hinge question

15 years ago

my house is old worlde and i love the look, esp the old metals..however..all the cabinets and doors in this house are hung with shiney brass hinges that show and it would cost a fortune and take forever to change them over to oiled bronze or a similar finish..

what i was wondering, has anyone actually changed the color of where their hinges show on the outside to a darker metal finish..being a designer i know there is probably a glaze on the metal to keep it from dulling..(wish it would dull) and i don't really want to have to pull off hundreds of hinges..if i could just take a tiny paintbrush and dull them down or change the color myself with them up and not replace them all (which looks like what i'll have to do right now)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

redbazel
15 years ago
Buy a bottle of craft paint at Michaels for a dollar in maybe bronze or something, use a little sea sponge or brush and give it a try. If you have a wet cloth nearby, you can wipe it right off if you don't like the effect.

I've changed the finish on a metal mirror frame, a metal spacesaver, and an outdoor change using this technique. Some swear by Rub N Buff too. And a product at Home Depot called Sophisticated finishes in their paint department is good.

Red
0
dgreenhouse
15 years ago
I have a chandelier that I can't stand with that fake bright brass finish. I have not yet found a replacement that I like so I found a product called Rub 'n Buff at Michaels. It is a wax finish. I dabbed and rubbed to dull the brass finish. You have to play with it though. There are many colors to choose from. That may work for you.
0
Related Discussions
Hinge question
Q
Comments (2)
Brickeyee, Thanks for the link you posted! That is a really great example of the type of hinge I was looking for. I know the catalog lists the hinge as a "light weight" application. If the hinge was made out of steel or hardened steel I wonder what the strength could be...
...See More
Weld on barrel gate hinge questions
Q
Comments (2)
That is most likely a Blacksmith Brand Large Weldable Barrel Hinge. You can get them from Triple-S Steel at 800-231-1034
...See More
Cabinet hinge question
Q
Comments (6)
Okay. This is where I show I know nothing of cabinet construction. Yes, the hinges are attached. The cabinets are like a cube with the doors attached to a frame piece that comes in from the corner about 3-5 inches. The hinge is on the door and attached to the part of the frame that is not the front of the cube but the 1/2" or 3/4" edge of that board. The hinge is about 4" long, with about 3" of it going straight back into the cube--into the air of the cabinet, rather than being attached or even on anything. Gosh, my description is lousey. I wish I could supply a photo, but I don't want to upset my daughter until, and if, I find out from you experts that there was another style of hinge that was supposed to be used. Thanks, Lynn
...See More
Storage table hinge question -- zero clearance
Q
Comments (2)
There are several ways to do this ... 1 - Hinge to a strip of wood that provides the lid clearance you need for opening like this bench: http://ana-white.com/2010/02/storage-bench-coffee-table-save-300-or_1224.html 2 - Hinge on the short sides (have 2 lids per unit, meeting in the middle) with a board for clearance. 3 - Use lift-off lids, not hinged ones 4 - look into "offset hinges"
...See More
johnmari
15 years ago
There is a greasy coating on modern hinges to keep them operating smoothly, but which also keeps paint from sticking properly. When I repainted the door hinges in my previous house I wanted to be lazy and paint them in place but the paint just slid right off. It took two washings with an orange-based degreaser and blisteringly hot water to get all the greasy stuff off. Since the "brass" was lacquered the surface had to be scuffed with a very fine sandpaper before the paint would stick. It took primer and two coats of paint to look good. It was enough work that I only did that for one room. For the rest I hit eBay for replacement hinges and changed them out, which was SO much easier and faster. I think I paid about a buck apiece for the door hinges, and I purchased from a company that used flat-rate shipping because hinges are heavy. With a freshly charged electric screwdriver it took us approximately 10 minutes per door to switch out the hinges, and we are LAME-O when it comes to DIYing. Just make sure to watch your screw-hole pattern. I can't imagine how painting every hinge's visible bits with a "tiny brush" would be less work than that, but hey, each to his own said the lady as she kissed the cow. :-)
0
lsst
15 years ago
I second the rub and buff. It seems to "stick" to lacquered surfaces fairly well.
0
ronbre
Original Author
15 years ago
thanks, i finally found this back on page 4 search, i'm not so worried about the door doors as i am the cabinet doors, they are visible on every cabinet..i wish they had been the hidden hinges but alas they were not..and we are talking hundreds of hinges..i don't mind paying to replace the knobs..but the hinges..good grief..they are so expensive..i've been pricing knobs and hinges..i'll do the door hardware a bit at a time as they run really high..but those hinges..have been the bane of my decorating existance.

i know rub and buff has been around for a long time and if worked on a glazed chandelier, it should work on these little guys..i'll get some and try it on a spare before tackling hundreds..and hey in my spare time a few bucks of rub and buff has got to beat a few hundred in new hinges..these work perfectly well..just are ugly bright brass
0