Ornate 1880s Door Bell Restoration | Random Restoration

Welcome! In today's video I'll be restoring an ornate old doorbell which was manufactured by Reading Hardware in the 1880s. I started off this antique restoration by removing the bell from the bell base. The cast iron base was quite rusty and had a couple rivets that needed to be ground off - The Dremel tool made quick work of them though! Next up I ground off the solid rivet holding the handle to the door bell pull. Then it was time for paint stripping. I ended up using an aerosol paint stripper to remove any remaining lacquer from all the hardware.
Next up in this hardware restoration was rust removal. Compared to many of my previous projects this was not much of a rusty restoration - There wasn't much rust to remove, as the bell pull was bronze and the bell itself was a very light colored bell bronze, leaving only the rusty cast iron base and small steel parts. After an overnight soak in the rust remover I cleaned up the parts with an abrasive buff and wire wheel. The next step of the restoration was sanding - The bell and bell pull had been weathered quite a lot and needed a decent amount of sanding to bring them back to life. Following this it was time for a quick bit of polishing.
If you've watched a number of my restoration videos you'll know what's coming next haha. I ended up using a new lacquer for this project which I then gave a translucent golden tint to. Like in almost all of my previous hardware restorations it was time for painting the recessed areas black like they had been originally. I then needed to restore the small parts. None of the parts needed repair, but I did lacquer the interior components. Finally it was time for the segment that no restoration video can go without - Bluing steel haha. I ended up cold bluing the two springs which adds some rust protection. I was pretty happy with how this project turned out, though I still plan on fiddling around with the new lacquer to get optimal results.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Welcome!
0:30 Disassembly
2:18 Paint Stripping
3:32 Abrasive Buffing
4:18 Making the Bell Functional
5:41 Making a New Rivet
6:09 Restoring the Backplate
7:38 Restoring the Handle
8:49 Restoring the Bell
10:20 Restoring Small Parts
11:27 Reassembly
13:11 Before and After
14:09 A Quick Test
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Ornate 1880s Door Bell Restoration | Random Restoration

[@randomrestoration6858]

Howdy all, a bit of an update! I've been so busy the last few months that I haven't had time to do much editing. I have a number of projects and videos I'm currently working on and I should have a video out in (probably) a few weeks time or less - sorry for the huge delay, and as always thank you for watching!

[@yeagerxp]

LOL @14:11 BRINNG-BRINNG-BRINNG Telephone!!!!! No Telephone!!!!! DOORBELL. Beautiful restoration 👍👍👍. Thank you for sharing. Be safe🇨🇦

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha hey thanks a lot! Have a nice rest of your weekend!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hi all, It's been a while since the last video! Unfortunately I don't have as much free time as I used to, and as a result future videos will be released less frequently with no specific upload schedule. Hopefully this one was worth the wait haha - As always thank you for watching!

[@lucaspenzeymoog1783]

Welcome back! You've inspired me to restore my own mortise lock. You're the best!!

[@pfadiva]

No problem. I'll watch whenever you get a chance to upload.

[@craig7343]

Always worth the wait what a brilliant job as always. Love your attention to detail as always. Keep em coming whenever you can. 👌👌👍👍

[@k.george8722]

Hello my friend, I hope this finds you doing well. Just wanted you to know that you and your videos are missed by us old house enthusiasts. Whether your MIA because you got married, had a baby, health or just tired of it all, let us know how your doing. Take care

[@Tenebarum]

Another museum worthy restoration. You can’t find fine bronze anymore unless you alloy it yourself. Flawless casting and finishing. We truly have cheap junk at crazy prices today. The tone was pitch perfect! You have a good ear.

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate the kind words! Right, the quality of this hardware is far higher than what you can buy today - It really is a shame. Thank you very much for watching, and have a nice rest of your weekend!

[@marcuscicero9587]

real pretty piece of vintage hardware

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much, Marcus!

[@bodiejay2859]

This restoration came out beautiful. ~Kevin

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey I appreciate it, Kevin! Thanks as always for watching -Mac

[@thisisdvd8094]

I was thinking "Random Restoration needs to post something", and seconds later, I got a notification for this

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha good timing, it’s definitely been a bit since the last video! Thanks a lot for watching!

[@theJellyjoker]

all these things you're restoring must have come out of a really fancy house

[@randomrestoration6858]

Right, it had to have been a gorgeous house in its prime! Thank you for watching, Jeff!

