apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

an auto body place could probably chrome them for you or paint them with autobody paint. or an antique stove refinisher (like antique stove heaven in l.a.) may be able to enamel them for you.

In our office we send out hardware for refinishing to Empire Metal Finishing in Astoria. Their number is 718.545.6700.

I think you will find that it is cheaper to replace them. My sister had hers turned to a nickel finish and it cost a small fortune.

The handle design is quite ADA friendly.

We replaced all of ours with these Schlage levers. I think they were about $30 at Home Depot.

http://consumer.schlage.com/products/Productdetail.asp?StyleID=40&FinishID=3&FunctionID=

oops, let me clarify... $30 each.

Try ebay for replacements. I changed all the hardware in my house -- including hinges -- for $210.

spray paint?

I have to agree with the folks saying to just bite the bullet and replace them. Refinishing would cost a lot and there's no guarantee the finish would last very long.

A suggestion is to take off the hardware tape off all the parts you want to keep clean and then bring them to an auto body to be sandblasted. The finish should be nice like a brushed aluminum and if need be just rattle can clear coat to protect finish.

A lacquer finish on brass never stands the test of time. The cheapest, pretty fix would be to:
1. Remove all handles and soak in lacquer thinner for a couple of nights. (You can buy this at any hardware store.)
2. Buy gun metal blue or bronze finish online. (about $30 for the amount you would need.) This finish gives brass a warm finished look & ages well over time.
3. Follow directions on packages. You must work fast & it is stinky & bad for you.
4. You will have a beautiful finish on the handles, which you can either cover with a thin wax coat or leave bare & have it rub off over time in the areas you touch.
Good luck!

Another vote for eBay. We recently bought 2new knobs from Home Depot for the same price as 7 matching from Ebay.

What sort of finish is on them now? I would try a smooth sand paper and rub in circular motion until the metal is all one colour. You should get a soft, even, brushed metal look.

when i said that you *should* get a soft, even, brushed metal look, i meant, *well... maybe* you'll get that.

i don't see the harm in trying though.

i'm curious to know what kind of metal is under the top coat.

First, I think you received some great ideas here!

I've got a mishmash of knobs in my house, so I've experimented a bit, and what works best for me is to a) remove any finish by stripping it off, b) have any scratches on the knobs sanded down so it's an even surface again (a friend has the equipment to do that and, in exchange for homemade cookies on a regular basis, has agreed to do them a few at a time), c) soaking them in 'metal darkening liquid' (available online), and finally d) hand waxing or oiling them. I get this really nice bronze-like finish which, while it isn't the modern stainless look currently in vogue, fits the period of this house nicely. And, while it's a bit of a pain, it's not expensive and I like the idea of using what I've got too.

I've had good luck with sanding by hand, using very fine grit, it's tedious but the results were like a brushed chrome

You can buy a brass or steel brush attachment for your drill, or better if you have a dremel tool, it would take a smaller wire brush attachment (for a less violent attack). Another drill attachment you could try is a flap-sander.
Joanne

Looking at the handle again, I'm wondering if it is aluminum. If so, it might be too soft to take a good brushed or sanded finish. Well, good luck.

Before you spend time to take them off and send them away with your $$ to someone else, i think you should try the "rust cleaning gel" which you can get in most hardware store ( i got my Homedepot) i find the gel form is the best because you can apply to the part you want only and it stays there plus is cheaper than spray on one. i used it to clean the window bars that's god knows how old it is and it works wonder, simply apply it and wipe it off later. the only part that is rusting is the dings, and you will need to apply a layer of sealer after you clean it otherwise it will keep rusting. good luck! and believe me the process is very enjoyable and you'll defiantly feel a sense of achievement afterward.

I think it really does depend on how connected you are to the idea of keeping things original, etc. Because "buying new" sounds easy if you say it fast, but for instance, if the circumference of the flange (methinx that's what you call that collar thing) of the new one is smaller than the old one, you'll have this strange place where the finish of the door is a little weird, and who knows if the hollow place in the door will accommodate it exactly, etc. So, for ME, I'd probably be tempted to get after it with that whole dremel tool idea.

But, maybe if you can stand to totally un-install it and bring it with you to the hardware store, and if it's a standard enough piece, the human cost could be LOADS cheaper.

NEVER under-estimate the human cost! And no, I'm not just talking about labor cost -- I'm talking about wear-and-tear on your psyche and your (for lack of a better word) soul.