Calling Jim the Paint Guy (or others with knowledge of metalwork and plating)

Downeaster

Downeaster

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Local antique shop has a 20's theater popcorn machine. He wanted me to look it over and see what can be done with it. I'm re-doing the electrical as necessary.

It has a lot of what I assume used to be bright metalwork. Based on appearance and my extremely limited knowledge of such things, I suspect it was polished nickel originally. Now it's a uniform dull pewter gray color. Another note: as I was disassembling things to get the wiring out today, we found piece under a brass corner guard that looks as tho it may have been chrome, so there's that.

I brought a piece home after the initial survey last week to straighten and see if buffing would bring out any shine. I used coarse black media and a rag wheel and got basically nothing. Didn't want to overdo it and wear through the plating if indeed it is plated.

So, my questions are:

1) How would one go about identifying the finish?

2) If it's nickel, what should/can I do to remove the oxidation and get it to buff up?

3) Is there a liquid treatment that will help? Something along the lines of muriatic acid? (No idea if that's appropriate, just an example of the sort of thing I'm asking about)

Given the amount of brightwork and the hassle involved in getting it off, cleaned up and back on, I've already declined to take on that part of it, just trying to come up with some information for the owner to give him an idea of his options.
 
Downeaster said:
Local antique shop has a 20's theater popcorn machine. He wanted me to look it over and see what can be done with it. I'm re-doing the electrical as necessary.

It has a lot of what I assume used to be bright metalwork. Based on appearance and my extremely limited knowledge of such things, I suspect it was polished nickel originally. Now it's a uniform dull pewter gray color. Another note: as I was disassembling things to get the wiring out today, we found piece under a brass corner guard that looks as tho it may have been chrome, so there's that.

I brought a piece home after the initial survey last week to straighten and see if buffing would bring out any shine. I used coarse black media and a rag wheel and got basically nothing. Didn't want to overdo it and wear through the plating if indeed it is plated.

So, my questions are:

1) How would one go about identifying the finish?

2) If it's nickel, what should/can I do to remove the oxidation and get it to buff up?

3) Is there a liquid treatment that will help? Something along the lines of muriatic acid? (No idea if that's appropriate, just an example of the sort of thing I'm asking about)

Given the amount of brightwork and the hassle involved in getting it off, cleaned up and back on, I've already declined to take on that part of it, just trying to come up with some information for the owner to give him an idea of his options.
Click to expand...

Hi DE
I could be what’s known here as ‘pig-metal’ a very cheap alloy product that could me moulded and chromed. It’s a pig to work with and repair.
But I could be wrong (hope so)
 
If its from the 20's it is most likely nickel and its a M'Fer to buff. But a good place to start is with green compound on a fully sewn wheel. If thats not cutting it, MicroMesh pads will get you back into buffability. Plating that old tends to be hard and thin, so there's a fine line between shiny and gone.
 
RustiePyles said:
If its from the 20's it is most likely nickel and its a M'Fer to buff. But a good place to start is with green compound on a fully sewn wheel. If thats not cutting it, MicroMesh pads will get you back into buffability. Plating that old tends to be hard and thin, so there's a fine line between shiny and gone.
Click to expand...
Not really much to add beyond what Rustie says.
Chrome plating was invented in the 20's, so almost guaranteed it's nickel.
Iirc... chrome didn't become more popular than nickel until the 40's or 50's.
 
Also Paul.... diy nickel plating is inexpensive and fairly easy. Another option anyway. :shrug:
 
Red scotchbrite's are way too aggressive for plating... don't ask. :rolleyes:
White or green "might" work. Dunno.
 
I tend to always start with 0000 steel wool and and a dampening dip of body shop grade laquer thinner on the backside or inconspicuous corner for my test on any type of plating before getting to involved.Often surprising results right away,oftentimes not.Many other procedures will work for sure.This has been my starting approach for years.Just an option to consider.
 
Micro mesh is a fine to super fine polish pad or “leather” strips. Strips go into the 20k range

Use em quite often for finish polish on natural stones and resins. Not much experience with the pads but the strips work fantastic and last a long time.

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Also, a good place to get polishing compound is a truck stop. Most of the bigger ones will have giant bricks of green, black, white, and tripoloi in with the chrome goodies.
 
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