[@brycecrousore1985]

When the weekend kicks off with a new video from Random Restoration, you know it's gonna be great! Thank you. Another gorgeous outcome.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you for the kind words, Bryce! Have a nice rest of your weekend, and thank you as always for watching!

[@georgeshelton6281]

I just haven't been keeping up with any of these ancient contraptions ever since, I think so much about the elderly generation. This ancient doorbell was created and used in 1886. The elderly generation that had lived back then during the late 20th century would definitely say, "I missed the 20th century." Even the 1920s and the post First World War era was a classic. That's during the time when the silent film era was going on strong. 💪 🔔

[@k.george8722]

There you are, my friend! Glad to see you back. You were missed. I was away for several days and did not look at my phone. What a wonderful surprise to find a new video from you! I love this bell. Seriously, I LOVE this bell. If you sold your items I would try and purchase this from you lol. I did not realize how big it was until I saw you put it in the basket to get the rust off. And, the sound. It has such a lovely ring the way it resonates. Glad to see you back :-)

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate all the kind words - It’s definitely been a while since the last video! Right, this one is such a gorgeous design - I have the matching hinges and lockset which I’ll get around to restoring at some point in the future. So the previous bell restoration I did was made of cast iron, but this one is made of bell bronze which seems to have a much better sounding ring that also lasts way longer. Thank you as always for watching, and have a nice week!

[@k.george8722]

@@randomrestoration6858 Yes, it's been a while. But, we understand, you have a life and that gets in the way sometimes lol. Thank you. You have a great week also.

[@drunkdunc8738]

The unrestored bell reminded me of another I’d met before…it was a dead ringer . Mike Tyson’s front door had one but they removed for public safety after just a few rounds 😲👍🍻

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha I see the master of puns hat returned - I wish you a weekend full of alcoholic beverages haha

[@vinceianni4026]

Hello mister beautiful restoration professionally restored well done

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey I always appreciate the support, Vince - Thanks a lot for watching!

[@samanthadean1083]

Awesome! I love the doorbells!!! ❤️❤️❤️👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, Samantha! These are always fun to restore, though I don’t have nearly as many doorbells to restore compared to normal lock sets haha. Thank you as always for watching!

[@DrMrSmooth]

Nice restoration mate !😃

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey man thanks a lot!

[@Tim-57]

Hey RR Wow great outcome, what a beautiful set. I would jump out of my skin, every single time someone rang that at the door...haha Take care of yourself

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey sorry for the late reply, but thanks a lot! Hahaha yeah it’s surprisingly loud in person but makes up for it with its pleasant ring. Take care and have a nice rest of your week!

[@Tim-57]

@@randomrestoration6858 All good, I understand you have been busier with life recently. Take care

[@Restoration-Reuse]

Wonderful job!

[@HollyMarieF69]

The restoration was good but that rose gold was absolutely exquisite. I was so sad to see it covered up

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha hey fair enough, I can totally see why you’d prefer that finish! Thank you for the kind words, and thanks a lot for watching!

[@chrysanthepaxinos2839]

Wow. That bell has a beautiful ring. Wonderful job!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Right it really has a great long lasting ring. The other bell I restored was cast iron, but this bell was made from bell bronze which turns out makes a huge difference in the sound/duration. Thank you as Lacey’s for watching, Chrysanthe!

[@JAdams-jx5ek]

Gorgeous. I think for most people today, you would have to have a sign marked, "Pull to activate mechanical doorbell" Otherwise people will keep looking for a button.

[@kylettamiller6769]

I had no idea this was going to turn out so beautiful. Just AMAZING now, inside AND out! ♥

[@randomrestoration6858]

It is definitely a gorgeous design! Thank you for the comment and thanks a lot for watching!

[@kylettamiller6769]

@@randomrestoration6858 😄

[@jodylarson5317]

always happy watching your content!

[@jamesalsup9135]

Excellent!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much!

[@RestorationAustralia]

Very nice, well done.😊

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much!

[@angelabyrne154]

How I wish you sold these pieces! They are simply stunning. I would buy it as it was, all tarnished but your restoration really brings the character back.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, Angela! Right it’s such a lovely design, even when it was in its original condition. I appreciate the kinds words, and thanks for watching!

[@dannyhenson3141]

An excellent restoration job 😊

[@terryrogers1025]

Don’t really concern myself with frequency of postings from channels, but do look for quality of content and finish work, you sir, have never disappointed this ole boy. Great job on this one as usual, enjoyed the process, thanks for the video and the notice on the posting frequency.

