Bright Copper
A deep, mirror polished copper finish for lighting, hardware and decorative pieces, sealed with a clear coat so the color stays rich instead of darkening.
Copper plating in Lynwood for homeowners, the shops along Long Beach Boulevard and Imperial Highway, and the medical offices around the big hospital. Ship your parts to our Oceanside shop, and we'll do the slow prep work, plate them in copper and insure them home.
Where the 105 meets the 710, homes and shops side by side.
Lynwood sits right where the 105 and 710 freeways cross, with the Metro line running down the middle of the 105. The city's name goes back to Lynn Wood Sessions, whose husband ran a dairy here. Neighborhoods are mostly modest single family homes with older, hardworking hardware.
Most of our time on a typical piece is spent before any copper touches it. Stripping removes old plating and paint. Sanding takes out pits. Buffing smooths the scratches the sanding leaves. Each step exists for one reason: copper shows every flaw underneath, so the surface has to be right.
From Lynwood we see front door sets, wrought iron accents, church lighting, hospital handrails and fixtures from the restaurants and markets on Long Beach Boulevard. Some customers want bright copper, others want something quieter. We'll help you choose once we see the pieces.
Tell us what the part is and what you want it to become. Send a few photos and the base metal if you know it, and we will recommend the right copper process, explain the preparation it needs and send back a written quote.
Lynwood homeowners often choose antique copper to blend with wrought iron, and businesses on the boulevards usually want bright copper with clear lacquer so their pieces catch the eye.
A deep, mirror polished copper finish for lighting, hardware and decorative pieces, sealed with a clear coat so the color stays rich instead of darkening.
A brushed, low glare copper with a soft grain. It hides fingerprints and light wear, a favorite for door hardware, cabinet pulls and interior trim.
Copper that is darkened and then relieved by hand, so the high points glow while recesses stay deep brown. Ideal for period restorations and rustic designs.
A heavy acid copper layer that is cut and buffed flat before nickel and chrome. It fills pits and polishing marks and is the foundation of every show chrome job.
A thin first layer that locks onto difficult metals like zinc die cast, steel and brass, giving every layer that follows a solid bond.
Functional copper for conductivity, solderability and heat treat masking. Plated to a specified thickness on bus bars, connectors, shafts and gears.
Drag the handle on any photo to see the part as it arrived and as it left the shop in copper.
Before
Worn, spotted brass with decades of tarnish. Stripped, polished and plated in bright copper, then sealed with a clear lacquer so the warm color stays put.
Before
A full set of levers, plates and hinges with peeling plating. Stripped, copper plated and hand antiqued so the raised details stand out against darker recesses.
Before
Pitted metal with failed chrome. Stripped down, built up in heavy acid copper, then cut and buffed flat to create a perfect base for nickel and chrome.
Big order or a single knob, same care.
Homeowners send us one faucet. Companies in and out of state send production runs of hundreds or thousands of parts. Both get a written quote and the same inspection before anything ships back.
Copper bonds to more base metals than almost any other plating, but each one still needs the right cleaning and the right first layer.
Cleaned and activated, then given a copper strike before the main copper layer. Rusted or pitted steel is stripped and copper filled until the surface is smooth.
Plate beautifully once cleaned. A common way to give brass lighting, hardware and fixtures a true copper color without replacing the part.
Porous and reactive, so it needs a gentle copper strike before anything else. Pits are copper filled and hand buffed flat, the slow work most shops avoid.
Receives a zincate pretreatment so copper can bond to a surface that would otherwise oxidize instantly. Used for wheels, housings and decorative castings.
Its oxide layer resists bonding, so it gets a nickel strike first. After that it takes copper like any other metal, for a warm look on a durable base.
Solid copper can be replated to restore its surface, and other alloys are reviewed case by case. Send the alloy or a photo and we will confirm before you ship.
The same metal, three different goals. Knowing which one your part needs decides how it is prepared, how thick the copper goes on and how it is finished.
This is the full process for Lynwood orders, laid out in five honest steps from photos to delivery.
Show us the part and tell us the finish you want: bright, satin, antique or a base for chrome.
We confirm the base metal and the prep it needs, then send a written quote within 24 business hours.
Take the hardware off the door or wall, bag the screws and pack everything firmly. Ground shipping out of Lynwood usually takes a single business day to reach us.
Old finishes come off, the surface is repaired and polished, then struck and plated in copper.
Parts are buffed, brushed or antiqued, sealed when needed, inspected and shipped back insured.
Every copper finish and copper related service we run in house.
From custom builders to industrial manufacturers, our clients trust us to deliver the same result every time.
Our Lynwood customers include homeowners, churches, the hospital and nearby medical offices, restaurants, markets and small retailers along the main boulevards.
Slot machine trim, table rails, bar fixtures and gaming floor accents in bright or antique copper, made to glow under bright lights around the clock. Trusted by casino resorts across North County San Diego.
