Can weathered exterior lockset handles be sandblasted and electroplated?

Here's my issue. I live in Florida and have multiple Andersen exterior lockset handles which have weathered very poorly. The cost of replacing each handle is approximately $75 (insane). And I can't replace them with another manufacturer's locksets due to the unique mechanism of these doors (wind rated with built in locking mechanisms).

I was thinking that I could easily purchase an inexpensive sandblasting cabinet and sandblast them. I was thinking I could then either find someone to electroplate them, or could somehow figure out how to do it myself.

Is this crazy, or is there potential in this approach?

What metal are they? steel or aluminum? its also likely very thin and even thinner with corrosion, you may find that blasting will just put holes in it.

take them off and clean them up with some sand paper, use a good self etching primer and rustolium professional paint. you may have to do this every couple years. if they are steel, i would use something like por15. you could also use a cold galvanizing spray if they are steel.

What is a self-etching primer? I’ve never heard of that. I’ll try to find out what they are made of, but I don’t have a clue. They are fairly heavy so I’m thinking steel. Also, the corrosion pattern reminds me more of steel, but I’m not at all sure.

I never thought that sand could blast holes in metal. Those little sandblasting booths are that powerful?

Is there a simple way to determine what metal they are made of?

try a magnet on it that will tell if it is ferrous , for what Anderson gets it should be made of brass and plated to resist corrosion .

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Originally Posted by Alan Lightstone

What is a self-etching primer? I’ve never heard of that. I’ll try to find out what they are made of, but I don’t have a clue. They are fairly heavy so I’m thinking steel. Also, the corrosion pattern reminds me more of steel, but I’m not at all sure.

I never thought that sand could blast holes in metal. Those little sandblasting booths are that powerful?

Is there a simple way to determine what metal they are made of?

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depends on the media and pressure. we use sand and water to put holes through oil well casings and into the rock, at 10000 psi and several bbl per min of flow rate through a tungsten orifice.

something like glass beads or walnut shell will be much gentler than the larger size/rougher/harder media.