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate the comment and kind words, Terry - As always thanks a lot for watching!

[@lennartgerdedal883]

Beuteful work😊😊

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[@flipnawesome5756]

Beautiful! I do love the ornate detail of the pieces. And the black just makes it POP!

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate it! The black definitely makes a huge difference for these pieces, especially in person. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@JB---]

Amazing!!!

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate it, JB!

[@markchristopher9515]

Beautiful work as always. Take your time. Glad to hear those doors are keeping you occupied.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you for the support, Mark! Hahaha yeah they sure are. Thanks as always for watching!

[@br6480]

Beautiful restoration. I love the detail on the ?handle plate and the sound of the bell takes you back in time.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! Right, they crammed a huge amount of detail into that bell pull and the bell itself has such a lovely tone to it!

[@marciowashingtonmartins3954]

Nice

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot!

[@julesa.5887]

Stunning! Bravo!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, Jules!

[@jasonm6468]

Beautiful restoration, I think the color/finish really make the detail pop! I'm assuming the bell was manufactured by the Reading Hardware Co. in Reading Pa., I wonder what the bell would cost today if it were manufactured today by skilled craftsmen in Pa.? Think about our standard of living and what it costs today versus 1880 or thereabouts. In 1880, no electricity. Indoor plumbing for a factory worker, probably not. Central heat possibly. No appliances, phones or automobile. Back then the average factory worker worked for very little. If that were made to in the US that may cost upwards of $300.00 to $500.00 or more?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much, Jason! You are correct, it was made by Reading Hardware some time in the 1880s and possibly into the earlier 1890s, though I haven’t found this design in any of their 1890s catalogs. Right, it’s impressive that they were able to manufacture something of this quality in that day and age. I’d suspect that something like this made today would indeed be in your estimated $300-$500 range - There’s a lot of work and material that goes into hardware like this! Thanks a lot for watching!

[@-Deena.]

Superb as always. There is nothing you have restored that I haven't coveted! 🧡

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey I always appreciate the support, Deena! Have a nice rest of your weekend!

[@llenraybrown]

Dammit man I'm trying to sleep and you continue with the flash comments that require me to playback at .25 speed to catch them! Then I laugh and what I'm trying to say is keep it up I love the resto's and the chuckles.

[@gayle525]

Your really need to get a door to put this one on. It’s so beautiful. You rocked it like all your other projects.

[@randomrestoration6858]

This one will indeed be installed on a door in a few years. I have the matching hinges and matching lockset, so I’ll have to get to restoring those at some point in the semi-nearish future. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@garyjones2582]

You've got this stuff down to an art.. Good to see you back again.. I've been watching a lot of videos on restoration of French chateaux.. They could use some of the pieces that u restore... Hope all is well in your part of the world.. Take care my friend...

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks for the comment, Gary! I wish I had enough time to restore full sets of hardware for others - Maybe in the future! Thank you as always for watching!

[@neohistoryfan1014]

I think some old fire alarm pull rods had these handles! The rod/rope was in the wall; every floor would have one of those handles.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Sorry for the extra late reply, but I would imagine you’re totally correct - This bell is designed to operate both with a bell lever and a rope/chain which is a pretty cool design choice that many bells from this time frame offered! Thanks a lot for watching!

[@neohistoryfan1014]

@@randomrestoration6858 there are two videos on a channel called "Old School Fire Alarms" that show a a school in my city which has something similar kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3W2dYV9pJV0r6c

[@larrykelly2838]

Beautiful restoration, you have to have a large collection.

[@randomrestoration6858]

It’s slowly growing as the days go by it seems haha. Thank you for watching!

[@mskayla7747]

Beautiful restoration as always. Regarding the deep pitting... It just shows it's an original and not a reproduction. And those little imperfections just add to the beauty of the piece, showing it was well loved and well used, and is being lovingly restored to be used and appreciated again. 👍

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! It’s definitely nice to leave a few imperfections here and there to show that it has seen some use throughout all these years! As always thank you for watching , and have a nice rest of your weekend!

[@amyreid1082]

Another gorgeous restoration! You do great work

[@randomrestoration6858]

Sorry for the extra late reply, but I greatly appreciate it, Amy!

