simulating an antique bronze finish/plating

[brianu]

is there any way to simulate antique bronze plating by somehow altering the color of some hardware, a tonearm for example, that's nickel-plated?

[gramophoneshane]

The only way I know of is to strip the nickel plating from the object, replate it with copper (if the base metal is steel), then treat it with a copper sulphate solution.
If the base metal is brass, a solution of liver of sulphate is used.
I really dont know if you can copper/brass plate straight over the top of the nickel plating though...but I kind of doubt it.

[brianu]

I was worried it would be a fairly invasive, chemical-based treatment. I may just leave it as-is. the part is a needle dispenser from a late victor VV-50, the type with the two spring-sealed lids. I've only ever seen these as nickel-plated, and the only other machine that I've seen use them is the victor 8-8, the orthophonic schoolhouse machine. I'm finishing up restoring the latter right now and had to acquire that needle dispenser for it (a spare from a dealer that pulled it from a VV-50) - all of the 8-8's hardware, though, from what I've heard, was done in an antiqued bronze finish... so either they just used the nickel-plated dispenser, or else they specially finished the ones that they used only on this model. I've never seen a complete, original example of an 8-8 in person or in photos - at least not the playing area - so I don't know which is the case.

[gramophoneshane]

Hmm, I wonder if you might be able to use some translucent lacquers to colour the nickel, then give it a coat of clear to even out the finish. While it wouldn't be an exact match, you might be able to simulate the finish enough to blend in a little better than nickel. I guess you can always experiment, and if it looks too daggy, you can just strip the paint off and stick with the nickel plating?
Even if you went to the expense of stripping the plating & getting the bronzed finish done professionally,I dont know how easy it would be to pull out the springs for the lids & replace them. I've never examined mine to see how they all fit together, but the springs would have to be removed before the replating process was started.

[brianu]

thanks, I appreciate the suggestions. I think this will just end up being one of those times, though, when it's best to suppress any perfectionist tendencies and avoid overdoing something that may already be correct as it is. it's just that this project has been evolving... sloooooowwwlllly... over the past three to five years and I'm beyond eager at this point to finish it. it started with just the cabinet, which someone had gutted to use as a bar I think... had to find the horn, a similar (reasonably priced) parts machine (an 8-9, which itself doesn't show up that often, or cheap, let alone in a condition where I'd feel comfortable parting it out... I ultimately found one, but it took forever and I really overpaid for it considering the shipping costs), some additional components in that antique bronze finish... and then the work in properly getting the thing together... some of which I sent to a fairly well known dealer/restorer (ended up likewise costing a good deal more than I was planning). I should still probably have the springs replaced. I used to do all this work myself, and that really really cut down on the cost, but I just don't have the time or the space (after selling my house a few years ago) any more to really get into projects like this... and I can only imagine the deductions to my apartment's security deposit considering the mess that would likely result if I pulled the springs on weekend on my own.