Pendants, sconces, lamp bases and accessories finished in bright, satin or antique copper.
Door handles, hinges, cabinet pulls and railings given a warm copper finish that matches across a project.
Bar rails, foot rests, tap handles and restaurant fixtures that bring copper warmth to a space.
Bus bars, terminals and connectors plated for conductivity and easy soldering.
Gears, shafts and steel parts selectively copper plated to mask areas during carburizing.
We have been running copper tanks since 1989. Restorers, designers, builders and manufacturers send us parts because the copper work underneath is what makes the finish on top last.
Send a photo of your part and receive a no obligation quote within 24 hours.
Every part leaves our shop backed by our craftsmanship guarantee. If you are not satisfied, we make it right.
A single fixture or a full production run, shipped to us from any state and returned insured.
Most projects are completed within 3 to 5 weeks. Expedited Orders: 5 to 7 business days. Contact us for availability.
Copper shows everything. Every scratch left in the base metal and every shortcut in the prep ends up visible in the finish, so we do not take shortcuts.
Difficult metals get the right first layer before the main copper goes on, so the finish stays bonded and does not peel or blister.
Copper is cut and buffed by hand between stages, which is what gives decorative copper its depth and chrome its flawless base.
Finished copper is inspected for even color, gloss and texture, and matched to your sample when you send one.
Soft copper scratches easily, so every finished piece is wrapped separately and packed to arrive exactly as it left the shop.
Busy roads, warm weather. Keep your copper clean.
With two freeways meeting in town, Lynwood air carries a fine film of road grime. It settles on outdoor copper and dulls it. Every few weeks, rinse fixtures with plain water, wipe them with a soft cloth and a little mild soap, then dry them.
If your copper sits next to wrought iron, watch for rust stains running onto it after rain. Wipe them away quickly before they set. Touch up the iron paint when it chips, and your copper accents will stay clean and bright much longer.
If you prefer a living finish, we can leave the copper unsealed so it develops its own patina over time. That choice works well on rustic lighting, garden pieces and bar tops where the aging is part of the character.
When a lacquered piece starts to show dark spots, the coating has failed somewhere. Bring it back and we can strip the old lacquer, rebuff the copper and seal it again, usually without replating the whole part.
Copper Plating Gallery
Bright, satin and antique copper on lighting, hardware and hospitality pieces, plus functional copper for electrical and industrial work.
Shipping from Lynwood is quick, usually a business day by ground, and the trip home is insured.
Send photos of every piece and the copper finish you want. You receive a written quote and lead time, usually the same business day. Always wait for a quote number before shipping.
Wrap each part individually so metal never touches metal, and use at least three inches of padding on every side. Long trim and lighting arms should be double boxed.
Declare the real value with the carrier and email us the tracking number so we can log your parts the day they arrive.
When the copper work is done we photograph the finished pieces for your approval, then pack them in fresh materials and ship them back insured.
Every copper job is stripped, plated, buffed and inspected in our own facility in North County San Diego.
Copper, nickel, chrome and metal finishing in San Diego County since 1989.
Lynwood customers can use any UPS or FedEx location along Long Beach Boulevard or Imperial Highway. Mention ground service, seal the box on all sides and send us the tracking number once it's on its way.
Next to Lynwood, these cities send us copper work as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lynwood homeowners and business owners ask us about prep, iron and care, so we answered those here.
We can plate the handle, lock plates and decorative pieces if they come off the door. The iron frame itself is usually too large to ship and plate. Antique copper on the hardware looks great against black iron, and it hides wear better than bright copper.
Yes. Churches send us candle holders, lighting and altar hardware, and medical offices send handrails and door pulls. Decorative copper adds warmth to both. We don't coat parts that go into medical devices, but hardware and fixtures are well within what we do.
Most of it. Plating itself is a fairly short step. The long part is stripping old finishes, sanding out pits and buffing the surface smooth. That's what makes the difference between copper that looks good for a month and copper that looks good for years.
Yes, many door handles and fixtures are zinc die cast, sometimes called pot metal or zamak. It needs gentle prep because it's softer than brass or steel, and badly pitted pieces may not come out perfect. Send photos and we'll tell you what to expect.
Every return trip is insured, so if a carrier damages your piece on the way home, we help you with the claim. On the way to us, your own shipment's insurance applies, so declare the value. Good padding avoids nearly all of these problems.
Send us a few photos of the part from different angles, along with what it is and the finish you want. We look them over and send a written quote, usually within 24 business hours. It's free, and you're under no obligation to go ahead.
Standard orders take 3 to 5 weeks from the day your parts arrive. If you're on a deadline, ask about expedited service. When the schedule allows, we can finish in 5 to 7 business days.
Yes. Our workmanship is covered for 12 months. If something isn't right with the finish we put on, call us and we'll make it right.