Work on Commander #290 continues while the Sound waits. Should have gone with Strip Away on the hull - decided to scrape and sand the hull below the waterline instead (what a penny pincher!) - don't recommend it to anyone - even with a respirator and a monkey suit!
Anyway - with Epiphanes beginning to flow onto the coamings, I'm starting to look at the metal coaming hardware (cleats and whatnot) and the tiller hardware (which I think is actually bronze) in anticipation of installing my newly built rudder (not finished yet) and wonder how one goes about cleaning sailboat metal up - since I would like to stay with the original parts most of which are in good shape.
I tried some Noxon (hardware store metal polish) on the tiller hardware and it brought it up some but mostly succeeded in exposing the bronze underneath whatever the surface coating is. What about cleats? Winches?
My apologies if this is covered elswhere - I didn't find anything on a search.
The hardware is chrome plated bronze. Cleanup usually means re plating.
Bill - Is your experience that this is worth it for the most part?
Several skippers have done it and the hardware looks great. Try searching on "original hardware." There are a great bunch of phtos . . .
Go to the post titled "Commander coaming label" and post #5 shows a picture of how my hardware looked after re-chroming. Posts following discuss how it ain't exactly cheap to have this done.
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/showpost.php?p=3685&postcount=5
Having re-thought my Deck Hardware Plan (http://pearsonariel.org/discussion/showthread.php?t=901) < Click
I have decided that the 'hershoff' style cleats I purchased for the jib sheets are not as well suited to working line as were the originals.
I am still going with the Hershoff's I have mounted aft, as I like them for static line. Rather then shop for stainless horned cleats, I decided to polish up the original cleats. Polishing the plated stuff (such as the tiller head) may not work, but the marlon seems to shine up ok.
Here is what I got;
Yeah - my cleats look ok but I really did a number on the tiller head trying to clean it up. SPO got varnish all over it and SCO tried to get it off and ended up taking the plating down to the bronze.
I think I'm going to chill on this until next year when I re-bed everything.