Carpentry and Woodworking - I have ruined my cabinet hardware....

Hi There,

The hardware (drawer pulls and hinges) on my kitchen cabinets were filthy. They are some kind of brass with a protective coating on them. I have totally ruined them...the protective coating is mostly gone, there are rust stains etc. I foolishly did overkill to them...cleaned them with hot water and detergent, then soaked them in ammonia then soaked them in Kaboom. After the Kaboom experience they were horrific looking..all rusted and pitted..after rinsing them I soaked them in bleach. I have tried steel wool and Brasso...they are still a mess. I guess I will have to buy new hardware??? Any ideas about totally removing the remnants of the laquer protective finish that was there (if that is what it was)
I dont mind them looking distressed if they are fairly uniformly distressed...Is there one more chemical that I could dip them in to finish them up? Can these things be painted? Finished somehow?

Ideas please.

Thanks a bunch

Overzealous in Toronto :wall:

Save yourself from any more grief, Wordwoman. Head over to the nearest Home Depot and get all new handles and pulls. It's way cheaper in the long run and the cabinets will look better with an update. :D

I had a similar problem with door knobs until my daughters moved out. The makeup and other feminine swabbo-gumbo on their hands literally ate the brass 'finish' off the knobs. How did know it was that? Elementary, my dear Watson, the worst looking knobs in the house were on the doors to their rooms and their bathroom. ;)

Agreed with Dave. For the few bucks a hinge, it will save you a lot of headaches and stress. :thumbup:

The easiest option would be to replace what you have. But if you really like the exisiting hardware you can salvage it. You can save money by buying a high quality spraypaint and painting the existing hinges and hardware the color you desire. Just make sure the surface is totally clean so the paint adheres properly.

Hi
You need more than 10 hinges HD has some in bulk container.
Much cheapper

cheers

pg

You may get a better price at the link below. They're called Woodworker's Hardware, and they have a good selection too.


http://www.wwhardware.com/