Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Can I re-plate brass-plated dresser pulls?

I have a mid-century modern dresser with brass-plated pulls that are tarnished. I've tried to polish them with no luck. The pulls are not magnetic, I scratched the inside of one and it looks like silver metal underneath. I can see silver metal through a worn area on the outside of one of the pulls. I have read with plated metals that re-plating does not give good results. If I send to be re-plated, will they look alright? What do you recommend? Thanks.

Virginia Stark
None - Hilliard, Ohio, USA
May 27, 2009

Hi, Virginia. They are probably zinc die castings. You'll probably find replacements cheaper than replating due to labor costs on onesy-twosy plating compared to the pull manufacturer plating thousands at a time.

But if they are worth the cost of replating to you, I feel they can be successfully replated.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
June 19, 2009

Thanks very much for the advice, I decided to try one more time polishing. Dunked them in some boiling water first and lo and behold, a varnish coating popped off. Then with a ton of brasso and a lot of elbow grease, I managed to finish with a pretty good-looking polish job. I applied a coat of lacquer, re-installed and they look good enough for me. But I must say I will never try that again, very hard work.

Virginia Stark
- Hilliard, Ohio, USA
August 26, 2009