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Selecting metal finishes for furniture

We're group of architects currently looking for an economical and aesthetically good metal finish for interior furniture pieces (metal legs for tables, cabinets, sofas....)
Some options for the material and finish we're looking at so far are:

1. nickel plated steel
2. polyester powder coated steel
3. clear anodized aluminum

We're trying to achieve a matte or semi gloss metallic look with minimum cost. Could someone educate us the pros and cons of these options and advise us a solution to achieve what we're looking for?

Yuri Pinkerton
architect - Los Angeles, California, USA
2007

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2007

I suggest that you can use anodized aluminium.
1. Aluminium after anodizing, can be filled with colors to offer assortment to the furniture's color.

2.The aluminium anodize is a mature process. You can get it easier and cheaper than the other processes.

Hongmei Liu
- BEIJING, CHINA

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Anodising is a costly process compared to powder coating. Powder coating over phosphated surfaces.
For good finish, you may go for nickel-chromium plating, or nickel plating plus silver flash coat.

DR.DIPANKAR SEN
- kolkata, INDIA
2007

In my experience with metal parts for furniture manufacturing specially if new in the industry, your best , cheapest and most powerful source of reliable finishing will be powder coated. Powder coating will give you an instant result in whatever gloss you need as well as choice of fashion colors.you can use this in all metal components as opposed to anodised or electro process.

AUDIE RIPOLL
furniture manufacturer - CIREBON, INDONESIA
2007

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2007

Yuri,
Be aware that when steel is used and the piece(s) are used around salt water (i.e. the beach, as in the entire coastline of CA) the salt water in the air will hasten, to a large extent, rusting of the steel no matter the factory coating. I had customers who bought a home on the beach in Malibu and took chrome furniture purchased in Palm Springs there. It began to rust rather quickly. I have no experience with what aluminum will do in the same situation.
Just a heads up is all.

Stephen Mann
- Palm Springs, California, USA

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Yuri,
Nearly all the furniture that I can afford has some parts powder coated. The only thing I would add is as your furniture will be destined for interior use only; there will be a wider choice of special effect powders from epoxy polyester based materials - shot-blast alum, chrome, pewter, bronze plus all shades of aluminium and gold. However, all wood grain effects using powder are polyesters.

Terry Hickling
Birmingham, United Kingdom
2007