How to Restore Antique Finish Door Locks
Antique finish door locks are newly manufactured locks which are refinished to look aged and of a certain historical period, such as Victorian. These reproductions are usually constructed of solid brass with a stained finish to make them look antique. These locks tend not to be lacquered, and therefore, without proper maintenance, they can become dirty and tarnished. You can restore the look of antique finish door locks with a little elbow grease and the appropriate cleaning products. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Restoring Antique Finish Door Locks with Brass Cleaner
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1
Place painting tape around the perimeter of the lock's face and the opposing strike plate. The purpose of this step is to protect the door from exposure to metal cleaning products. You do not need to take the lock off the door to clean it, unless the lock is sticking.
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2
Put a small amount of brass cleaner on a clean rag. Rub the brass cleaner into a small area on the lock as a test area. Wipe the test area clean with a new rag to ensure that the brass cleaner you have chosen is not too abrasive.
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3
Rub the rag with brass cleaner over the entire surface of the antique finish lock, including the door handle, the face of the lock, the lock bolt and the strike plate. Make sure you cover the lock on both sides of the door. Put more brass cleaner on a clean part of the rag once one area of the rag is dirty.
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4
Take another clean rag and wipe the door lock completely clean. You may need more than one rag to complete this step, depending upon how tarnished the door lock is.
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5
Remove the painting tape carefully to ensure that you do not take any finish off the door.
Restoring Antique Finish Door Locks with Rottenstone and Linseed Oil
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Place painting tape around the perimeter of the lock's face and the opposing strike plate.
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7
Mix a paste of rottenstone powder and linseed oil (boiled) in a plastic bowl, adding a few drops of oil to the powder to create a paste.
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Dip a clean rag into the paste so that a corner of the rag is saturated.
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9
Wipe the rottenstone and linseed oil paste all over the lock, until all parts of the exposed lock are covered. Take a separate rag and douse it in linseed oil. Wipe all of the paste off the lock with the dampened rag.
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10
Polish the lock with a new, dry rag, using a back and forth rubbing action. Carefully remove the painting tape.
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Tips & Warnings
Always try a test area on your antique finish lock before fully cleaning it.
References
- Photo Credit lock the gate image by jbattx from Fotolia.com
