| Search our quarter-million Q&As |
Home of the finishing HOTLINE since 1989
-----:Refinishing Oil Rubbed Bronze
Quickstart:
Oil rubbed bronze is a finish which is done on copper, involving chemically darkening it then letting the wear surfaces get lighter through actual use while the recesses stay dark -- this is called "a living finish".
More often though, the blackening is burnished from the high points in the factory to simulate such wear, then the item is clear coated to preserve the finish as shipped.
Sometimes "oil rubbed bronze" is just a warm brownish paint color though.
Q. I recently applied hardware to a door with a US10B (oil rubbed bronze) finish. Most of the hardware industry uses a finish that simulates this look but this particular hardware is actually OIL RUBBED BRONZE. The problem that I am faced with is that the protective packaging that we use damaged the finish. My question is; is there a way to refinish this hardware on site rather than replacing it?
Neil Schoenherr- Reed City, Michigan
2002
A. Can't the hardware on-site be cleaned and "oil-rubbed" once again? I'd guess it depends on how long the finish dries, if it's not fast enough, people would be walking away from the doors with brown-stained hands.
Jake KochG. J. Nikolas &Co.,Inc.
Bellwood, Illinois
A. Hi Neil,
Liver of sulfur
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link]
or brass darkening solution ⇨
should restore a blackish color to any areas which lightened up. But send a pic to [email protected] for posting here, so we can see the situation.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. I also love the look of oil rubbed bronze fixtures, but imagine my surprise after investing a considerable amount of money to find out that this is known as a "living finish" and will wear off. One of the pieces was purchased on eBay due to delivery time restraints from the manufacturer and now I am sitting with a $330 Roman Tub Faucet that I cannot use. Any ideas on resolve?
Robin Butlerinteriors - Orlando, Florida
2004
A. Robin.
By "living finish" what is meant is that the finish interacts with the environment and the users to remain similar over the long term, but natural rather than static. Like a school ring, the factory oxidation will gradually burnish off the highest wear areas over time, but meanwhile the natural oxidation process is continuing to darken the lower wear areas.
So it's not clear that you can't use it as is, but for greater durability you can lacquer it or, for longest life, spray or brush an automotive clearcoat on it if you prefer.
Most of what is called oil rubbed bronze is copper plating, followed by chemical blackening, burnished in the factory to resemble wear, then clearcoated.
Good luck.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. Re. the US10B oil-rubbed bronze LIVING finish.
I'm considering about $1,100 of Yale door hardware in this finish for our new home. Has anyone lived with hardware or faucets in this finish long enough to describe the natural change process that occurs? Does the color become more coppery over time? Does it look "rusty" or corroded or does it develop a pleasing patina? Any pictures you can send me? Thank you very much.
- MANCHESTER, Tennessee
2005
A. Debbie, in principal it will become more coppery in the high wear areas and will turn brown in the areas of no wear. How well one particular run of one particular brand of door hardware will perform under one particular family's pattern of use in their geographic environment probably remains an unknown though. But I think we're talking about change over years, not weeks.
Still, unless the hardware is advertised as a "living finish" it probably isn't, but is a clearcoated or PVD coated static finish instead.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. Can one purchase an oil rubbed bronze repair kit that allows you to repair scratched or damaged oil rubbed bronze? Also -- our handyman sanded an area of our exterior door and sanded the finish off areas of our oil rubbed mailbox. Is there a way to re-apply that finish as well?
Garrison Hull- Warm Springs, Virginia
2006
A. I wasn't personally aware of kits specifically for that purpose until recently, but now I am seeing that Barry's Restore It All offers them.
You can darken copper with brass darkening solution
⇦ on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil link] -- it will impart a general brown-black coloration.
If the handyman sanded all the way through the copper plating and got down to bare steel, it's a bigger job because steel won't darken like the copper plating, in which case touchup paint might be best.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. Refinish Oil Rubbed Bronze Fixtures? On my most used fixtures, the oil rubbed bronze is turning copper. I want to refinish it to the original look. What can I use.
Thank you,
hobbyist - Schaumburg, Illinois
2007
A. We are using oil finishes in our production I have never tried to do it on Brass surfaces as we have chemical aging techniques to do it much easier, but the main idea behind the finish is following. You heat the part or parts let's say in a wood fire; then when the part is heated you dip it into oil, which can be used oil also like used car engine oil or whatever is cheaper to get. You should be careful as the oil could ignite, I suggest a metal receptacle and a metal cover if it really starts to burn. The temperature of the metal part you keep in the fire should be more than 300 °C about so you should keep the products about 15-20 minutes in a good fire.
