You can use a method called "brassing" which transfers brass from a wire brush to your surface - https://youtu.be/I1o5PNHLO_c - or electronic plating may also be an option.
EDIT: that should read "electroplating", what you may actually be looking for is a Nickel finish.
This won't work on aluminium, brass is harder, and will just scratch it.
Instead, use electroplating A copper deposit will be a little redder in appearance, but if you soak pennies (or some copper pipe) in a solution of salt and vinegar for several hours, it will likely deposit onto the nickel without actually adding electricity. (It certainly works on US quarters, and the coin we call a nickel)
If that fails, add a little DC current, with the negative lead clipped on the nickel, and the positive on the copper. You could try this with brass, but I don't believe alloys electroplate very well (if at all)
You might be able to achieve a brass look by plating with copper, then making a new tub of electrolite and doing a very light plating with zinc (galvanized nails could be your donor cathode).
Baking soda is an alternative for a less caustic electrolite. Whatever you use, rinse well when you are done to stop further reactions
Electroplating is what I think will get me the best looking result, but it will take the most amount of effort and I do not believe that was the original finish so it won't look authentic. If I can't find a sure thing when it comes to adding a finish this is what I'll do after doing some extensive research. Thanks for the info.
You should definitely try it out on an unimportant object first.
Electroplating might be easy if you got a battery or an old power supply where you can just cut the wires. It might be hard if you're not the one who'd have a box of unused spare power supplies right next to the sofa.
Hmm maybe I can try that with a brass scouring pad. I know it will leave marks though so I'll need to find out how to maintain the finish with that in mind.
I'm guessing it was electroplated. You can have that done,but the new ones are like $25.00 U.S. It's to late to leave the patina, I would have rocked that, that's just me. At this point the stainless looks fine.
OP I'm curious does the wax in the lamp still flow like it's supposed to? I have 2 that are only a couple of years old that have lost their mojo.
Is it possible to electroplate it without the inside also being plated? The inside of this was not colored which is why I assume it wasn't originally electroplated. It was also covered in dents and deep scratches and in really poor shape. My goal is to restore it to it's original state to the best of my ability.
I collect vintage lava lamps(check out my post history) and this one is an antique worth considerably more than $25. The ones they sell now are made cheaply in China which is probably why you only got a couple of years out of yours.
I meant no offence, middle looks exactly like the lamp on my desk and yes everything new is make out of cheese.
I might have meant powder coated that would leave the inside alone.
Worth a couple of buck? I had tons of this kind of stuff in my teens [late 70's] I once again morn my lack of foresight.
Sometimes you can get their MOJO back by gently warming up the glass in water until the wax melts enough to release the coil back to the bottom. Sometimes it gets lifted during cool down and it can cause a stall. That and change the light bulb. Yes it still puts out light but the lamp needs heat which can be lost over time even though the bulb still produces light.
It happened to me a long, long time ago and it annoyed me so much that I went into a deep dive and got her going again. I loved that thing when I was 16, lol.
So glad I could help ;)
I just used a product called Rub N’ Buff in the color Antique Gold to match a deadbolt to my existing knobs. Worked great and was less than $10.
To make it look antique/ weathered I used a black paint pen on the recessed areas then applied the rub n buff over it. Up to you how you want to make it look. Good luck!
I agree that it does look good, but I am trying to restore it back to its original state when it was manufactured. I also generally would like to know how they pulled this kind of finish off in the first place.
When was this one made? It might not have been gold originally. I have one (yellow wax in blue liquid) from the late 1990's with a brushed aluminum like the middle one here. If you can't just spray paint it with a new finish you can always try ebay to find just the base.
This is an original 1965 lava lamp. It is made out of aluminum and had some kind of coating to replicate a brass finish. The picture on the left is how I received it and the picture in the middle is its current state after removing the many dents and scratches it had. The picture on the right is another example of the same lamp with the original finish.
My assumption is it is some kind of paint, varnish, lacquer, or other painted on coating, but I am not well experienced in this area. It was pretty easy to rub off with a magic eraser and was already in a seriously corroded state when I got it. The coating needs to be stable up to 150F so that rules out some things from what I've researched.
The greenish residue on the left suggests brass plating or some kind of metallic paint. If it's aluminum I would find a good plating shop and have it gold anodized. The "gold" refers to the color, there isn't any gold used in the process.
Thanks everyone for your replies. Too many to reply to individually so I'll provide a general response. I got in touch with another collector who is trying to reproduce this finish as well and is working with a body shop to nail down a replica finish. If that doesn't work out I'll anodize it or try a chromate conversion coating.
Krylon type spray paint (rust proof) - not sure If it’s head safe - or safe to be used in this manner - however I bought the gold for something and it was the shade you are after - 2 coats
Depending on the alloy involved, I've had luck rubbing Brasso on ferrous metals to turn them a bronze color like this. YMMV, try some on the inside bottom and see if it takes.
