hardware re-finishing

[mark g]

As this is the time of year when many boaters are getting their boats ready for next season, the subject of re-finishing the hardware comes up. I will gladly answer any questions on the subject from polishing and buffing to re-chroming as well as after market hardware quality.
mark g

[Mhija]

I recently purchased a nice old 9" square bronze mooring bitt on eBay. I've chipped off all the old layers of paint with a homemade copper chisel and would like to clean it up and polish it. What's the best route to a nice finish
in your experience?

[alteran]

Anything I can put on copper to slow the tarnish process? The copper is inside and the coating must be food safe. Its a copper counter top in a kitchen.

[mark g]

Mhija Once you get the paint off and you want to polish the fitting you might try getting a scotch brite wheel to put on a bench grinder if you have one. This will clean it leave it with a satin look. From there if you can get a buffing wheel and white rouge you can buff it to bring the finish "up" to a shine. Good luck

[mark g]

Alteran "food Safe" the key. Also cleanability without scratching is also a concern. There are waterborn poly acrylics that are very durable and hard. 3-4 coats will certainly protect the copper. I dont think I would put meat on the surfaces, nevertheless.

[alteran]

Thanks Mark. Do you have a brand name in mind? The surfaces normally don't have food contact, cutting boards always used for cutting. In normal use food contact in incidental although sometimes unavoidable. As when I have a pasti slide off a cookie sheet when I've just knocked over a beer glass as I noticed the pie was burning. That sort of thing.

I'd buy a small amount and try it on one portion.

[Speedboy]

Mark, Thanks for the offer to assist with questions concerning hardware refinishing. I am also in CT, where I am starting to focus on jobs that can be done indoors for the next few months. I just purchased the cast bronze items shown below from Maine Classics. These are for the Rascal Runabout I am building. http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid150/p155c8bd68e24aa7678ae12dc1f0df31a/f5dab9cf.jpg
The castings need to be polished prior to plating and I don't know the best way to do it, especially getting the rougher areas smooth. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you now of any platings houses in the CT area that you recommend, I would appreciate any leads. Thanks again!

Speedboy

[mark g]

Alteran Minwax makes a good polyacrylic. It come in a blue can