Any tips for restoring new found metals portlights and keeping them shiny?

[minaret]

Secret old school recipe for keeping your polished bronze lasting longer-Aquanet hair spray in the big can like they used in the 80's. Constant reapplication required. Beats constant re polishing though.

[Laughing Buddha]

Here is something to try - if you honestly believe they are stainless steel. Source a 320 Grit grinding/sanding disc for your angle grinder. [Amazon has a 10 pack for 13 bucks or so.]

Set up a place to work and have at it. Get a good glove it will get hot - and take care not to scratch or overheat your "glass" in the portlight - it may be plastic!

Then get some polishing rouge and polishing pads and finish the job. To keep the bright - we've really liked Mother's Mag Wheel polish.

I've seen reference to using balled up piece of aluminum foil and coke. Cheap to try - who knows might do the job.

There are some spray coatings, Gibbs spray is great for Aluminum- I suppose ok for stainless too. Think of it as a super WD-40 spray. Also, powdercoating comes to mind - but you'd need to warn the 'coater you've polished with the rouge. That may leave a waxy surface they will need to strip off before coating. We did our bronze/brass pedestal, hurricane lamp, a mirror frame, and some other bits with PC. Still looking good - except where really hit hard and chip in finish. That was done 14 years ago.

Cheers - Jim

[Cheechako]

Not SS, there is yellow showing through. Am I seeing that right?
Looks like chromed bronze, or actually chromed brass... looks too yellow where it shows thru to be real bronze. Not sure there is anything you can do. The nice thing about plain bronze is you just let it go green!

[Laughing Buddha]

You can then still do the process I offered - with 320 grit pads to get the chrome off. Wear a mask and gloves for the heat. Eye protection,and maybe a holding means, vice, etc.
Follow up steps as I posted. Works well with bronze/brass too. Enjoy them while they shine and when they turn green just remind yourself that it is a "traditional look!"

BTW - I bet they're really chrome over bronze. But hey - drop them a line and ask:
nfm@newfoundmetals.com

Cheers - Jim

My concern with the SS comment - was that they are not Aluminum - could remove a lot of material even with 320 grit.

[Scout 30]

These are just bronze. No chrome. Polishing bronze is a fool's errand.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

These are just bronze. No chrome. Polishing bronze is a fool's errand.

look like poorly kept chrome to me? If bronze they would be green verdigris:

[autumnbreeze27]

I talked with nfm this morning. They are bronze with some crappy plating, which I've obviously worn through in a few spots. It could be that one of them is stainless.

I knew I was screwed when I talked to nfm and first they wanted to know if I was sure they made them... then they said they lasted 20 years so it was time to replace them.

We're not working, just cruising, and money is tight, so no huge portlight replacement project in our future. I've actually caught up on a lot of projects so was hoping that I could just clean these up, but I'm afraid I'd do one and say "well that was way too much work" and then the admiral would say "Well now they don't match, get to work!"

[Sailmonkey]

20 years and replace!!!! My aluminum ones made it 40.....my nfm better go at least that long!!!


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[Cheechako]

No problem..just use 'em!

[barnakiel]

Well then it cannot be bronze.

20 y.o bronze gear is new and SS gear is like new.

We have 20 y.o. alloy and glass ports and they are still perfect, except where a SS fastener keeps the frames together.

Maybe you have brass or plaster ones, hard to say.

b.

[DolphinBuddy]

Call Teri at NFM. She should be able to lead you in the right direction

[autumnbreeze27]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Well then it cannot be bronze.

20 y.o bronze gear is new and SS gear is like new.

We have 20 y.o. alloy and glass ports and they are still perfect, except where a SS fastener keeps the frames together.

Maybe you have brass or plaster ones, hard to say.

b.

to be honest, i'm not sure if it's brass or bronze, but it's chrome plated. the plating is failing.

[autumnbreeze27]

Originally Posted by DolphinBuddy

Call Teri at NFM. She should be able to lead you in the right direction

The only way Teri could help is if they were having a buy one get 3 free sale and free shipping to Mexico

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Well then it cannot be bronze.

20 y.o bronze gear is new and SS gear is like new.

We have 20 y.o. alloy and glass ports and they are still perfect, except where a SS fastener keeps the frames together.

Maybe you have brass or plaster ones, hard to say.

b.

They are definitely chrome plated bronze. Why people think chrome will last in a saltwater environment without regular maintainence is beyond me. I've got bronze Spartan Marine ports which are 32 years old and good as new. The gaskets have been replaced once. Bronze hardware lasts forever.

[knockabout]

clean with methylated spirit / wipe with extra virgin olive oil / keep a small bottle of olive oil and cloth handy / wipe now and then it also lubes the hinges and catches / real good on stainless ( turnbuckles, shackles etc) / stainless cookers , frypans etc / and good for preparing food / take care not to contaminate oil with metallic taste / found out the hard way spoiled a nice delicate feed of garfish / also works on the outboard / won't hurt plastic or aluminium / and can be used as a substitute in place of Vaseline for treating red spotted bum caused by sitting in saltwater soake clothes for too long