I am renovating my prewar apartment. We are keeping the existing metal frames (they've been stripped and look great). The only complication is that we have brass colored strike plates and I am going with polished nickel door fixtures. We need strike plates that are identical in shape and size to the existing plates, which are, unfortunately, no longer the standard plates that you can just pick up... [more]
I am renovating my prewar apartment. We are keeping the existing metal frames (they've been stripped and look great). The only complication is that we have brass colored strike plates and I am going with polished nickel door fixtures. We need strike plates that are identical in shape and size to the existing plates, which are, unfortunately, no longer the standard plates that you can just pick up readily in any hardware store. I've been to Gracious Home and the Brass Center, and they are happy to help by charging $40 to custom make the plates.
Does anyone know of a place that may stock these old school strike plates? Alternatively, does anyone know of a place that may be willing to either refinish or make replicas of the existing plates without charging $40/plate (to put this in perspective, a new, similar plate from rejuvenation.com would cost $6 but unfortunately they don't have plates that come in my size).
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Response by 30yrs_RE_20_in_REO
about 16 years ago
Posts: 9880
Member since: Mar 2009
Have you thought about having the existing plates re-plated with nickel plating?
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Response by raddoc
about 16 years ago
Posts: 166
Member since: Jun 2008
Try DecoWare (www.decow.com) in Brooklyn. The best selection, good prices and almost everything can be ordered in a different finish if it isn't in stock.
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Response by Pette78
about 16 years ago
Posts: 42
Member since: Aug 2008
30 yrs--yes the refinishing is what's costing $40 per plate.
Thanks raddoc, I will check out DecoWare.
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Response by mmarquez110
about 16 years ago
Posts: 405
Member since: May 2009
Hi Pette78,
If you're looking at nickel plating, you should maybe call up a company that does a lot of manufacturing and metal plating. The way it works is that they have to dump the metal they want to plate in a large barrel with all of the chemicals. The amount of nickel that you actually use is very small, so it does not cost much for them to add in your extra pieces of metal if they ar enot that big. You want electroless nickel plating.
I had to have some copper nickelplated for a high temperature experiment so we sent them to a company in The Bronx. Im pretty sure this was the one:
http://www.generalgalvanizing.com/services/
They charged us $40-60 for small small pieces, but I'm pretty sure it was just a flat fee, not because of our quantity. This is type of company that you should contact, I am fairly certain that it will be cheaper than a place that does pieces for housing.
If you're feeling very ambitious, just get some high school student to set up the a nickel plating experiment for you. I can't imagine the chemicals and the electrodes costing more than $100, and you can nickelplate to your heart's content.
Have you thought about having the existing plates re-plated with nickel plating?
Try DecoWare (www.decow.com) in Brooklyn. The best selection, good prices and almost everything can be ordered in a different finish if it isn't in stock.
30 yrs--yes the refinishing is what's costing $40 per plate.
Thanks raddoc, I will check out DecoWare.
Hi Pette78,
If you're looking at nickel plating, you should maybe call up a company that does a lot of manufacturing and metal plating. The way it works is that they have to dump the metal they want to plate in a large barrel with all of the chemicals. The amount of nickel that you actually use is very small, so it does not cost much for them to add in your extra pieces of metal if they ar enot that big. You want electroless nickel plating.
I had to have some copper nickelplated for a high temperature experiment so we sent them to a company in The Bronx. Im pretty sure this was the one:
http://www.generalgalvanizing.com/services/
They charged us $40-60 for small small pieces, but I'm pretty sure it was just a flat fee, not because of our quantity. This is type of company that you should contact, I am fairly certain that it will be cheaper than a place that does pieces for housing.
If you're feeling very ambitious, just get some high school student to set up the a nickel plating experiment for you. I can't imagine the chemicals and the electrodes costing more than $100, and you can nickelplate to your heart's content.