Rub N Buff That Old Hardware!

Lynnette Soltwedel
by Lynnette Soltwedel
4 Materials
$20
3 Days
Easy

If you work on furniture, you know how expensive new hardware can be! Sometimes you can clean up hardware and use it. Sometimes it is just not the right finish anymore. Rub n buff is a great option! This is just a quick tutorial of updating the finish on some hardware...going on a piece that I will post soon.

Here you can see an example of what I had to work with. *sigh* this finish is found on a huge amount of hardware on older pieces. It just doesn’t work with a lot of today’s trends.

First, a light sanding with some 120 grit sandpaper. Just enough to rough up the old finish and give the rub n buff something to adhere to. Make sure you wipe the hardware off after sanding to remove any debris.

The directions say to use a glove...I have tried that. The heat from your finger seems to help the application, in my opinion. I have always managed to scrub my hands clean with Dawn dish soap and hot water.

Rub it all over the hardware! Getting in all the nooks and crannies. For these pieces, I could tell right away it would take a second application.

Let the rub n buff dry overnight and add a second coat if needed! Now, I highly recommend you give the hardware a coat of poly (spray) after letting the rub n buff dry for 24 hours. A light spray...let dry several hours (at least four) and then apply a second light coat. This will prevent it from rubbing off over time. Stay tuned to see how it looks on the freshly, refinished piece it came off of!!

This is my set of rub n buff! These are considered ”sample“ sized. Several of these have been used. Keep in mind, a little goes a LONG way.


More Rub 'n Buff Ideas

Check out our guide on How to Use Rub 'n Buff for color options, application tips, removal information, as well as examples of other DIY projects that use Rub 'n Buff.

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Frequently asked questions
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  1 question
  • Winetta Winetta on Sep 06, 2018

    What color are the handles and what color is the rub and buff?

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 2 comments
  • Wendy Wendy on Sep 05, 2018

    Great tips for Furniture Flippers!

  • Dee Dee on Dec 23, 2022

    I absolutely love Rub and Buff. It changes the color of metal so nicely. Great job.

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