[@raywood8187]

Beautiful restore as always! High tech sanding? That's okay, we know the drill 😂

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks, Ray! Hahaha nothing but the most modern day restoration techniques here. Thanks for watching!

[@TapscottJ]

It was indeed worth the wait! Great job as always. Sorry to hear there will be less videos, hope the drain on your spare time is for happy things. The bell also had a nice sound to it, not tinny or fake like a digital ring. Kudos!

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate the comment, Mathew! The lack of free time is mostly good, thanks for asking! Right, this bell really has a lovely long lasting ring to it. The bell itself is bell bronze which seems to help a bit with how long it continues to ring. The cast iron bells I’ve restored in the past still sound nice but the ring sounds for a much shorter time. Thank you as always for watching!

[@oneshotme]

Excellent job restoring them and I love that bell I want it LOL If you have collected and saved all of the ones you have restored you have an excellent collection of them if not sold any. So when are you planning to do the door?? Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey very sorry for the late reply, but thanks a lot, Oneshot! So far I’ve kept everything I’ve restored and don’t plan on selling anything at this point so the collection is slowly but surely growing. Hahaha the door for this bell won’t be for a couple years and before it gets installed I’ll restore the matching lockset and hinges to make it a complete set. I think it’ll look great when all is said and done! Thank you as always for watching!

[@oneshotme]

@@randomrestoration6858 You're very welcome!! No worries on being late and keep up the great work also looking forward to your next project!!!

[@markchristopher9515]

Off topic: Earlier we discussed Tempera as tinting. I got a good mix on a color I had to have but it involved a high rpm and violent mixing that required a bell chamber to de-aerate. Unless it's "the" color it's not worth it, but it can be done which is handy.

[@pfadiva]

I think I would be tempted to do the over all black and then sand and polish the high spots. But then again, I'm fairly lazy and your method does give excellent results. It has a beautiful sound, too.

[@randomrestoration6858]

As far as I can tell your way of doing it is exactly how they did it in the factory, at least with cast iron items. They usually painted the whole piece, sanded it, polished, plated it and then lastly lacquered it. The main reason I chose to do it the more difficult way is just because you could accidentally damage the paint in the recessed areas, especially when sanding the piece and potentially while cleaning it unless the paint is very chemical resistant. Thank you for the comment and thanks a lot for watching!

[@marvelousmarvin2]

Very nice work.. was wondering why after spraying with the gold tinted clear it the showed up as black?.. what was added to give it a black look?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, Mary! Good question, so they were all painted black after lacquering to highlife the raised areas. This was commonly done with these pieces from the factory originally. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@garyrourke8201]

Very nice restoration. Beautiful design on the pull and knocker. The process after overnight soaking in rust remover, is that more a polishing or a sanding/grinding that you do?

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate it, Gary! After soaking in the rust remover I abrasive buff the pieces which is followed by wire wheeling the recessed areas, edges and backs. The abrasive buffs remove tarnish quickly but are so non abrasive that they effectively don’t remove any metal. The wire wheeling simply is to remove any tarnish that the abrasive buffs couldn’t reach. The only polishing I end up doing with sets like these is after the sanding process. Thanks as always for watching!

[@PerfectRestore]

Great video, bro! Fantastic! Interesting work, how long did it take? Were there any complications?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, and sorry for the late reply! This took around a month and a half start to finish. I cant think of any complications with this one, but since I'd don't a similar bell restoration in the past there was much less guesswork with this one haha. Thank you for watching!

[@PerfectRestore]

@@randomrestoration6858 A month and a half!!! Very hard work and time!!! Thank you for the pleasure of watching the video🤝! Success to your channel and to you personally!🏆🏆🏆

[@markneo1]

BRAVO!!!! 👏👏👏👏🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot!

[@janvanherck1547]

Can your bell ring the blues after you blued the springs?

[@randomrestoration6858]

After a few quick off camera adjustments the blued springs did indeed allow the bell to ring the blues in a major way haha. Thanks for watching, Jan!

[@doriWyo]

I don't know why, but there is still something about the color that bothers me. Maybe it's just that I'm not seeing it in person.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha so the lacquer I used was new to me, but the tint was the same I’ve used in the past and it did end up having an interesting appearance to it, this is especially true when talking about the bell itself in natural lighting. I personally like it a lot, but can totally see how it looks odd to others haha. I’ve fixed this issue with my next project which also uses this new lacquer along with a new gold tint. Thank you as always for watching, Dori!