Remove Bonded Protectant Coating on Dirilyte

A. I have just purchased some Dirigold (bronze) flatware. It's beautiful stuff! Maas metal polish ⇨
works good for cleaning. You have to sit there and polish but the results are extraordinary! Happy polishing!

A. The Dirilyte company still sells their polish. They also offer a refinishing service where they remove the BP (bonded protectant) coating and polish the flatware.

A. I've removed the BP with jeweler's rouge ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] (while reconditioning) on a buffing wheel -- seems to work best after rubbing down with #0000 steel wool ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] -- a little labor intensive but it does a thorough job. A marine/epoxy stripper also seems to work but actually takes longer and is messier.

A. I purchased 25 pieces from the 1960's that were in bad shape with peeling BP coating. I used White Diamond Compound white buffing bar ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and a bench grinder with a felt buffing wheel. They now are beautiful. Took about 4 hours total.

A. Go to Sears and purchase their paint and varnish remover. Wear rubber gloves ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] when handling this product. Take a cotton ball and apply some of the paint and varnish remover to the Dirilyte pieces. Let stand for about five minutes then rinse off with cold water. After removing the protectorant, polish with Happich Simichrome ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] Polish.

A. I own an extensive collection of Dirilyte Flatware. It is a bronze alloy, (I believe nickel/bronze) and if badly tarnished, can be cleaned with Brasso ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , but wash before using. Maas metal polish ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] also makes a great polish for this, as does DIRILYTE [Dirilyte polish on eBay (affil link)] . Both on line and inexpensive. The BP stamped on reverse pieces are suppose never to be cleaned, but that's not always the case. Dirilyte will not tell you how to remove it, and heavy abrasives will scratch the finish. They will remove it for you, but at a price !

A. This is a response to the inquiry about putting Dirilyte/Dirigold in the dishwasher. NO! Always wash and dry by hand. Also, do not store in plastic bags or Saran wrap or foil. Wrap the pieces in untreated flannel (not anti-tarnish flannel or felt used to store sterling and silverplate). I made up some plain flannel wraps which are rectangles with pockets added and each rectangle holds a place setting of pieces and can be rolled up and tied for storage. No scratches or oxidation so far and they are always clean and ready to use. Make sure pieces are completely dry before storing.

I'm still working on removing the damaged coating from my pieces. I will try the boiling water method that has been posted here because nothing else seems to work. I did get a quote of $3.00 per piece to clean and polish and removal of damaged finish if required, but multiplied x many pieces it gets expensive when you add on postage both ways.

While I am here, I have a salt shaker (Dirilyte) that was stored with salt inside and the screw off lid no longer can be turned. I have tried everything I can think of, but I fear a chemical reaction with the bronze, salt and moisture has oxidized and fused the top and bottom together. Any suggestions are welcome!

Ed. note: Liquid Wrench ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] is inedible, of course, so it must be removed, but it's made for just this kind of problem.

A. I have inherited 350 pieces of Dirigold, and had the pieces, not the flatware, finished with BP in the 50's.....To remove the finish so you can polish the pieces, cover the piece with water, and boil it....The finish will dissolve and be removed....polish with a buffer and jeweler's rouge ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] ....Also, copper cleaner will do a pretty good job, but will not give the mirror finish that is so beautiful. After polishing with the buffer, spray the piece with brass lacquer ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . If it doesn't work, boil it again and start over. Dirigold is solid all the way through. Just thought I'd put in my 'cent's worth'....

A. Received Dirigold and Dirilyte from an estate sale as a gift--have tried several ways to clean it. Son-in-law is son of a chemist and recommended several treatments to clean--this one works! Line a loaf pan in couple of layers of aluminum--don't have to be neat--put in several inches of white vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , and a handful of salt--put in your Dirigold, and gently move pan to keep liquid in motion--after several minutes, use clean soft cloth and clean and dry each piece--don't let them sit outside of pan--he spots reappear. So lift out each piece separately to dry ... stubborn spots can be cleaned with Simichrome ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , Maas metal polish ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , or Peek ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . . . did my whole box full of 12 place settings in under an hour!

