Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Repairing a scratched brass doorknob!
Q. I am writing to find out if anyone knows how to restore a scratched brass doorknob. Perhaps there is a good brass paint out there? My doorknob is only 9 months old and is scratched and rusting. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.
Angela P [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Sterling Heights, Michigan, U.S.A.
A. Yes, there is paint that will cover the scratch, unfortunately, on a doorknob it will not last for long. Any and all paint wears off very quickly when it is rubbed. You can refinish the doorknob by sanding out the scratch and re-lacquering, but the time and effort it takes is not worth it. A new brass doorknob costs about $20 around here. When I re-finished the 3 door knobs on my Dad's house, I spent more than $30 on the materials for refinishing and it took about 6 hours per knob. I would have gladly paid the additional $30 to have had those 18 hours to myself. You need to sand 4 times with increasingly fine sandpaper,(using a Dremel ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] helps) then polish with jeweler's rouge ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , then spray paint the knob with clear lacquer. You'll probably need to re-apply the lacquer every year to keep the knob looking new.
Good Luck,
Bob Zonis- Bohemia, New York
July 2013
Hi Angela. If the doorknob is rusting, it's steel with a brass plating rather than being solid brass . . . so you won't be able to polish off the finish and lacquer it as Bob describes. A plating shop can replate it with brass, but it requires labor and labor is costly, so the price may be prohibitive if the doorknob was relatively inexpensive. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quote for brass plating of doorknobs and cover plates
RFQ: I have 8 doorknobs and face plates that were brass plated and need to be replated. I'm looking for quotes on how much this will cost and what the turn-around time will be. Thank you!
Beth F [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]homeowner - Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
2005
Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)
RFQ: We have a 1940s exterior door handle and plate that has rusted from age and needs a new brass finish putting on them. We would prefer this to substituting the set with a modern replacement. Need a shop, preferably in Kentucky or adjacent states, that could replace the brass on these components.
Paula Tdeleted- Versailles, Kentucky, USA
2006
Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)
What kind of paint for brass doorknobs?
Q. Hi, can you tell me what the paint is called that you use to cover scratched brass? Thanks, Sabrina
Sabrina Ray- Delta, Pennsylvania
August 5, 2009
A. Hi Sabrina. No paint really looks like bright polished brass to me, and as Bob says, paint may not last anyway. But you can perhaps get the general tone of an older brass with a brass paint like Metallic Spray Paint gilded brass [affil links]. If you put a 2K automotive clearcoat on top, you'll have at least some wear resistance. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
How to get shiny brass look?
Q. How do I get the high gloss finish on a brass door knob. I removed the top finish and now it is dull and does not match.
Jewell Forlawhomeowner - Greensboro, Georgia USA
October 11, 2010
October 11, 2010
A. Hi, Jewell. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of today's high technology is that there are so many ways to make something look like brass, that you often won't know what you actually have, and therefore how to attack its problems. But if the handle is indeed solid brass, it can be polished to a high shine. Get a Dremel
⇦ this on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links] and jeweller's rouge as Bob suggests, or get buffing pads for your electric drill and some polishing compound -- even Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish
⇦ this on
eBay or
Amazon [affil links] should do -- and polish it back to brightness. It can theoretically be done completely by hand, but it would be a monstrous amount of work, so you'll want some electrically powered polishing tool or other.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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