Rare 1890 Mortise Lock Set Restoration | Random Restoration

Welcome! Today I'll be restoring an antique mortise lock set which was manufactured in the 1890s by a company named Brittan Graham & Mathes, of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. According to their 1890 catalog, this is called the Lotus deign and is a vestibule lock. Unlike many of my other restorations this set was not very rusty, though it was heavily tarnished, and the inside of the cast iron lock case was truly filthy haha.
To start off this restoration I disassembled the mortise lock, followed by grinding and drilling out the solid rivets holding the faceplate to the case. Next up it was paint stripping time - I went ahead and scraped off most of the japanning from the lock case, followed by removing any paint from all the remaining hardware with an aerosol aircraft paint remover. After paint stripping the parts were cleaned with degreaser, then it was time to soak them in rust remover. I use Evapo Rust for rust removal, as I can get a five gallon bucket of it for a reasonable price, and it lasts me a bout a year before needing to be replaced. None of the parts were too rusty, though the lock components did have a bit of rust built up on them.
Next up in the hardware restoration I needed to make some new springs. Two of the original three springs had been replaced and the third spring, which was brass, ended up breaking after being removed. A bit of quick off camera spring bending later and the lock was working good as new! Then I had to cut a key which was only used on the exterior side of the door. I have a couple hundred uncut antique nickel plated steel keys which I sifted through until I found one that fit perfectly. Since this is not a double key lock which only has one tumbler the key cutting process went pretty quickly. Then I moved on to quickly painting the iron lock case and case cover.
Finally I was able to restore the bronze faceplate, thumb turn, door knobs and rosette one by one. I decided to go for an unpolished but bright finish as per the description of the finishes in the 1890 catalog. So instead of polishing they were all sanded up to 1200 grit, then after sanding were given a few coats of cellulose nitrate lacquer to prevent tarnishing. After lacquering I applied a coat of dark green paint to the recessed areas to recreate the original finish. With the painting all done I went ahead and restored all the small interior lock components - The bronze parts were wire wheeled and polished, and the steel parts got a cold bluing treatment. With all the parts restored and with nothing else to repair I reassembles the lock and lubricated it off camera.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Welcome!
0:35 Disassembly
2:05 Paint Stripping
3:11 Rust Removal
3:41 Abrasive Buffing
4:26 Reattaching the Faceplate
5:26 Making New Springs
5:49 Making A Key
6:30 1890 Catalog
6:59 Restoring the Lock
9:52 Reassembling the lock
11:20 Restoring the Backplate
12:10 Restoring the Knobs
13:18 Restoring the Rosette
13:47 Restoring the Twist
14:15 Before and After
15:01 Testing it Out
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Rare Ornate 1890 Mortise Lock Set Restoration | Random Restoration

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hi all, I was hoping to have my next video done in a timely manner, but unfortunately due to lack of any free time over the past couple months it wont end up being done until the 4th of November. I'll be restoring a pretty cool piece, so hopefully it will have been worth the extended wait! Asa always, thanks a lot for watching, and see you in the next video!

[@willymaes]

Love watching the past being brought back to life. Another great job.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you for the kind words, and thanks a lot for watching!

[@br6480]

I absolutely love the green. I wasn’t to sure at first but it really brought out the pattern. The twist is something new that I haven’t seen before and I always smile when I hear your goats in the background.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Much appreciated! I really wasn’t sure the green/bronze would be a good duo at first but it turned out to be a surprisingly good pairing in the end. I have a few more sets that feature twists but it’ll be a while before I can get around to restoring them I think. Haha hey they always like to let themselves be heard!

[@StealthDonut1]

I heard no goats this time. You are absolutely an imposter. I jest. Well done, sir! I didn't think I'd like the green, but it turned out beautiful!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha hey I promise they'll make a return at some point in the next video. Right, I really wasn't convinced with the green and was tempted to swap to black after painting the first couple pieces, but I'm glad I didn't because it turned out to be a surprisingly cool combination. Thank you as always for stopping by and have a nice weekend!

[@chrysanthepaxinos2839]

That little twist was something new for me. It's a beautiful set, beautifully restored. Chisels, utility knife blades, drill bits....or when you're drilling and you forget it's in reverse......I did that the other day.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha yeah I swear they all seem to magically dull right overnight sometimes. After leaving my drill in reverse a while back I uninstalled found out that my countersink bits work way better in reverse haha. As always thanks for stopping by, Chrysanthe!

[@yououtuber4176]

LOL. I was sure someone would catch that. The shards is a tell tale sign.

[@amyreid1082]

Always a good day when I see you’ve posted. Love that beautiful green.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you for the support, Amy! I was pleasantly surprised at how well this green paired with the bronze - Now I just need to find a bunch of other decent combinations haha. As always thank you for watching, and have a nice rest of your weekend!

