You all raise good points and I appreciate the responses. Pictures from her various tours of duty show different treatments to tops. In WWII they were, as was everything else, painted gray to minimize reflections. Other times they were white with blue anchors. That they were shined was confirmed by a visitor who said he used to do it.

I agree that tarnish/patina is not harmful and, indeed, helps preserve the metal. But that's not our way, the navy way, nor the way our supporting visitors like to see it. It's a bit of a trade off and we are conservative when we we can be. This is an 887 foot long warship. Everything is massive including the brass. The really big pieces are quite thick. It is those that we sometimes use power tools on. On the other end we use toothbrushes and soft rags to preserve plating, markings and other details.

These capstan tops are about 3/8 inch thick, without the tarnish. They, along with the anchor chains, are one of the first stops on the tours. They would definitely leave a lasting impression on all who saw them. The simple truth of the matter is that no one has had the time or the means to clean them up in years. They were, indeed, shiny at one point but now there are far fewer volunteers. I'm the only "Brass team" member that is able to work during the week, the others work on Saturdays only. So I can put time in on this project.

I believe the worn casting marks mentioned are the lettering on the braking wheel for the anchor chain. As far as I know the wear on the handwheels is from actual usage: These wheels are connected to large friction brake bands that tighten against the capstans shaft and control the rate of playout of the chain. Members of the anchor detail would man them.

As a rule we do not lacquer as it reduces the shine and is, as you say, a pain to remove. But, on some of the items on weather decks, it has proven to prevent tarnishing for 2 to 3 years.

I'm very grateful for the interest and help found in the forum. We are not professionals. We do this for love of the ship and are always open to advice and criticism. Please continue to keep me honest with your comments. I admit to getting a bit overwhelmed by the task at hand and maybe I'm getting brutish in my approach. Thank you for reminding me of the value of what I do.