A. My change to the above vinegar post.
Line a pan with a couple of layers of aluminum--don't have to be neat--put in 1 qt. med. to hot water tap water, and 1/2 cup salt--1/2 cup water softener salt ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] or trisodium phosphate ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , mix well, put in your Dirigold, and gently move pan to keep liquid in motion, rinse well under running water I rinse by hand to make sure all the soap and salt is removed) and dry immediately.

DO a test of one or two pieces before you start, the water must feel slippery, if not add more TSP.

A. For the salt shaker that the top would not come off: I sprayed WD-40 ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] into the crack between body and lid and let this sit for a while. I even poured some into the salt holes into the shaker to swirl around at where the top meets the body. When I came back about 15 minutes later, I picked it up and tried again to unscrew it - the shaker slipped out of my hands and fell onto a tile floor. Good news: it wasn't dented and the lid came off easily. It's worth a try because if you can't unscrew it to fill it, what good is it. I would imagine the liquid wrench would work also but the hard hitting the floor or some other way to tap the shaker at the corroded area should help.

A. Dear Readers,

I just finished reading, with some amusement, the previously posted comments on this site concerning the polishing of Dirigold flatware. *Warning* Most of you will be in shock after reading the following: There is no mystery to polishing Dirigold! I tried many of the techniques previously described with no luck. So, what I did was take a fork that had considerable damage from pitting and years of neglect that I thought was essentially garbage. WRONG! Remember, Dirigold is a solid bronze and you can polish it all day long and never rub through any plating (with exception of the lacquer finish). Simply take a green kitchen brillo pad ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and in the same direction length wise, rub the flatware until any scratches or tarnish is gone. DO NOT RUB IN CIRCLES OR CROSS WISE! This will, of course, create fine scratches while at the same time removing deeper scratches, pits, and tarnish. Next, take 00 00 steel wool ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , pour Brasso ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] or any other copper polish on the steel wool and in the same fashion as described with the brillo pad, rub the flatware until the scratches from the brillo pad are reduced to much finer scratches produced by the 00 steel wool. Next, use #0000 steel wool ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and repeat the process as just described for the 00 steel wool. Finally, using any old rag and more Brasso ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , polish the flatware until the desired finish is achieved. It took hours of trial and error to come up with this method but the results are spectacular! The finish is so highly polished that you can take a large serving spoon outside and see the reflection of the clouds in the sky! This method is incredibly hard on the hands! It takes about 1 hour of constant polishing for each piece and believe me your hands will ache. NOTE! I have only used this method on the Regal pattern marked Dirigold. But I imagine it will work on other Dirigold products. I'm sure there are "experts" who are still shaking their heads. This skepticism is probably fueling the price that professional polishers charge for polishing this flatware. I'm going to be taking before and after pictures for anyone who would like to see them. Good luck with the workout!

A. In response to all these "do it yourself" techniques for Dirilyte/Dirigold (same company, same product). I have not tried any of the liquid suggestions but I do know that using a buffing wheel and white chrome rouge (a very, very fine jewelers rouge) will put an unbelievable shine on your Dirilyte/Dirigold items - and it will remove the Bonded Protectorant (BP finish). In response to the person who wants to know why you shouldn't use plastic/pacific cloth (the felt used for silver and gold), etc., it is because the bronze alloy in the Dirilyte/Dirigold reacts chemically with them and they tarnish a lot faster. I have used Maas polish on my holloware items and they have stayed beautiful for a long time, even while "out" to be seen every day. It also works beautifully on the flatware and you don't have to wash it before you eat with it if it's polished properly (so there is no residue left to be seen).

A. I did not know what metal "Dirigold" was, so I tried a product called Mr. Metal ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] (which works for a variety of metals.) Mr Metal claims that you don't have to rub or buff - wrong! It took some "elbow grease" but the brilliant shine was worth it! The pieces are beautiful! Just for the record, I was polishing holloware, not flatware.

The man who suggests Brasso and #0000 steel wool ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and a soft cloth for the cleaning and shining of Dirigold is using common sense; most likely gained while in the military in the pre-volunteer era where Brasso ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] was a component of how one spent free time. It does require a lot of rubbing and enlisting the services of a "young fool" as suggested by another contributor is a good idea. Better yet is having a youngster, either son or daughter, perform the task. You can think about things when polishing flatware [just like when ironing] and there is practically nothing we do where such a satisfactory and reasonably short outcome is within our control.