[@amyreid1082]

@@randomrestoration6858 thank you, you too!

[@ivanleterror9158]

My favorite locksmithing chore is making keys for these locks. It was also the 1st lesson when I took the Belsaw mail order course to prepare for the trade. Repairing them could at times be a challenge, especially making new springs.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Right, it's surprisingly fun cutting new keys cut for these old locks! Haha yeah springs can be a bit finicky to get just right - I had to do a couple "prototypes" for the spring for the stitch, as the first couple really didn't want to cooperate haha. Thanks a lot for watching, and have a nice rest of your weekend!

[@Tim-57]

Hey RR A lot of work went into this project and it sure shows....I like the green. Have a great weekend Take care 🙂

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate it, Tim! I was pretty happy with the green/bronze combo - I really wasn’t sure how it’d turn out and was tempted to just do the usual black paint, but I’m glad I didn’t! Thanks, same to you!

[@Tim-57]

@@randomrestoration6858 Thanks man🙂

[@georgebrown8312]

That is superb how you restored the lockset to working order. It looks much better and it works like a charm too. You also made a new key for it. Excellent work and it really shows in your craftsmanship.

[@peaceworld5393]

Magnificent! It looked stunning without the green, but the color makes the design pop ! Thank you!

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate it! I really didn't think green/bronze would be a good combo, but I'm glad I went for it because it's a surprisingly good look haha. Thank you for watching and have a great weekend!

[@lofty7180]

another beautiful restoration under your belt.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much, I was pretty happy with how this little set turned out! Thanks for stopping in and have and enjoyable weekend!

[@rla26368]

One of my favorite restore channels. I just love your work. Thanks so much!!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, I really do appreciate it! As always, thank you for watching and hope you have a nice Friday!

[@GeorgeStamoulis81]

Loved the captions!

[@randomrestoration6858]

I don’t no what got in to me when writing those hahaha. Thank you for watching!

[@yeagerxp]

Excellent restoration 👍👍👍Thank you for sharing. Be safe🇨🇦

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! Take care and have a nice weekend!

[@Fruity_lexia]

I just love the green background!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks for the feedback - I really didn't think it'd be a good combo at first, but now that it's all painted I'm glad to have been wrong! Thank you for watching!

[@marklammas2465]

I'm glad you chose the relief highlight option from the catalogue list. It's what I'd have chosen if I were buying from that catalogue. I hope that lock gets used on a really decent period door, or a modern setting where it fits. Beautiful lockset, and first-class restoration. I love that built-in inside lock twist.

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate it, Mark! I plan on putting most of the hardware I restore back to use in the future, and will be installed on a proper period correct door. Thank you for watching, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

[@garyjones2582]

RR You have that work down to an art... Turned out beautiful as all your work does.. Take care my friend... Until next time...

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks you for the kind words, Gary! I was pretty happy with how this one turned out, especially since I wasn't sure that green recessed areas would look good or not haha. Take care and have an enjoyable weekend!

[@garyjones2582]

@@randomrestoration6858 You too RR.. Until next video...

[@masterlcpl3736]

it always amazes me that you can find stuff like this 😊

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey man sorry for the extra late reply haha. Over the past year or so I've been purchasing matching parts one by one to make complete sets, so it definitely requires a bit of searching. That said, I think I found this one as a complete set but its been sitting around way too long to remember hahaha. Thanks as always for stopping by!

[@masterlcpl3736]

@@randomrestoration6858 its no biggie bro. hey have you gotten around to getting a sandblaster yet?

[@randomrestoration6858]

​@@masterlcpl3736 Haha not yet - I think I'll end up needing to build a shed or some sort of larger area that I can work from before I'll be able to get one, or I may be able to steal some unused space in my brother's (still being built) workshop. I really would like to get a lathe and milling machine as well since they'd be outrageously handy for future projects.

[@masterlcpl3736]

@@randomrestoration6858 for woodturning or for trimming metals?

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@masterlcpl3736 I’d like both preferably, I have some ideas for future projects that would need a wood large for (even though I wouldn’t be using it for wood haha) and the metal lathe would be invaluable for repairing any worn or damaged parts I come across

[@michellemcknight4185]

I love the green, my favourite so far

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate it, Michelle! I was really surprised at how well the green paired with this set - I guess this means there are surely other really great looking color combos that I need to test out haha. Thanks a lot for watching, and sorry for the late reply!

[@vinceianni4026]

Hello Random beautiful restoration good job well done

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey Vince, I appreciate it! Thanks as always for the support and have yourself an enjoyable weekend!

[@samanthadean1083]

Lovely finish!!! Very well done!!! ❤️❤️❤️👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate it, Samantha! I think the green paint fits this piece quite nicely. Thanks as always for watching and have a nice weekend!

