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 Aurora for homeowners from the older neighborhoods near Colfax to the newer subdivisions out east, staff and offices around the Anschutz Medical Campus, and restaurants along Havana Street. Your parts go to our Oceanside, California shop by UPS or FedEx ground, usually 3 to 5 business days each way, insured back.
A medical campus, a big reservoir and new homes everywhere.
Aurora is one of Colorado's largest cities and keeps growing east across the plains. It has a major medical campus on the old Fitzsimons Army base, Cherry Creek State Park on its edge and a long stretch of international restaurants on Havana Street. Most homes are newer, with builder hardware that wears out quickly.
Picture a satin nickel pendant from a house near Cherry Creek State Park. It arrives in a padded box, and we check it in and photograph it. The old finish is stripped off, the metal is polished, and the copper goes on, followed by lacquer. After a final look under bright light, it heads back to Aurora insured.
Restaurants on Havana Street often want warm fixtures that suit their cuisine, from copper pendants to table hardware. The medical campus and nearby offices order signage and lobby accents. Military families at the nearby Space Force base move often and send us hardware ahead of a sale.
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.
Satin copper updates Aurora's newer homes, bright copper fits restaurant dining rooms, and antique copper works for anyone after a rustic mountain feel.
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.
You don't have to live nearby to work with us.
Customers all over the country pack their parts and ship them to our Oceanside shop. We finish them, inspect them and send them back insured. It starts with a few photos.
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.
Here's the route an Aurora order takes through our shop.
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.
Builder finishes are thin and often sealed with a clear coat that must come off. We strip it all, polish the metal and clean every surface before plating.
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.
Aurora homeowners, Havana Street restaurants, the medical campus and nearby offices, military families, builders and sign makers send us copper work.
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.
Plains wind and dry air. Easy care for copper.
Wind off the eastern plains carries dust that settles into porch lights and door hardware. Rinse it away with a light spray of water and dry the piece, rather than wiping grit across the lacquer. Fixtures on the windiest side of the house need it most often.
Inside, Aurora's dry climate keeps tarnish slow, so lacquered copper only needs a soft cloth now and then. Near the kitchen, cooking oils build up on pulls, and warm soapy water takes them off. Avoid ammonia sprays, which can cloud the clear coat.
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.
Take each fixture down, remove glass and bulbs, wrap the parts well and pack them tightly.
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.
From the east side of the metro area, UPS or FedEx ground usually takes 3 to 5 business days to deliver to Oceanside, California. Our dock accepts boxes Monday to Friday, 8 to 4 Pacific.
We also plate copper for these Colorado cities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aurora homeowners, restaurants and offices ask us these copper questions.
Yes, and it's an easy way to make a house look cared for. Bag the knobs, hinges and pulls by room, and ship them with a list. Satin copper looks fresh and photographs well. Tell us your listing date up front so we can plan around it.
Restaurants send pendants, table hardware, menu holders and sign letters for plating. Copper adds warmth to a dining room. Lacquer matters on anything guests or staff touch often. Tell us how many pieces you have and your reopening date, and we'll plan the work.
Yes. We strip the nickel completely, polish the base metal and plate copper onto it. That gives a better bond than plating over the old finish. Brushed nickel pieces often turn into satin copper nicely, keeping a similar soft texture in a warmer color.
Each order is logged and photographed when it arrives, and parts stay grouped by room or fixture as they move through stripping, polishing and plating. A packing list helps us confirm everything is there. We check it again before the box ships back to you.
Yes, with lacquer. Wind carries grit that wears finishes, and a sealed copper layer takes that abrasion better than thin factory coatings. Antique copper hides small scuffs well. Mount outdoor fixtures where they get a little shelter if you can.
It depends on the part. Older fixtures and hardware are often better made than what you can buy today, or simply can't be found anymore. Send us photos and we'll give you an honest answer, even if that answer is to buy a new one.
Yes. We work with hotels, casinos, restaurants, architects, contractors and manufacturers, as well as homeowners. For businesses we can plate a whole project to one finish so every piece matches.
Yes. Our shop is at 2613 Temple Heights Dr, Suite G, in Oceanside. Bring your quote number and your parts during business hours, Monday to Friday 8 AM to 5 PM or Saturday 9 AM to 2 PM.