A. Eve M stated to try white vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and salt with tin foil in the bottom of a loaf pan. It did not produce the shine I desired, so I polished each piece with Brasso. It turned out beautiful and shiny. It took about an hour to polish 6 place settings while watching a movie.

Dremel Kits

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. I purchased my first place setting in the mid 1960's, it originally was very expensive. I regret buying it with the Bonded Protective coating as those pieces have that lacquer coating that cannot be polished over, but needs to be removed before you can bring back that original beautiful gold color and luster. Over the years I've found many pieces at swap meets, etc. and I've tried every trick in the book to clean and polish. I have come to the conclusion that a small investment in a Dremel ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] or similar roto-tool is the best and easiest way to clean and polish. I use a little Wenol ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] metal polish (Simichrome ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] is similar) on a felt buffing wheel and years of tarnish comes right off. It takes time, but no hard rubbing; the tool does it all.

A. To all the Dirilyte owners. Information on the Dirigold/Dirilyte Company can be found on many websites.
My great-grandfather and grandfather worked with Carl Molin at the Dirigold/Dirilyte Company in Kokomo, IN. My father
was the general manager until the 1980's. Treat the Dirilyte carefully and it will last forever. If I tried to
remove the bp the way others have mentioned my dad would roll over in his grave.

Dirilyte was used in the White House until Nixon was president. It sold in the finest jewelry stores, etc. The flatware always had the dirigold/Dirilyte stamp. Holloware (trivets, compotes, etc) were sold to other companies and were identified by the letter "G". Today it can be found in lots of antique shops, etc.Most people are not aware of Dirilyte and the fact that at one time it sold for more than silver.

A. IN ANSWER TO WHERE TO GET THE DIRILYTE POLISH, YOU CAN EMAIL DEB HARRINGTON AT: djh@handindustries.com . THAT'S THE COMPANY IN WARSAW, IN THAT HAS TAKEN OVER THE SALE OF DIRILYTE POLISH [Dirilyte polish on eBay (affil link)] . I JUST ORDERED THE POLISH LAST WEEK, HAVEN'T YET REC'D IT, BUT EXPECT TO SOMETIME THIS WEEK. DEB WAS VERY HELPFUL, GIVING VARIOUS METHODS OF PMT.

Wright's Copper Cream

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. I am recipient of my aunt's Dirigold small goblets she rec'd as wedding present (probably 1920s). I keep them in an armoire (fitted as a bar). Use them for after dinner drinks i.e. Baileys, B&B, etc. Every once in a while I just use Wright's Copper Cream ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . So easy.

A. I purchased my service for 12 set of Dorling tableware in 1956. At the time I lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It does need polishing about twice a year if used regularly for company. Never put it in the dishwasher! I was a new bride, my husband was in the US Army in Korea. The $195.00 that I paid was for table ware, 4 holloware pieces and serving pieces. It is still lovely and worth the work of polishing.

A. Because Dirilyte is solid brass, you can use a sharp knife to carefully get under the plastic wrap and peel or even scrape lightly to remove the plastic. Putting the pieces in the freezer first for an hour or two may help the process too. (Any scrapes will polish out by a professional polishing firm.)

A. I also had dirilyte that had coating. I used paste type paint remover gel ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . I tried it on one piece first, it dissolved the coating in a couple minutes. I had rubber gloves on wiped it off and washed it. A quick polish with Brasso or the Dirilyte polish [Dirilyte polish on eBay (affil link)] makes it almost like new.

A. Hi Tom. Sorry to complicate things but people are not allergic to nickel, but they may be allergic to "leachable" nickel. Surgical stainless steel for example has a substantial amount of nickel in it, but the nickel does not cause allergy because it does not leach out. Sorry, I don't know how stable vs. leachable the nickel in nickel-bronze is :-(

Luck & Regards,


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

A. Hi Linda. Please review the earlier postings, particularly the one from Carole W of April 12, 2008 -- it sounds perfect for you. Good luck.

Regards,