How can I restore old, brass coated door hardware?

Question

I have some old (ca. 1906) door hardware. Some parts seem to be solid brass, but others are probably coated iron or some other magnetic metal. They were covered in some layers of paint, which I removed by letting it cook for about 1 hour in a mixture of water and NaHCO3 (baking soda in the US).
In the end, I'd like to end up with a matte brass look, quite like the key hole cover of the upper panel in the picture. Which products and/or techniques could be used to achieve that? If it turns out that the brass coating on the main frame can't be restored, how could I apply a new one?
(If you recommend a specific product, could you also post it's main ingredient so that I can find the analog in my country if that product should not be available here?)
Picture:

blacksmith37 · Accepted Answer

I would use a wire brush to clean them. Take a magnet and find if they are brass or plated steel , then you can be aggressive with the brush if they are solid brass. New brass plating could only be applied by a sophisticated commercial shop; It requires plating with two metals ( copper and zinc) at the same time.

Correct answer by blacksmith37 on August 24, 2020

How can I restore old, brass coated door hardware?

One Answer

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question