Mike and I discovered by accident that we could strip vintage, brass plated furniture. When we found our coffee table in a junk store (next post), we loved the shape but not the worn, pitted brass—at least we thought it was brass. I figured I could revive it with one of our fave DIY products, Blue Magic Metal Polish Cream ($7.99, Canadian Tire automotive section). So I started working on the table and soon discovered that the brass was actually brass plate that rubbed right off with super fine steel wool and lots of elbow grease.
In the photo above, Mike is reviving a plated end table that we scored on Craigslist (a set of three for $40). The tables took about two hours each to strip but they look fantastic now! So if brass is not your thing but the shape of the piece is terrific and the price is right, take a flyer and start rubbing. (If you wake a Genie, save me a wish!)
How can you tell if a piece is plated? If it’s vintage (brass plate was popular in the 1970s so the era will be a clue) the plate will likely be worn or pocked revealing some “silver” underneath. If the item is newer it will have a shiny “gold” colour—solid brass is typically heavier and burnished with some degree of patina.
October 30th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Fabulous tip, thanks!
March 9th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Wonderful idea! I love the silver look, can’t stand the brass. Once you’ve rubbed the brass plate off, what are the next steps? Do you have to seal that lovely new silver look?
Thanks a bunch, c
March 9th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Hi czyha,
Nope, there’s nothing else to do–the metal polish leaves a protective film over the piece and it’s good to go. Have a look at this post as well: http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/01/cheap-thrills-just-add-elbow-grease/
March 26th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
This is amazing. We have a really heavy brass coffee table that I would love to polish. Can you tell me how many jars of polish you had to use for your three side tables? This beats spray paint any day!
CA girl
March 26th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Hi CA girl,
Brass is heavy so there’s a chance your table may be the real thing and not just plated. At the very least you’ll end up with a smooth, shiny, like-new brass table. At best, you’ll wind up with a gleaming steel table.
How much Blue Magic? We probably used the better part of a regular sized tub on the coffee table, and probably the same amount on the two side tables. I’d say we went through a bag of steel wool, too.
Good luck, let us know how it turns out for you.