Restoring Hardware For Cupboards

A. If you really want to save the hardware, either because it was very high quality, or it has sentimental value, or you can't match the dimensions, it is certainly possible for a plating shop to strip and refinish.

But, as for doing it to save money: unfortunately, for certain items like hardware, the cost of finishing is a substantial portion of the cost of manufacture, and the cost of refinishing small lots (specialty, hands-on) is far higher than the cost of finishing large lots (automated). You can guess the conclusion: it often costs more to refinish hardware than to replace it.

There is nothing that you are going to be able to do at home with a paint that is really going to look metallic. But if you can strip the old lacquer, and the brass plating or the solid brass is sound, you may be able to shine it up a bit and re-lacquer it.

Thank you very much for your information, Mr. Mooney. I am guessing I would use lacquer thinner [on eBay or Amazon] to strip the lacquer and then what would I use to shine the brass with, Brasso [on eBay or Amazon]? I'm a complete novice at this type of thing.

A. Yes, after you've stripped the lacquer with lacquer thinner [on eBay or Amazon], you can clean up the corrosion and dirt with Brasso or something like that. Getting a mirror-like finish involves many iterations of using ever finer abrasives, and may be far too much work for you; also, if the finish is only plated, you don't want to wear through it. But if a bright, metallic, but somewhat matte finish, rather than mirror finish, will suffice, there is no reason you can't quickly clean up the hardware with an old toothbrush and a scotchbrite scouring pad and just about any of these products.

A. You can remove the lacquer and polish the brass with any of the available products listed in the other letters. There is also a product called Revere copper cleaner [Ed. update 2023: no longer available] . It will leave a slightly dull surface. There will be no visible scratches. Just a smooth luster. And there is a brightener in the cleanser which actually etches off the tarnish and activates the surface. It will tarnish.

If you want to produce a more realistic "Antique" finish, try this: After stripping and polishing the hardware, suspend the clean hardware over a pan of ammonia. You will have to check periodically to watch the progress of the tarnish. When the color is to your liking, you can use a very mild abrasive like Soft Scrub [affil links] on your fingers to wear off the tarnish where it would be touched in normal daily use. When the effect you want is achieved, bake them in an oven at 375 °F. This will bring out the yellow in the brass. Then finish the parts with lacquer. Use an epoxy lacquer!

This will give a real "Antique" look rather than a brushed tarnish look. Eric Morris
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Thanks, Eric. I had enough background to give Ms. Persing some general guidance, but there is no substitute for your exacting hands-on knowledge.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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A. First you need to know what it is, Seth--solid brass or brass plated steel. Only brass plated steel could be stripped and blackened even in theory (brass plated steel would be magnetic).

But even then it's not a do-it-yourself job to do a real black oxide finish (although you could paint it black); and while a plating shop could fix it anyway you like, this often costs more than new because there is an awful lot of manual labor involved in onesy-twosy stripping and plating. But good luck.

A. Hi Deborah. Hopefully it is lacquer; if so, lacquer thinner [on eBay or Amazon] will remove it and then you can re-lacquer them. If lacquer thinner [on eBay or Amazon] doesn't work, Aircraft Stripper will, but it absolutely demands goggles [on eBay or Amazon], rubber gloves [on eBay or Amazon], and working outdoors with good ventilation. Good luck.

Regards,