7 replies to this topic

[WillsMini]

An odd question perhaps.
When my boot lock broke I bought a nice shiny chrome one and would like to change all the other handles to match.
The current ones are black and having a gash boot handle I experimented with removing the black coating. I tried a heat gun. No good. I had some success with a blade and wire wool to polish off but this was time consuming and there is a danger of marking the surface of the metal. The bit that I had done looks good and showed no rust after being left outside.
The current door handles are working fine so there is no reason to change them other than cosmetic so my question is this.
Has anyone tried successfully or not to strip black door handles back to bear metal and if so, what's the best way?

[Dan]

Nitromors probably, it's paint I think rather than powder coat. Take all the working parts out and coat them in stripper. They can't rust, they aren't steel they are some cheap white metal alloy. But they will still corrode eventually if untreated.

[cubby1701]

swap with someone who wants black ones for there chrome ones would be interested

[Dan]

I should have said, test the stripper first to make sure it doesn't damage the alloy.

[Turbo Nick]

I'm just down the road from Walsall, I'd swap my chrome ones for your black ones.

[Ben_O]

another way to take the paint off would be progressively finer grades of wet and dry paper.

 

Finishing with a fine grade like 2500 or 3000 will remove the scratches left by the coarser grades.

 

They would need to be treated somehow to prevent corrosion, I'm not sure if a lacquer would adhere properly for any length of time though.

 

Personally i wouldn't bother, i think they would look bad stripped back as the metal is like a dull grey colour.

 

A full set of chrome handles with keys is only £50 odd new so a used set would be very little money indeed.

 

As has been said, do a swap with someone else?

 

Ben 

[WillsMini]

Thanks again everyone.
I had thought of Nitromors, testing on the broken boot handle first. But the swap sounds a lot easier.
Turbo Nick. Where abouts are you? Are yours on the car? You could have the boot handle too. The handle is fine it's the rear casting that broke. It shut but wouldn't lock. You could use your existing rear section.

[Midas Mk1]

Stripping painted handles isn't hard at all, took me a few minutes last year with wet 'n' dry  when I was painting them gloss black, shouldn't need a stripper at all.