how to turn polished nickel into brushed nickel, the hard way!
halfwaythere
11 years ago
I bought these beautiful island lights online at a great price and when they arrived I was so disappointed. My hardware is all brushed nickel, not to mention the stainless apron sink and stainless dishwasher, so these polished nickel lights just didn't look right at all. I was sure I ordered brushed nickel lighting but my email order conf said otherwise.... polished nickel :( There was a hefty restocking fee. I tried to use sand paper and steel wool on parts that wouldn't show but they didn't make a scratch! So off I went to the local machine shop to get advice. He recommended a tool, a drill attachment actually, called an abrasive ball. It's a red, plasticky scouring type of material. It's how he brushes stainless steel. Bought it, used it, love it. I beat the heck out of most of the surfaces with the ball and tore the rest of the material into small pieces and scrubbed by hand the rest of the parts the ball couldn't reach. By the 3rd light I was a pro! So if you ever wondered how it's done, that's how it's done! My fingers are worn to the bone :( My reno is soooooooo far behind, it kept me busy and sane for a few days. Now back to fighting with my slow as molasses GC.Here is a pic of the brushed fixture on the left and the untouched one on the right. It might not look as good in the pic but it's really pretty in person.
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whit461
11 years ago
teeda
11 years agoRelated Discussions
chrome vs brushed nickel?
Comments (9)I always choose chrome. It's the one constant when it comes to plumbing fixture fashion. Other finishes come and go, but chrome is always a classic look....and always up to date. An added plus is that it's almost always less expensive that whatever is the fashionable finish du jour. While chrome might not be the most fashionable finish of the day, chrome is NEVER out of fashion, either. It's timeless. Other finishes often seem to need all sorts of special cleaners or polishing compounds....Fooey! Chrome never needs more than a swipe with a damp cloth and a quick wipe with a dry soft cloth. What more can you ask for?...See Morechrome or brushed nickel showerhead/faucets with creme marfil?
Comments (5)thanks sherri! the hansgrohe showerheads/valves/faucets only come in either brushed nickel and chrome (dont know how different brushed nickel and polished nickel are). i think in the end, we will probably go with chrome as the upkeep is easy and shine should work with the polished creme marfil (and it cost less too :)) it's funny, our decision w/the creme marfil came only b/c our double sink vanity is espresso w/creme marfil countertop and it was hard to think of something else that would match the yellow-ish gold color. i'm glad you like the creme marfil. did you use any accents? by any chance you have pictures?...See MoreAnybody have a polished nickel faucet?
Comments (70)@fatcatz, I don't know if you like Traditional style, but I am about to buy Moen's Weymouth Single Handle Pull Down Spray faucet in polished nickel. I've been researching for a few days and came across an article from Starcraft Builders saying Moen's Polished Chrome, Polished Nickel, Polished Brass, Brushed Gold, Brushed Nickel, and Classic Stainless finishes are PVD. The remaining finishes are either Powder Coat or Electroplate. It's a great article, really goes in depth on the PVD process. Echoed your point about not always being the metal used in the PVD process. That being said, in reading the section on Electroplating, taken from the article: "Undercoats of copper, zinc, or nickel usually precede the final decorative coating. The undercoats have two purposes. Some metals, chrome being one, do not adhere very well to naked brass. One or more nickel undercoats are usually used before the chrome is applied so the finish does not flake or peel. If finishing a zinc component, undercoats of copper then nickel are commonly used. The copper sticks well to zinc, nickel adheres tightly to copper, and chrome bonds securely to nickel. Undercoats also help smooth out any small imperfections in the faucet material. It is not uncommon for faucets to be electroplated with nickel and chrome and then highly polished before a final PVD coating is applied. This process eliminates any potential flaws in the surface so they don't show up in the final PVD finish." Link to the article follows, below. Very high marks for customer service, Starcraft actually ranks Moen's customer service #1 in North America. http://www.starcraftcustombuilders.com/sources.faucets.Moen.htm...See MoreAlmost at the home stretch! Polished Nickel or SS cabinet handle
Comments (3)If you don't want open ended pulls check out Hickory Harwares Greenwich collection. They come in approximately the same sizes that you listed. They have a contemporary/european look. I got mine at a local cabinet and hardware store for less money than the online sites. Maybe your kitchen person can find a local place that handles them or you can search the following sites that were listed on Hickory Harwares website as Authorized Online Decorative Retailers: Shop Hickory Hardware Pullsdirect.com Home Depot KnobsandHardware.com For my kitchen I used 10 inch pulls on all my regular height cabinets and on my 17 inch drawers. I used the 13 inch pulls on my 24 inch drawers and 19 inch pulls on my 36 inch drawers. My 13 inch drawers have the 6 inch pull on them as does one 15 inch cabinet door. The pulls are a brushed stainless steel finish. They are a nice quality and not too expensive. The item number and sizes that I used are listed below just in case you might be interested. P3371ss c/c: 128 mm L: 6-3/8" P3041ss c/c: 224 mm L: 10" P3374ss c/c: 12" L: 13-1/4" P3375ss c/c: 18" L: 19-1/4" They also have a pull that is 4-5/16" long and a knob that is 1-3/4" Here is a picture that shows three of the sizes I used....See More
fouramblues
11 years agoacheavacci
11 years ago
ILoveRed
11 years agobrickeyee
11 years agohalfwaythere
11 years agoAudreyaudrey
10 years agopattyin2012
7 years agoHU-18073461
17 days ago
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