Refurbishing handles on Arcadia sliding doors
If you still have your original Arcadia sliding doors you may be interested to learn that the handles are made of brass (although if your handles were like mine they were so tarnished I didn't know). You can reburbish them quite easily using ketsup. Yes, remove the handles, put in a tupperware filled with ketsup and leave overnight. Then use an SOS pad or steel wool and buff to a shine. To finish, use spar varnish and coat the handles so they won't tarnish. You can also paint the doors using a metallic spray paint that dress up the frames very nicely.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and tips.
I just wanted to mention that construction varied from tract to tract. As a rule, I think Eichler tended to use the same manufacturers across the different tracts and years (for instance, thermador ovens and stovetops, arcadia doors, sargent locks and hinges), but the actual product model used varied.
For Arcadia doors, the frames can be steel or aluminum. The handle design varies and can be metal or wood. On my handles, the ones in the best condition still retain a smooth solid black painted finish probably applied over a base metal. I'm curious if the "tarnish" you saw was actually what remained of a painted finish--possible, I think.
Cheers.
Jake
(My sliding doors are model 151-2 on a Jones and Emmons atrium model built 1959-60 in San Jose.)
I noticed the potential of the door handled immediately. They're quite easy to remove. 1 screw.
Rather than catsup, I recommend Brasso. If you remove them and rub the heck out of them with Brasso they positively gleem a golden tone. Best 1 hour upgrade you can do.
Russell