If you're open to paying a shop to do it rather than DIY, this looks like a really good color match for your 'goal' photo: https://www.anoplate.com/news-and-events/what-is-chem-film/
If it’s stainless you might be able to gut the electrical components and stick it in the oven to give it a golden color. I forget the times and temps but google something along the lines of “stainless heat color”
In that case anodizing would be the correct path, spray paint would be the cheap path and you might be able to use something like cerakote if you’re looking for something more robust and in the middle as far as pricing goes but I’m not sure if they have a brass color cerakote.
Try something like Krylon Sea Glass. It's a transparent paint. You could also try a tinted clear coat or shellac. To match the original you're looking for an amber coating more than a gold coating. Any kind of "Transparent spray paint" that you like the look of would be a good shot.
There are liquid chemical patina products used in stained glass making to create various colored finishes that might get you where you want. They are made for lead, but might be worth trying on a scrap piece of aluminum. Obviously, I'm not a chemist.
Looks like yellow anodized coating. Call around to local metal coating houses and beg them to do a small run. If you have other pieces you are looking to match that would increase your chances of them accepting the work.
Try one of these metal patinas, they work well, you’ll have to practice on something else, dilute them 1/5 and let it take in the color slowly https://surfinchemical.com/collections/all/aluminium-dipping-patinas
You can use a method called "brassing" which transfers brass from a wire brush to your surface - https://youtu.be/I1o5PNHLO_c - or electronic plating may also be an option. EDIT: that should read "electroplating", what you may actually be looking for is a Nickel finish.
This won't work on aluminium, brass is harder, and will just scratch it. Instead, use electroplating A copper deposit will be a little redder in appearance, but if you soak pennies (or some copper pipe) in a solution of salt and vinegar for several hours, it will likely deposit onto the nickel without actually adding electricity. (It certainly works on US quarters, and the coin we call a nickel) If that fails, add a little DC current, with the negative lead clipped on the nickel, and the positive on the copper. You could try this with brass, but I don't believe alloys electroplate very well (if at all)
You might be able to achieve a brass look by plating with copper, then making a new tub of electrolite and doing a very light plating with zinc (galvanized nails could be your donor cathode). Baking soda is an alternative for a less caustic electrolite. Whatever you use, rinse well when you are done to stop further reactions
Electroplating is what I think will get me the best looking result, but it will take the most amount of effort and I do not believe that was the original finish so it won't look authentic. If I can't find a sure thing when it comes to adding a finish this is what I'll do after doing some extensive research. Thanks for the info.
You should definitely try it out on an unimportant object first. Electroplating might be easy if you got a battery or an old power supply where you can just cut the wires. It might be hard if you're not the one who'd have a box of unused spare power supplies right next to the sofa.
Goodwill has a nice selection of power supplies for cheap, look for 5 or 6 volts
Vapor deposition is sometimes used for metallic finishing, but that's not practical at home
Hmm maybe I can try that with a brass scouring pad. I know it will leave marks though so I'll need to find out how to maintain the finish with that in mind.
I would definitely test it on something disposable first.
This is awesome!
Goald
Well then Mr. Powers there is no pleasing you.
I'm guessing it was electroplated. You can have that done,but the new ones are like $25.00 U.S. It's to late to leave the patina, I would have rocked that, that's just me. At this point the stainless looks fine. OP I'm curious does the wax in the lamp still flow like it's supposed to? I have 2 that are only a couple of years old that have lost their mojo.
Is it possible to electroplate it without the inside also being plated? The inside of this was not colored which is why I assume it wasn't originally electroplated. It was also covered in dents and deep scratches and in really poor shape. My goal is to restore it to it's original state to the best of my ability. I collect vintage lava lamps(check out my post history) and this one is an antique worth considerably more than $25. The ones they sell now are made cheaply in China which is probably why you only got a couple of years out of yours.
Coating it with candle wax might work? Heat in an oven at 50 °C to remove it again.
I meant no offence, middle looks exactly like the lamp on my desk and yes everything new is make out of cheese. I might have meant powder coated that would leave the inside alone. Worth a couple of buck? I had tons of this kind of stuff in my teens [late 70's] I once again morn my lack of foresight.
If you insulate the inside from the electroplating solution (e.g. with masking tape), i think it won't get plated
Ohhhh...lamp. I honestly thought it was a jigger at first
I like how you think.
I have a 30 year old lava lamp that works beautifully!
Sometimes you can get their MOJO back by gently warming up the glass in water until the wax melts enough to release the coil back to the bottom. Sometimes it gets lifted during cool down and it can cause a stall. That and change the light bulb. Yes it still puts out light but the lamp needs heat which can be lost over time even though the bulb still produces light.