After you dip the hot products in oil the oil will burn onto the surface of the metal, you could try a few times before doing it onto your final part with some metal parts which you aren't afraid to destroy.
After the oil is burned onto your metal part you need to wait to cool down and you need to dry the extra oil on the part left after taking it out from the oil tank; this can be done with saw dust or with a dry cloth, be very careful use protective equipment and do it in a open space because quite lot of fumes are generated by the process.
- Sg. Mures Romania
March 9, 2008
A. Hi Carolyn,
We thank Istvan for this detailed description of oil rubbed bronze, but I'm pretty sure your fixtures were chemically blackened. You can try brass darkening solution and follow it with brass lacquer.
Two-component automotive would be longer lived than lacquer is you want to try that. It's usually sprayed by body shops but you can mix it in a disposable cup and apply it with a disposable brush if you wish.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. I have purchased and installed over the last few years several oil rubbed bronze bathroom fixtures. I have well water which seemed to dis-color the fixtures. Actually, the water has removed the finish leaving part of down to the bare metal. Any way to put color to these areas?
Sally Donnelly- Boulder Colorado
March 8, 2009
A. The finish on copper products is very delicate and quickly damaged from improper cleaners and cleaning pads.
Advertisement:
BarrysRestoreItAll offers a kit called the Copper Patina Repair kit which quickly restores the brown oil-rubbed' finish or black finish to all bronze, brass and copper products and a colored wax to protect the finished product.
Barry Feinman - Chief Restoration Officer
BarrysRestoreItAll
Carlsbad, California
Q. Hello, just stumbled on your helpful site. Question: would your Copper Patina Repair Kit work for my scenario? The bathrooms in my house all have the black finish but unfortunately my well water has caused mineralization and a white coating to accumulate around the bases & stems on the fixtures. A Mr. Fix It guy recommended trying a lime & scale removal product (Lysol) but when I tried it, to my alarm it removed not only the scale & oxidation BUT THE BLACK COATING on the base of the fixtures, revealing what looks like copper. I'm horrified and wonder if I can re-finish these fixtures & how to remove lime & scale in the future w/o damaging the coating! Thanks - wish I had found this site earlier!
Dar Downingretired - Grass Valley, California
March 21, 2025
A. Hello Dar. Thanks for reaching out.
adv.
Yes, our Copper Patina Repair kit will restore an oil rubbed brown look all the way to black determined by the amount of heat you apply to the surface of the metal object pre and post application. Heat affects the darkness of the reaction on copper, brass and bronze. Feel free to contact us for direction and guidance. Also you can send pictures for consult to 760-846-3323.
Barry Feinman - Chief Restoration Officer
BarrysRestoreItAll
Carlsbad, California
Q. I was cleaning my front door with a bleach solution and it got on my oil rubbed bronze door handles and now they are dull and discolored. Any way to fix this? Thanks! ⇦ Answer?
Robin Gauthier- Pineville, Louisiana, USA
July 15, 2013
We have oil rubbed bronze his-&-her sinks in our bathroom and have had them for 10 years. At about 3 years, the beautiful brown on the faucet handles has turned yellow over time. My husband & I believe its mostly due to us turning the handles. Something from the oil from our hands. He uses the cold handle more and I use the hot more and it's obvious. It looks horrible to have the gold next to the brown. Also, toothpaste splatter can cause green specks in the oil rubbed bronze too. It seems high maintenance and is a pain to me as I don't need any extra work around the house. I bought some stuff to darken it up for furniture some sort of stain but it didn't work at all. Seems like it needs to soak in it forever but what a pain to have to take it apart to soak it...I don't recommend it.
- Meadow Vista, California USA
August 24, 2015
Q. We have had oil rubbed "bronze" finished faucets throughout our Victorian home for more than 11 years. All of the faucets look perfect except for the soap dispenser top that my husband soaked in God knows what to unclog it. The finish is ruined on that piece. I am looking for a restoration product or process. However, our faucets are Delta (Kitchen) and Price Pfister (baths) and they look beautiful. I have done nothing to them except clean them with mild dish washing liquid or non-bleach, non-ammonia kitchen and bath cleaners. Perfect! Really love them.
Pudgy's Mom- Ozark Arkansas USA
September 7, 2015
A. Hi, Pudgy's Mom. I think you might find that although your faucets are solid brass the soap dispenser was cheap plastic (that's what my set included), so I wouldn't be too harsh about your husband's attempts to clean it. If I were you I'd check Amazon, eBay, Craigslist for a replacement first ⇨
Spending hours, and a lot of money, trying to refinish something which might be a $20 piece of plastic colored to make it look like metal may not be the best way to go :-)
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
A. My painter got lazy and didn't remove my front door thumb latch door handle/combo deadbolt before painting. He tried to tape around it and of course, imperfectly. I removed the whole set and have razored off the paint. I now have a few scratches in the 1/16th of an inch where it meets the door.
