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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Nickel Finish Over Brass

 

Hi,

I have a brass doorknob that I would like to refinish to a nickel finish!?

My hallway has five doors - 4 knobs are new nickel and one is brass. So, I would like to have them the same.

Is this possible to do 'nicely' with paint? It is an entrance door and I cannot replace the doorknob [co-op regs on uniformity, etc.]. I thought I would just refinish the interior knob and backplate in the nickel finish.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, I heard about applying wax to heated metal gives a better protection than clear coat -- is this true and would you have any guidelines.

Kelly Novellino
- Rockville Centre, New York

I suggest you contact a plating shop to do the nickel plating or look for new hardware with a finish you like. Nickel is not something you can just "put on".

Gene Packman
process supplier - Great Neck, New York

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Thank you - I do not have the option of replacing the entrance knobs. I was hoping for an alternative method [painting]- and still get a professional look.

I may try darkening the brass - right now it is bright brass. Maybe if it's darker it won't be as noticeable. The cost for plating is a little steep for me and the condition of the knob and plate is not worth the expense.

I believe I can strip the lacquer and darken the color myself. Do you know of a good product to darken brass?

Thank you again for your help.

Kelly Novellino
- Rockville Centre, New York

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liver of sulfur ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] , or brass darkening solution ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] will darken brass, Kelly. Maybe not exactly the way you want, and maybe not safely enough if you have no experience with it, but it does darken brass. Good luck.

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

I did this with some numbers on my house and I am going to do some outside light fixtures as well. I sanded the lacquer with 220 sandpaper and then spray painted the brass numbers with brushed nickel paint. When dry, I sprayed it with lacquer. It is not exact to an actual piece of nickel but it looks very close.

Susan Brown
- Watertown, New York

What nickel paint did you use? I'm having trouble finding any.

Thanks,

Dan

Dan Segal
- New York, New York

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Ed. note: Susan may not be passing this way soon since her posting is several months old, but Krylon Brushed Nickel [affil links] spray paint is available from a number of sources.

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I just painted what will be base cabinets for a built in desk I am putting together - I used a piece of furniture I had that has a few dozen old brass type knobs but a brushed nickel finish would be much more suited to the painted wood of the furniture. I was searching the internet for solutions to this and this site came closest to having an answer - or at least other people seeking the same type of solution. Has anyone come up with anything yet? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Gina Bella
- Baldwin