bump. . . anybody??

Hi Cheri,
I've been meaning to respond for awhile and now am running out the door, so here's the quick answer and I can give more later if you want.

Your plans sound lovely and as far as painting the hardware, I say go for it. The worst that can happen is it doesn't work out and you start over with new hardware. :-)

My first concern though is how will you clean all the crevices to get every speck of oil/grundge off of the hardware so the paint will adhere over the long-term? You'll need a good solution for that.

Next, spray-painting may leave a powder-coat, rough sort of finish which might be hard to keep clean, but may work.

I recommend a line of products called Modern Masters. I've done a couple of metal painting projects and it is cool stuff. You will likely have to hand-paint. I would experiment on something else before you attempt your actual hardware, as it may take a few tries to get it right. I know I needed a lot more of the copper metal paint for the true verdigris (sp?) finish I was striving for, than instructions called for.

Overall, the wear and tear of using handles is my biggest concern. Seems like cleaning, priming, painting and even sealing might be in order to pull this off, but that's me. I personally would give it a go. Hope this helps.

I bought spray paint today for exactly the same reason. Not sure how to proceed. Would Tester's model paint be an option?

My suggestion on cleaning is get some TSP from hardware or paint store. It cost very little and will clean up the crevices. Use a finger nail brush and wear rubber gloves and eye protection.

No suggestion on the paint part. I did use the copper with green highlights on a bird cage stand. Has been out in our yard through harsh winters and still holding strong as of last year. I can not see it yet this year. Usually snow scrubs paint right off of everything.

Chris

Ditto Chris' recommendation of using TSP for thorough cleaning prior to painting.

Hand painting can be done fairly easily by mounting all the pulls on a piece of plywood. You could use a good quality spray primer. After painting, seal with a couple of coats of compatible spray. They should hold up indefinitely!

Love your kitchen and ideas.

Rosie, Sugar Hill, GA

Red, Pinch, Shades, and Rosie. . .thank you SO much for you recommendations and encouragement. I got all the "stuff" yesterday and after church today set up a "test" with a pull off of a drawer that will not be used. I used all Rustoleum products. . cleaned with TSP, primed, sprayed copper, then ORB brown, rubbed just a little off to let just a smidge of the copper show thru. This only thing I haven't done is a the sealer. . what would you recommend? I may want to play a little more with having more copper show thru, but haven't decided for sure. The picture I've attached shows 3 pulls I looked at that had some copper in them, the pull I painted, and the antique brass "original".
I really think they are going to be perfect!! And. . .I suppose if/when someof them begin to show some wear, I can just do it all over again!! Thanks again for your info and encouragement!!

I have to say that is really nice hardware- no wonder you are trying to re-use it. When I first read this, I thought the constant handling of it would make it problematic to paint but from what I have read of the responses, it sounds like it will work. At least from the visual you posted, that looks fantastic. Whodathunk? love the coppery finish.

I keep a old crockpot in my workshop to clean and strip small metal pieces such as hinges, handles and knobs. I "cook" the items on low in water with powdered dishwasher detergent. The cooking time varies depending on what you are trying to do, maybe overnight, maybe a day or so. It is great for removing multiple layers of paint or just grease and grime, takes little or no effort, and does not require toxic chemicals. Be sure to rinse well after "cooking"!
In my last kitchen I painted old bin pulls with a flat black rustoleum. It worked fine. I never had a problem with the paint. Go for it!

Sheila, Mulemom. . .thanks for the compliments, encouragement, and hints!! I had to vacate the premises for a bit this morning. . .fumes were finally getting too much. Love the idea of the crockpot. I think I have an old one big enough to "cook" all 52 pulls/knobs that I need to do!!