Digging around for how to tint the scratches, I ended up reading this thread. I have two thoughts. One is a dark colored furniture wax. This would work better on frequently handled things. I might do a coat or two and then put some plain polish on top. Remember, a living finish will have shinier areas that show more of the base metal in its almost polished form. So it's probably better to embrace that and not try for a totally dark finish.
The other involves a hand-crafted lamp-maker that used old motor oil to create a darker patina on a number of metals from copper and brass to a tinned silver finish. Her lamps were sold in our gallery. She told me that if spaghetti sauce or another acid splashed on the lamp base and left a pink spot on copper, gold on brass, shiny silver on the tinned finish, that the customer should take a rag and pull the dipstick from their car and deposit a blob on the rag to wipe over the affected area and allow to "dry". These finishes looked great with a natural patina! They were darker in crevices.
I think if you had a real "spot" with hard edges, you could use some fine 00 steel wool
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] to soften the edges and then rub either the motor oil or dark furniture wax into the area.
I would advise either removing the fixture to work on it or loosen enough to put, plastic, tape or a couple of sheets of waxed paper to protect adjacent surfaces; think about this step carefully and use an appropriate barrier.
So think about the amount of handling the affected area will receive and choose a method that will not come off on people's hands.
- Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
November 16, 2016
Q. Can I protect the "living" oil rubbed finish by putting a top coat on it prior to installation?
Gina Machado- Queens, New York
June 22, 2017
A. Hi Gina. Probably. Brass lacquer or two-component automotive clear coat.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Faded siding or trim? Everbrite might fix it without repainting
Q. I have what I think is "rubbed bronze" kitchen taps that were looking a bit dull. I cleaned them too well (scoured!) and now they have a white film coating. They actually still look good when wet, but the film reappears when dry. Any clues, anyone, please?
Tessa Sisson- Marietta, Georgia - USA
July 31, 2018
A. Hi Tessa. although there is such as a thing as a 'living finish' as you read just above, I think most oil rubbed bronze on commercial products like kitchen taps these days is clear coated. People grow used to abrasive scouring because the traditional nickel-chrome finish is so abrasion resistant, but it can be too tough for organic (paint or lacquer) clearcoat finishes, and I think you've roughed it up.
The fact that it looks good wet is a strong indication that roughness is causing the loss of shine (which the water smooths out). I think you'll find that Everbrite [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] will make them look wet and a lot better. Although it would be preferable to get all the old clearcoat off first, doing that without losing the blackening might require really nasty strippers and probably require disassembly. So I'd just try the Everbrite. Let us know what happens. Thanks.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. We bought a house that is completely oil rubbed bronze and dated. Much of the finishes have worn off and I like it better with that patina. I'd like to get that look on everything. How do I remove the coating and black on purpose to get down to that warm brass bronze color?
Emma Powell- Riverton Utah
August 12, 2018
A. Hi Emma. Unfortunately, while you know what these finishes look like, you don't know what they actually are. Some could be paint, some could be actual oil-rubbed solid bronze, some could be copper plated steel or zinc followed by a sulfide darkening compound protected with a clearcoat of various types or left unprotected. Some could be super-hard PVD coatings.
If you can reach it with fine steel wool or extra fine sandpaper you can probably get most of those finishes off (except PVD finishes which might be too hard). But you have no guarantee that what is underneath will be bronze in color -- you may scratch through to bright nickel plating, bare zinc or steel. Chemical removal of unknown finishes is difficult and can be dangerous.
If you hate the existing finishes, and none of it is irreplaceable, and you enjoy this kind of craft work, by all means go for it! But expect some disappointments along the way 🙂
Luck and Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
A. Hi all ... First, Tessa, what you are describing is damaged work clear lacquer which may be lifting so looks white till wet. You need to thoroughly, remove and re-patina (if want), then re-coat with new clear finish.
adv. I would be happy to advise you on this process at www.barrysrestoreitall.com.
A. And Emma, assuming a true black patina finish under lacquer, you will need to strip the existing finish down to the brass or bronze base using water and a scuff pad like the 3M burgundy Scotch Bright pad. This will cause some scratching in the finish so you can create a satin finish using this pad by going in linear pattern or use '0000' steel wool to 'buff' out scratches to create higher shine. Finally, spray apply clear lacquer to protect (protect surrounding areas from spray. Good luck, sounds beautiful.
adv. We can advise from www.barrysrestoreitall.com
Barry Feinman - Chief Restoration Officer
BarrysRestoreItAll
Carlsbad, California
Q. I recently purchased an ORB front door handle by Rockwell. The handle, plate and lock are all solid black. How do I speed up the Living Finish look?
