass is not magnetic, so if a magnet sticks to the brass, your item is probably brass plated.
Bucket
Salt
Vinegar
White flour
Bowl
Cloth
Show (3) More Instructions

1
Soak the brass item in hot water. If the item is too large to fit in the bucket or sink, spray it with the water.

2
Form a paste by mixing equal amounts of vinegar, white flour and salt in a small bowl.


3.Apply the paste directly to the brass with your fingers. Let the mixture sit for a 30 minutes to one hour.

4
Thoroughly rinse the salt and vinegar paste from the brass with water.

5
Dry the item with a clean cloth. Use the cloth to gently buff the brass to a shine.

Thank you SO MUCH, everyone!! I'm going to try the vinegar and salt soak to try and even it out a little. Then I'm golng to let the natural patina process take it's course and I'm sure it will look much better. I really HAD to polish this lamp up because it was like black and looked really terrible and junky looking. It had been outside for decades. I'm confident once it starts to patina again, that it will look much better. I'm so glad I found you guys and this site. You are all AWESOME!!!!! Your comments are MUCH APPRECIATED!!! Thanks again!!

We had this lamp when I was just a tot. Mom tried everything to get it looking presentable. Deflated by numerous attempts, she called the local museum. She promptly mixed the ingredients they recommended and wawlaa!!! I wish I knew what she mixed up, a call might save you :)

It didn't happen to have a lucky genie inside, did it????? I wish I'd seen this post sooner, I would have recommended a product called Brasso.

Looks beautiful! I once polished the brass balls at the top of my iron bed's bedposts and hated them shiny. It took a year before they had the dark patina and I haven't touched them since.

Looks beautiful! I once polished the brass balls at the top of my iron bed's bedposts and hated them shiny. It took a year before they had the dark patina and I haven't touched them since.

I think polishing the patina off ruins

That looks fabulous. Hard work pays off. So it was solid brass not metal dipped in brass?