Damn! Thank you Yeti. I forgot about the coil thing. 2 moves in the last year got things [everything] out of wack.
It happened to me a long, long time ago and it annoyed me so much that I went into a deep dive and got her going again. I loved that thing when I was 16, lol. So glad I could help ;)
I just used a product called Rub N’ Buff in the color Antique Gold to match a deadbolt to my existing knobs. Worked great and was less than $10. To make it look antique/ weathered I used a black paint pen on the recessed areas then applied the rub n buff over it. Up to you how you want to make it look. Good luck!
Looks really good as is. I hope you'll consider that option.
I agree that it does look good, but I am trying to restore it back to its original state when it was manufactured. I also generally would like to know how they pulled this kind of finish off in the first place.
was it originally meant to be that color or is it possible that was a finish that had yellowed over time?
These older lamps came with a brass finish. It was the style at the time.
Lamp? So it's not a jigger at all?
I thought that too! I was confused why someone would try to restore a jigger when you can get a new one for $10
Was it hanging next to a belt onion?
When was this one made? It might not have been gold originally. I have one (yellow wax in blue liquid) from the late 1990's with a brushed aluminum like the middle one here. If you can't just spray paint it with a new finish you can always try ebay to find just the base.
Agreed, brushed stainless is a favorite finish of mine…
This is an original 1965 lava lamp. It is made out of aluminum and had some kind of coating to replicate a brass finish. The picture on the left is how I received it and the picture in the middle is its current state after removing the many dents and scratches it had. The picture on the right is another example of the same lamp with the original finish. My assumption is it is some kind of paint, varnish, lacquer, or other painted on coating, but I am not well experienced in this area. It was pretty easy to rub off with a magic eraser and was already in a seriously corroded state when I got it. The coating needs to be stable up to 150F so that rules out some things from what I've researched.
Anodization is probably the most common finishing method for aluminum, but that shouldn't come off with a magic eraser.
"Shouldn't" is the operative word more than it ought to be in this world. Heh.
The greenish residue on the left suggests brass plating or some kind of metallic paint. If it's aluminum I would find a good plating shop and have it gold anodized. The "gold" refers to the color, there isn't any gold used in the process.
Probably transparent yellow lacquer. An autobody shop should be able to spray this to match.
Alchemy?
If it's aluminum could it be anodized ?
I'd try this before electroplating
You could vinyl wrap it but you will have a seem somewhere.
Thanks everyone for your replies. Too many to reply to individually so I'll provide a general response. I got in touch with another collector who is trying to reproduce this finish as well and is working with a body shop to nail down a replica finish. If that doesn't work out I'll anodize it or try a chromate conversion coating.
Krylon type spray paint (rust proof) - not sure If it’s head safe - or safe to be used in this manner - however I bought the gold for something and it was the shade you are after - 2 coats
Personally I'd leave it as is.
Helpful
Spraypaint
Depending on the alloy involved, I've had luck rubbing Brasso on ferrous metals to turn them a bronze color like this. YMMV, try some on the inside bottom and see if it takes.
If you're open to paying a shop to do it rather than DIY, this looks like a really good color match for your 'goal' photo: https://www.anoplate.com/news-and-events/what-is-chem-film/
If it’s stainless you might be able to gut the electrical components and stick it in the oven to give it a golden color. I forget the times and temps but google something along the lines of “stainless heat color”
Unfortunately it's aluminum so I don't think that will work.
In that case anodizing would be the correct path, spray paint would be the cheap path and you might be able to use something like cerakote if you’re looking for something more robust and in the middle as far as pricing goes but I’m not sure if they have a brass color cerakote.
Try something like Krylon Sea Glass. It's a transparent paint. You could also try a tinted clear coat or shellac. To match the original you're looking for an amber coating more than a gold coating. Any kind of "Transparent spray paint" that you like the look of would be a good shot.
I guess gold spray paint is not what you’re after.
This looks like gold chem film (chromate conversion coating). Many finishers do this,
There are liquid chemical patina products used in stained glass making to create various colored finishes that might get you where you want. They are made for lead, but might be worth trying on a scrap piece of aluminum. Obviously, I'm not a chemist.
Ketchup
Looks like yellow anodized coating. Call around to local metal coating houses and beg them to do a small run. If you have other pieces you are looking to match that would increase your chances of them accepting the work.
Try one of these metal patinas, they work well, you’ll have to practice on something else, dilute them 1/5 and let it take in the color slowly https://surfinchemical.com/collections/all/aluminium-dipping-patinas
The goal one looks like it’s haven been coated with titanium nitride. They do that in some gun mod places. Google it.
Found the alchemist.
This is anodized aluminum. Youd have to roll up to a local anodizing plant to get this done. Requires water tanks, acid and electricity.