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Lightening oil-rubbed bronze finish

I ordered several items with an "oil-rubbed bronze" finish. Some are basically black, which is not what I wanted. I was hoping for more of an antique bronze look. Rubbing with steel wool, copper polish, or Brasso ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] didn't do anything. Is there something I can use to make them look like a metal, not black?

Jenny Purcell
- Bellingham, Washington, USA
August 30, 2008

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Hi, Jenny. Try getting a soft buffing wheel for your electric drill and some polishing compound. If you cannot buff away the black and reveal copper underneath it, it's probably paint or some kind of PVD lifetime coating rather than oil-rubbed bronze. If someone advertises something as gold and it's just gold paint, the state's attorney general will be on them immediately. Unfortunately, if someone advertises something as chrome or oil rubbed bronze and it's just paint, there may not be much you can realistically do.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
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September 5, 2008

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