Cabinet hardware corroded; replacement not available

[Joe Pack]

All of our kitchen, bath and utility room cabinets are cherry. Two things have happened over the past 28 years, both of which lead to problems. #1 - the cherry has darkened considerably. #2 - the cabinet hardware has worn and corroded to the point that my sweetheart says it has to go; she is tired of looking at brown-green where antique brass used to be.

The kitchen hardware (Amerock) was not terribly expensive when we bought it in 1981, but it was somewhat unique...a 'pitcher' type cabinet door handle and coordinating drawer pull with integral backplate, both of which had a somewhat unique shape. Add that mounting surfice shape to the off center construction of the door handle to the darkening of the cherry surrounding the pulls and handles and you now have an idea of my problem...cherry doors and drawers with light spots that I can't cover up.

I have spent a minimum of 10 hours on-line and in cabinet shops trying to find pulls and handles to cover these spots entirely. I have also looked at backplates to cover them, using handles or knobs on the backplates. The problem is that the backplates are either so large that they are almost obscene or are too short on one end (the pitcher pull was not centered on the 3" screw centers as the backing plates are.

One option I have been made aware of us having the existing hardware refinished. My problem is that my past 2 hours searching the web has produced only industrial replating companies, none of which look like they would do my little (60+pulls, plus, maybe, 90+ hinges).

I am looking for sources that might refinish my original hardware. Or, I am looking for reasonable, good-chance-of-success methods of doing something similar myself. Any suggestions? (I am in northern Ohio, but will do business anywhere I have to.).

[Joe Pack]

To clarify, if the existing hardware is removed and replaced with hardware with a smaller footprint, the area previously covered by the original hardware is lighter, which will look terrible. That is why I'm looking to have the existing hardware refinished...they just don't make 'em like that anymore.

[Tom Henderson2]

Hi Joe-

A couple thoughts....

Would painting the existing hardware be an option?

As for refinishing/replating... somebody that restores vintage cars may be able to help you find a plating shop that will take a small job like yours. Or a local antique restoration place...

Just thinking out loud. Good luck.

-TH

[John Sanford]

Is the plating worn off, or has the lacquer clearcoat simply worn off allowing the brass to tarnish? If the latter, then head down to your local VFW and get some pointers on polishing brass, put in some sweat equity and apply a new clearcoat. Total cost? Probably about $50 for a couple pints of Brasso, polishing cloths, etc. Oh, and a few drinks at the VFW. :D

[Paul Atkins]

Amerock probably is not solid brass. Powder coating are pretty tough and come in all sorts of colors with 'reasonable' cost compared to plating.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

The problem is that the backplates are either so large that they are almost obscene or are too short on one end (the pitcher pull was not centered on the 3" screw centers as the backing plates are.

I used fender washers for backplates.
Degreased them by boiling them water w/a spurt of dishwashing liquid.
Ran a wire wheel over them to rough up the surface.
Hit them with 4 light mist coats of metallic spray paint.
Cost about $.06 each and look better than store bought ones costing > 10 times as much.

They've help up so far to 4 years of hard use in a rental.
(Is there any harder use?)

[Tom Majewski]

You could take the hardware to any local hot rod shop or metal shop and have them soda-blasted or glass beaded. The brass would have a matte / satin finish depending on the abrasive. Clearcoat after that.

Or a reason to buy a new toy yourself.
http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=14788&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=608&iSubCat=610&iProductID=14788

[Joe Chritz]

Sand blasting or bead blasting if the stuff is really bad. I expect the brass plating is already to bad to be able to polish it so starting over and giving it a finish is probably the best step.

Gloss black would look good on aged cherry.

Joe

[Bill White]

Chances are that the hardware, Amerock or any other, is made from zinc. I think that your'e chasin' a ghost trying to remedy something that old (kinda like a hair transplant).
Bill

[David Keller NC]

Joe - Chemical engineer here with a passing interest in plating (both electroplating and chemistry-based plating). You've a number of options, but the first thing you must determine is if the existing hardware is plated or solid brass, and if it's plated, what the underlying material is.

The first pass at this is to take one of the pulls and one of the back plates off and run a file over the back side (or a little 220 grit sandpaper). This will instantly tell you if you've solid brass or plated components. If it's plated, you're likely going to find that certain components are steel, and others are zinc or "pot metal". Distinguishing this is pretty easy - place the components in the same room as a hot shower or two, with the shiny spots left from a file or sandpaper face-side up. The steel, if present, will rust immediately. The zinc will turn grayish.

If you've plated comonents, I'm going to suggest that your first pass at this should be to try to clean up the plating. And I would do it chemically - such plated components would've been electroplated, and the plating will be quite thin, meaning that glass-beading, scotch-brite pads, etc... will wear right through the plating. There's a number of products commercially available to consumers that are "instant brightening" for brass or bronze.

If this doesn't result in what your significant other considers acceptable, then re-plating, anodizing or painting are your only options, other than paying to have reproductions made (that's big bucks). What I might suggest is that you explore gold-plating the components. There's a fair number of gold chemical plating kits out there, though you will have to figure up the cost and see if it's worth it to you.

Unfortunately, replating brass is difficult for the home person. Most of these commercial components are sputter-coated or electro-plated using complex chemistries, and that requires a vacuum chamber (or the complex chemistries), which is really not practical for a home user. However, you could copper-plate the components - this is relatively easy to do with a copper sulfate solution and a car battery. After electro-plating, you will then have to coat the components with laquer to prevent the copper from turning black.

[mike holden]

Joe,
Check with your local Harley-Davidson dealer for a parts plater. Small shop platers can often do a gold plate as well as chrome (actually nickel with a verrry thin layer of chrome (grin for dkeller)). These small shops are used to doing small pieces and short runs - just what you are looking for. Mike

[David Keller NC]

Mike - That's a pretty good idea, I didn't think about auto (or motocycle) parts guys for this sort of thing. I'm not sure if Joe would care for chrome-plating, but it'd be by far the easiest thing to get done.

Joe - If the hardware does turn out to be a zinc/aluminum blend, and you want a darker finish, you might check with a few local machine shops about anodizing - that's a very common practice with aluminum machined parts, and I think it will work on zinc as well as steel. There's quite a few anodized colors available, and you might have a local metal treater that could do the job for you without charging a fortune.

[Joe Pack]

To all, I appreciate your ideas very much.

The hardware is not solid brass. I think it is a zinc composite that was coated in some way, then clear-coated.

I will try the Brasso option first, if I can talk my ex-Air Force buddy out of a few drops. Then...who knows....I sort of like the green patina. :-((