Metal finishing Q&As since 1989
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Home workshop d.i.y. plating
Q. I hope someone can be of assistance to me, I am currently doing some home restoration work on interior doors. The old fashioned door handles and lock cover plates are badly tarnished (copper / brass) plated, and I want to renew these surfaces. Will it be practical to do these small items in a home workshop, as commercial platers are not interested to do so few items. If d.i.y. is possible, I need a basic guide to get started and do this for myself.
Thank you,
Jeff G Bennetts- South Africa
2002
A. Dear Geoff,
I have been in the hardware / building game for over 30 years and therefore understand your problem. Unfortunately as the items in question are plated there is no form of restoring them to their former state. My suggestion is to visit a flea market where baby shoes are bronzed as in the likes of Hillfox Power Centre in Roodepoort (Gauteng).
Hoping to have been of service.
Regards,
PETER HOFFMANN>HANDYMANS FRIEND - GAUTENG
2007
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A. Thanks for the helpful answer, Peter.
Jeff, Peter is right that you cannot repair such stuff without replating, and replating is not for the great majority of homemakers & handymen ... but simple decorative electroplating is not impossible for those who are ambitious, patient, and who might enjoy it.
You would need to buy a nickel electroplating solution and nickel plate the items first (copper plating won't stick directly to steel or zinc). After the nickel plating you can do copper electroplating, or apply a brass-toned translucent lacquer.
But browse through the Metal Finishing Guidebook to get a general idea of what electroplating is about, and then ask questions here ... we have more than 60,000 topics about metal finishing in this forum.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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