I bought 2 end-table lamps years ago. Neither cheap nor expensive, like the common fare at a decent dept. store. 95% metal, the bottom 1/3 is brass (or similar) plated steel (according to my magnet), the upper 2/3 is evidently real brass.
The bottom 1/3 of each is corroding and looks pretty bad.
I don't wanna spend $100 for another pair of rustable lamps. Would like to re-condition what I have.
What can be done with plated steel? Surface-prep and paint? Anything else come to mind?
Thx, Will
Advice well taken. Already disassembled one.
Every great once-in-a-while my hindside is viciously attacked by a wild hair ...
Just occurred to me ... why not electrolysis?
Conceivably twice. Once to remove rust. Once again to apply new plating.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Thanks, Will
If you really want to get into it, you could do some research on what they used on the Statue of Liberty or the Griffith Park Observatory dome when they renovated them several years ago. In fact let us know what you find out.
Look into having it replated...might not cost much. I've had stuff silver- and brass-plated, many years ago, and neither was very expensive at the time.
On 12/28/2010 4:54 PM snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net spake thus:
True that--maybe.
I guess I'm lucky, in that I'm within walking distance of a place (in Berkeley) that does metal plating and finishing. Dunno what they charge.
If you go that route, you'll want to disassemble the lamp, separate the parts that need refinished, and clean them up first. Sandpaper, steel wool, wire wheel, whatever weapons you have at hand. This should make a bit less work for the plater, and hopefully less $$$.
That's pert near -it-, in a nutshell.
I used it once to de-rust a 4-into-1 mot'cycle exhaust using a 12v trickle-charger. Was clumsy b/c of the size of the pipes.
De-rusting the lamp base oughta be a piece-o-cake. Have to look into the possibility of electro-plating. The easy part is reversing the anode/cathode IIRC. Choosing an appropriate solution/substance-to-plate is another matter. Any ideas for this most welcome.
Prost, Will
On 12/28/2010 8:45 AM Wilfred Xavier Pickles spake thus:
Why not? It's fun. You can see where your other self is headed.
Speaking of electrolysis, don't know how to plate (and that involves nasty chemicals), but have done electrolytic rust removal many times. Mix sodium carbonate (available at many places for swimming pool pH adjustment, or as "washing soda"), place item to be cleaned in the soup as the cathode (negative terminal), put an iron or steel anode in, and let 'er rip. Works great. I use 12 volts DC at about 5 amps.
I seem to recall that the Statue of Liberty was made of copper on a steel skeleton and developed the green patina expected from that metal especially in the moist harbor environment.
Joe G
I googled "brass electroplating kits" and got about a half-million hits. Here's a random example:
It was cleaned and coated with a special coating that would not effect the appearance and protect it from the elements as I remember. I never paid attention as to what that coating was unfortunately.
I googled "brass electroplating kits" and got about a half-million hits. Here's a random example:
That sure looks like overkill for a pair of lamps. I have several lamps that were made form hand-blown glass. In humid Florida the bases got pretty cruddy. I checked the phone book for plating shops and brought all the bases over. I left it to the shop to clean and replate with chrome. The experts did it and I got expert work done. I don't remember the cost but it was less than $100 for the four of them.
Sometimes it is not a good idea to venture into a project that has to be done right the first time if you are an amateur.
Charlie
agreed. some of the chemicals involved in plating will turn your location into a hazmat problem. most of them are quite deadly to be around, especially if you like breathing and such.
On 12/29/2010 2:19 PM chaniarts spake thus:
Yep.
I happen to have handy a little textbook on the subject, /Electroplating/, by A. H. Sanders, copyright 1950. In the section on brass plating, he gives the composition of the plating bath, which is:
CONSTITUENTS OUNCES PER GALLON
----------------------------------------- Copper cyanide 4 Zinc cyanide 1.25 Sodium cyanide 7.5 Sodium carbonate * 4 Water to make 1 gallon
Metallic copper 2.8 Metallic zinc 0.7 Free cyanide 2
I think I'd leave this stuff to a plating shop ... not to mention that being an art, there are things you have to know about plating to avoid things like a blistered surface or metal that doesn't adhere to the substrate.
On Tue 28 Dec 2010 04:49:23a, Wilfred Xavier Pickles told us...
I'm all for DIY when it comes to most home repairs, replacements, etc. However, when it comes to refinishing metal, I'm all for having professional plating done. I've had various items silver plated, chrome plated, nickel plated, and brass plated. Brass plating is the cheapest of them all.
Paint will probably make the lamps look inappropriate and cheap. Check out some metal finishers/platers in your area and get some prices. You'll probably be glad you did.
Silver spray paint looks as good as real brass? Oh, yeah. Think I'll go spray all my brass with silver paint so's I don't need to polish and recoat it ever again. A plating shop also would likely polish and coat the object. Since part of the lamp is solid brass, it suggests it is fair quality and worthy of doing it right.
This advice (also) well taken.
Well, it was an idea. For all I knew, there might've been an inexpensive solution kit ... that didn't have every known form of cyanide, etc. :-(
So I'll give 'em to a plating shop or just paint 'em.
Many thanks to numerous responders.
Will
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