Removing paint from hardware

ciera

What's the best way to remove paint from hardware? The previous owners of our home thought it was a good idea to paint over the hinges on our built-ins.

We thought about buying new ones, but they match the door hinges and are hard to find. The hardware stores said they don't carry anything that old, and eBay turned up nothing.

Sammy

I have had good luck with soaking small parts like hinges, lock strike plates, etc. that have been painted in regular rubbing alcohol overnight. Then hit em with an old soft toothbrush. Just be careful with the alcohol.

slickshift

Soak then in stripper

Be aware, you may need them re-plated after
It depends on what was on there before, and what's left after stripping

Sammy

The replating issue is why I try the alcohol first.. Its not as aggresive and make take a little more soaking time, but comes out looking new and normal when done.

joewho

I use a cloth the texture of a towel or facecloth and plain soap and water. It takes some rubbing, but if you wet it first, wait a minute and then scrub with the cloth, it usually comes right off, with no damage to the hardware.

tmrrptr

Y'know, got a couple gallons of alcohol hangin around and that's all it does.
Never even tried it.
Lacquer thinner is the cleaner of choice. It works. Now.
and it doesn't strip plating...
r

VegasNomad

You can also try soaking in Simple Green.

troubleseeker

Lacquer thinner will definately get it off, or you might first try one of the more friendly citrus based strippers. If it was originally bright hardware with any type of clear protective coating to help it from tarnishing, it will be removed also, so you may want to respay them with a light coat of aerosal lacquer.

tmrrptr

...This thread is now getting dated, and the opening query has most likely completed the task, by now... never-the-less

Troubleseeker, a citrus product is acidic, and might etch those hinges to some extent. Lacquer will most likely take off any protective coating from the plating along with the overpaint, but it will not affect the plating.
Yet, once cleaned w L thinner, they could be shot w rattlecan clear.
r

ciera

Ah, I wish...the weather was nice, so we went to doing landscaping instead. I still have dining room cabinets off their hinges....

For the record, the alcohol appears to be working, though it is slow going. It also requires more alcohol than I anticipated. I'm guessing it will be 3 rounds of soaking overnight in fresh alcohol followed by scraping. The first layer came off quickly, and the second layer was a gunky mess. I still have some of the gunky second layer on the hinges, and there are a few areas there there is even a third layer of paint.

I don't think they'll be shiny-new, but they're looking much better.

slickshift

I hear that

tmrrptr

Hello Ciera,

From the bottom of our collective hearts, we are all very pleased you seem to be happy with alcohol.


Excellent you are able to adapt to change and realize the wisdom of setting aside one aspect of the project in exchange for another (the landscaping) when circumstances are advantageous.

You shall do well !
r