Restoring a black & copper "japanned" antique finish

A. You can fill corrosion pits with finest iron powder and 2-part epoxy adhesive ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] mixture -- instead of adhesive you can use 'water glass' ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] too. Hope it helps and good luck!

A I found this webpage when searching for the filler to use on some 1900s hinges/drawer pulls (eastlake elements possibly) - seems to be of some relevance for the "recipe" on jappaning lacquer:

www.2ndusss.com/uniforms-and-gear/an-actual-japanning-how-to-yes

Best of Luck.

A. I hope I am not too late in responding to your inquiry. Your description of the finish is almost correct ("japanned" is absolutely the correct technical/historic description). Your fixtures are most likely brass (possibly steel but not likely) and the surfaces have been copper plated. Typically the brass will have been polished prior to plating. The dark color you mention is actually what we refer to as a "patina". This is typically some form of copper sulphate. There are a number of companies making a variety of formulas that will produce very different colors on brass and copper. The only lacquer on the fixtures would have been a glossy clear which may have yellowed over the years.

Refinishing is not a simple matter. Once the fixtures have been disassembled a best case scenario would go like this:

1) chemically remove the lacquer - no abrasives, we do not want to harm the copper plating.
2) remove the patina by carefully polish the parts - we want to achieve a clean copper look with out exposing the brass below the plating.
3) re-patina the parts to get a solid consistent color.
4) re-create the "japanned" finish by removing portions of the patina by polishing in random patterns like the original.
5) give a second mild patina to tone the polished copper down just slightly - we want a consistent "aged" look not a new penny look.
6) re-lacquer all of the parts. This will slow/stop the copper from oxidizing further.
7) re-wire and assemble the fixtures.
8 )I highly recommend testing the fixture for continuity and shorts before re-installing. Ideally this is done with a "hi-pot" tester and by a company that is familiar with UL standards. We don't want your house burning down due to an electrical fire.

A. Dan, Sorry for not seeing your post sooner. I hope you found a source for refinishing your house hardware. If not, I would think that an older plating company in your area could come close to re-creating the finish. As for doing it yourself ... I personally would not attempt it. I know of a company in the Portland OR. area that does a Japanned finish (and yes it was called antique copper by some companies) but I am sure there are local companies that can provide this finish for you. I would check with some of the older but smaller plating or metal polishing companies in your area. If they can't do it they might know of someone that can.
Good luck on your house. JR

A. Marie

I would suggest checking at a local historical society; posting a picture to show the style (maybe include a door lockset photo -- this may not be the best forum for this option); remove a hinge and examine/test the wood/hidden side where no one will see the results of testing when you are finished.

  Those are good ideas, Willie; thanks! But a photo is welcome here, Marie, just e-mail it to mooney@finishing.com. :-)

A. Gabriel,
Easiest way I know to find out is to take them off the door and look at the inside/backside of em. This should provide the majority of the information you need regarding them being plated, solid, or whatever.
The other bonus is that you can also find a couple out of the way spots that won't show that you can test any cleaning methods on that won't show.

Good luck!

A. As the one respondent mentioned, In the period in which this finish was used it was called "Antique Copper". In our own time it is commonly called "Japan" or "Japanned". I don't know why, but this has lead to confusion. Japan Finish is a black lacquer, sometimes asphalatum varnish, and was a very popular 19th/early 20th century finish on metal (including on,apparently, automobiles), and was usually a gloss finish originally. Common into the 1920s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_black
As for the antique copper finish (in the original inquiry) I don't believe I have seen it reproduced, but know it is offered by one of the restorers of stacking book cases, so it must be possible. I got excited when I saw the link to the discussion, because I hoped someone would be sharing the "secret"!It was offered on all sorts of builders hardware (as one finish option)on bronze as well as steel. On the pieces in my parts box, all of which happen to be steel, the reverse is all (patina) black, while the copper stripes only show on surfaces which would be visible once installed. So looking at the reverse would tell you much less than with most finishes. This does suggest that the dark patina(?) may have been generally applied, and that it was polished or removed in some manner for the characteristic bright copper stripes. I always assumed the black was applied, but perhaps there was some sort of resist. Much hardware did have a clear coat, which usually aged to a rich color- so do not use brass polish, even for a plain brass finish "Gentle" cleaning and paste wax would probably be a good conservation approach. Salvage replacement might be a good option if pieces have a heavily damaged (such as rusted)surface (or are just missing. It is not that uncommon, so with persistence you may find what you need. But you should probably include "Japan" or "Jappaned" in your search, since this terminology is so commonly, if apparently incorrectly, used today. This Antique Copper finish seems to have been popular in the early 20th century, although I have not done a survey of catalogues to see when it starts to show up, and when it is no longer offered.

A. Hi,
Regarding the Antique Copper finish, called Japanned (which should be copper over steel, brass, and mixed metals) with a heat/ oxidized Chemical reaction for the black)... yes, the Japanned finishes were a lacquered black. The copper (sometimes striped finish) was delicate but responds well to a brass wire brush ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] if not heavy handed. I have successfully cleaned many painted pieces (door knobs, screws, hinges, back plates, etc) using a chemical stripper and a brass wire brush. A copper spray paint or rose gold helped too if the finish is really gone and you want to recreate it simply and don't need authenticity. Sprayed rose gold paint with a coat of amber shellac looks quite lovely. You can strip on some bronze or apply in reverse, placing the other color in the grooves and across the front. The tiger striping was later and I call this 'squiggled'. LOL
I like the old copper flash finish better because it doesn't show sharp thin lines. I've got hardware in my old house from the 1870s with the mottled copper finish (butterfly butt hinges). We have Yale Locks with a patent date 1897, copper flashed. The door knobs we have also show the finish it's over wrought steel and wears off more easily and is from the early 1900s. We also have light fixtures dated 1910 and 1914 which are coppered. So this finish was popular a long time!
Denatured alcohol doesn't seem to harm the finish and is good for cleaning.
Something I noticed recently, is that it looks like the colors in my old fir...quite beautiful. I wonder if that's why it was so loved.