Brass plating

Kruger · **Posted:** Mon Oct 18, 2010 7:15 pm

For an upcoming passenger car restoration project I'm looking at the option of brass-plating steel grab irons vs. fabricating and machining new ones out of brass or bronze.

Are there any companies out there that specialize in brass-plating? Does anyone have any thoughts on attempting this?

Thanks for the help.

Johnathon Kruger
Pacific Locomotive Association
www.ncry.org

CCDW · **Joined:** Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:30 pm **Posts:** 211

If your car is to be in FRA territory than don't go with bronze. The feds dont' like it. If not use C646 naval bronze. It has high strength, excellent corrosion resistance. It has good hot forging characteristics. Brass plating is out there however it will corrode easily especiaaly from the oils in the skin. Look into powder coating a brass finish. We have used it and it looks good and wears well.

CCdW

Termite7 · **Joined:** Thu Aug 21, 2008 8:29 pm **Posts:** 397

Pullman (and a lot of railroads) painted their handgrabs black.

robertmacdowell · **Posted:** Wed Oct 20, 2010 12:53 am

How about a brass paint? Not as shiny, but won't tarnish, and with good paint, will last.

Kruger · **Posted:** Wed Oct 20, 2010 7:35 pm

Painting is an option. I'm just wondering if plating is worth the effort and money.

Dave · **Posted:** Thu Oct 21, 2010 10:26 am

Like most things, "it depends".......

Use in service or cosmetic display? Stored inside or in the weather?

Plating is costly, and will require constant polishing or coating with something like clear laquer ro maintain the shine. Paint will last for a while, but not if in use or stored outdoors. Epoxy hardening paint - like automotive body paint - better than the metallic spray paint you will find readily available at the paint store.

Powder coating is a great middle-ground option, even if costlier than paint. Cheaper than plating, and if done properly will be very durable and maintain its own shine. I'd just be very careful to qualify the powder coating firm doing the work.

dave

robertmacdowell · **Posted:** Sat Oct 23, 2010 6:40 am

Dave wrote:

Paint will last for a while, but not if in use or stored outdoors. Epoxy hardening paint - like automotive body paint - better than the metallic spray paint you will find readily available at the paint store.

Powder coating is a great middle-ground option, even if costlier than paint. Cheaper than plating, and if done properly will be very durable and maintain its own shine. I'd just be very careful to qualify the powder coating firm doing the work.

Agreed on the epoxy hardening paint. Any 2-part paint has a vastly more durable resin that is more suitable for high handling areas. They make 2-part metallics, but those are hard to find in brass/bronze.

They also make 2-part clearcoats. Two of the latter that come to mind are Awlgrip 2-pack polyurethane, which is very tough stuff; or West System epoxy, which I would not expect to be as tough, but is certainly easy to work with.

I strongly endorse the idea of powder coating. The stuff is applied electrostatically, then is cured by heat. You can DIY powder coating, with:
* Powder (a few bucks on eBay or Amazon, huge variety)
* A powder gun, visit TechShop or buy several cheapies for <$100
* An oven that your wife will let you use, and will fit your part.

David Johnston · **Posted:** Sun Oct 24, 2010 7:26 pm

The question of brass handholds on a passenger car is an interesting one. In looking at the Safety Appliance Standard, part 231, some handholds are discribed as being wrough iron or steel and others just as "metal". I think the law is making it clear that brass handholds on passenger cars, in some applications, is an acceptable pratice.