I just bought an old, adjustable reading lamp with the plating that looks a bit like brass. The plating is uneven, worn-away, dinged, etc. What kind of refinishing can be done to this piece? (I'm looking for cheap, easy, and yielding something that looks OK). A magnet sticks to everything except the bulb and recepticle.
FYI: I'm a printer and novice woodworker -- not a metalworker. My only tools are for woodworking.
My thanks to any kind soul who can help me with info on this.
go to home depot and look in the spray can paints they sell.. they have some that look like brass, copper, gold, etc.. and you should be able to find something that you like.... i used the brass one on a light fixture that was suppose to be brass that was tarnished,, but it was still with a plating on it that was coming off and it looked OK for me when i sprayed it.... hope this helps....
Being magnetic, it's made of steel, so the only thing you can do is have it re-plated, or paint it. Polishing, in other words, wouldn't do anything to improve it. If it was mine and I didn't want to invest far more than its worth, I'd probably prepare it for painting and do it with either a spray can or a small spray gun. If you don't care what it looks like, a brush would do, too, but my brush painting leaves a great deal to be desired. Depending on how the lamp adjusts, you may run into difficulty with painted joints, whereby the paint is peeled off, or the joints stick in place. You might decide to just use it as is.
Harold
You might want to look on the web for plating kits. I got one for gold some time ago and it works well.
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