Tracy frey- Portland, Oregon, usa
April 17, 2019
A. Hi Tracy. It may not be possible. In my limited experience, a lot of "oil rubbed bronze" is not a true living finish. Much of it has a clearcoat on it similar to automotive paint clear coat, and some of it might be a black hard coat applied by PVD processes rather than a blackish oxidizing agent. It's a high-tech world where engineers are constantly busy trying to maintain particular looks which consumers like, while obtaining them via cheaper, faster, or better processes.
If the finish is a true US10B, and advertised as a living finish, you would need to find out from the descriptive materials or from Rockwell. It might be theoretically possible to speed the abrasion with a buffing wheel on an electric drill, or fine steel wool, but that doesn't sound very promising unless you are an experienced artisan.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. I want to buy a door handle that is dark bronze but too flat for my taste. Rocky Mountain and Sun Valley Bronze make patinas but they are expensive. How can I liven up a flat dark bronze finish? Someone said Gilding wax? Thanks.
Leslie smithdecorator - laguna beach, California, usa
February 5, 2020
A. Hello Leslie. We, too, are art restoration experts with focus on bronze and copper. As well, we make a kit, COPPER PATINA RESCUE, to restore and maintain oil-rubbed finishes on old weathered worn finishes as you describe.
adv.
Please check out BarrysRestoreItAll.com or give a call to 760-804-3778.
Barry Feinman - Chief Restoration Officer
BarrysRestoreItAll
Carlsbad, California
Changing oil rubbed bronze back to brass
Q. My kitchen drawers knobs are an oil rubbed bronze, and of course the knobs on the drawers we use most have worn off and now down to the gold finish (brass) underneath -- which I prefer. Can I use Brasso to remove the bronze finish?
Andrea Muchin- Oakland, California
November 11, 2020
A. Hi Andrea. Brasso is a brass polish containing, according to its SDS: pumice, isopropyl alcohol, and ammonia (and other stuff). I don't know exactly what you have in terms of oil rubbed bronze -- whether it's actually copper plating followed by selective blackening, nor whether it's clearcoated and with what.
So the answer is that, due to the abrasive pumice and other chemicals, yes, Brasso will eventually remove any clearcoat, blackening, and copper plating on it, but due to it only being a few percent pumice, it probably won't work nearly as fast as a more aggressive abrasive. If you're sure they're solid brass, not brass-plated zinc diecastings, you might try a coarser & purer pumice ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] with a scrub brush ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] and then finish up with the Brasso.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. Wanting a "raw" brass finish from a solid brass constructed lav faucet that only sells in chrome, satin nickel and oil rubbed bronze. Which finish is easiest to remove?
Steven Frost- Austin Texas
January 11, 2021
A. Hi Steven. 50 years ago your question would have been easy to answer ... we could have talked about getting the blackening off of the oil-rubbed bronze, or stripping the satin nickel, and how to remove chrome plating and then the underlying nickel. But today things are high tech, and finish names reveal only the general "look" that is claimed, not the actual metals involved.
Today I'd suggest sand blasting the finish off, then it won't much matter which one it was. But if sandblasting isn't available, buy the ORB, it should be easier to strip or sand.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. I have 13 year old Delta Venetian bronze bathroom fixtures that were beautiful in the beginning. Now they are worn with some soap scum, hard water and looks like clear finish is scraping off. They are much too expensive to replace, but I love them. Can you tell me how to restore them, please? Thank you!
I'm attaching a photo of one of my faucets for example of wear.
Nicole Gautreaux- Lafayette, Louisiana
January 10, 2021
A. Hi Nicole. Delta says there is nothing you can do.
Similar looking sets seem to be $400- $500 from discount big box stores these days. Obviously a plumber would have to charge not just for his labor but he'd need a markup on things he buys for you plus an allowance for 'insurance' because every once in a while something will go wrong that will cost him. So, yes, they are beautiful but quite expensive. You can get certified refurbished units from eBay which would probably about halve the cost.
Delta Venetian Bronze Fixtures on eBay (affil link)
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
If you're not bored of reading about Oil Rubbed Bronze yet, searching the site will reveal another two dozen threads on the subject 🙂
Sorry! Finishing.com is temporarily Read-Only.
Ted Mooney is retiring but I have several offers to take it over.
We're working hard to make sure we find it the best new home.