Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

-----

Antique copper strips on cedar chest

We have an old cedar chest which is bound with riveted copper bands about 2 inches wide. We put a freshly tanned deer hide over it as a cover and used it that way as a table for some 2 years. When we took the deer hide off, the copper was very discolored with heavy green deposits and some corrosion evident. Is there any way to restore this antique short of removing and replacing the copper?

Thanks for any help,

Keith Hoover
hobbyist - Alexandria, Kentucky
2003

---

Hi, Keith. No reason to assume that cleaners made for copper like Brasso [on eBay or Amazon], Twinkle brass & copper [affil links], Copper Glo [affil links], etc., won't work until you try them, Keith. But if the bands are actually copper plated steel rather than pure copper, the plating may be too far gone (not there anymore), and you'd have to have them replated.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

---

My dog urinated on an expensive copper table. Now I have a spot on it. What can I do to make the table have a uniform look to it or clean it and restore it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks Brenda

Brenda Samuelson
Interior Designer - Clarinda, Iowa
2005