[@larrykelly2838]

Beautiful restoration

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much, Larry!

[@PerfectRestore]

Keep up the good work!!! interesting and fascinating to watch!!! Inspiration to you👍

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey thank you very much!

[@Austeration]

Love it, well done 👍 the green is a nice change.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hay thanks a lot! Haha yeah it's a slight change but is a surprisingly good combo. I know you were going to send me an email some time ago but I still haven't checked it yet, sorry! If I have some time this weekend I'll finally get around to it hahaha. Thank you for stopping by!

[@Austeration]

@@randomrestoration6858 oh yes I was but then something happened and I forgot all about it. I'll have to look back and see if I can find your email add. Was just going to ask your advice on something

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@Austeration Haha oh okay, well hey this must mean we're both officially slackers then 😆

[@oorangejuce]

Superb! All the screw heads are verticaly aligned..

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! Haha yeah it always looks way better with all the screws aligned the same! Thank you for watching, and have a nice weekend!

[@yana1955]

Love the green!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! I really was r sure about it when I first started painting these but after it dried it seems have made for a great combo! Thank you for watching!

[@terrystover7365]

Great detail in your work. Beautiful results.

[@RestorationAustralia]

Very cool process, nicely done.😊

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey man thanks a lot for stopping by!

[@T_B]

You're restorations of these old door handle assemblies are amazing! They look soooo good when you're done!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey I appreciate it! It's always very satisfying getting these old sets back to new! Thanks a lot for watching!

[@terryrogers1025]

I like the green, it looks spectacular. Excellent job on the refinish", thanks for the video.

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate the feedback, Terry! I was super tempted to just go for black recessed areas like usual, but I honestly think that green fits this piece perfectly and is far better than black would have! Thank you for watching!

[@mskayla7747]

Nicely done. Interesting set.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! It’s a bit of an odd one compared to most sets I’ve worked on so far haha. Thank you for watching, and enjoy your Friday!

[@mskayla7747]

@@randomrestoration6858 when you first showed the green, I wasn't fond of it. When you showed the darker green, and finished set, I really liked it. 🙂

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@mskayla7747 Yeah that undried brighter looking green looked pretty bad and was definitely not the right shade for a piece like this hahaha.

[@craig7343]

That green really compliments the brass. Came out brilliant I think. Always look forward to seeing what you do next. 👍 👌👌

[@bgbthabun627]

i agree 💯!!!!!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a bunch! I wasn’t sure it’d be the best combination, but I’m glad I tested it out because it seems to be a pretty good duo!

[@dorubadin1629]

Frumos meștere! Respect ptr. tine!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Mulțumesc frumos, a fost una distractivă!

[@georgeshelton6281]

I know that this is something that's from the past again, such as what was used starting in the 1890s.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Indeed it is! I think the color combo for this antique set turned out better than expected haha. As always thank you for watching, George!

[@doriWyo]

The green, once it dried, looks good. I thought it would be too much, at first.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha I thought the same thing - As soon as I painted the first part I really was tempted to swap to black paint, but after letting it sit a bit I’m glad I left it because it’s a surprisingly good combination! Thank you for stopping by, Dori!

[@paulsweeney5642]

Really nice 👌

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much, Paul!

[@timsmith1589]

Dude hope the new years has been good to ya.

[@tomswindler64]

Very ornate,looks to be in nice shape for the age.design is very appealing.as normal you made the job to look easy.keep on doing what your doing 👍👍👍😎😎😎

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot,Tom! You’re correct, this one was mechanically in great shape, and there was a decent amount less damage than usual for hardware like this. Usually I have to deal with a boatload of sharp dents so it was a nice change haha. Thank you for the kind words!

[@drunkdunc8738]

Top job 👍It doesn’t pay to restore any old lock but I’m sure you found this one investibule 🍻

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, Dunc! Hahaha well I thought it'd be rather investibule indeed, though in hindsight maybe I should have just bought some beer and relaxed instead 😆

[@sergiovilelarico493]

Precioso ahora falta encontrar una buena puerta para montarla

[@randomrestoration6858]

Jajaja sí, ¡definitivamente necesita ser instalado en una puerta de calidad! ¡Gracias por ver!

[@sebastianlinardi]

Hola amigo! Linda restauración! Veo que en este caso el manual autorizaba pintar el fondo de color verde y me parece una linda variante. No soy experto en cerraduras pero esta parece que no es de las mejores. En el vídeo note que el picaporte o pomo tenia un movimiento como si estuviera suelto (Se puede ver en el minuto 15:18) Igualmente me gusto tu trabajo en esta nueva restauración! En tu próximo vídeo espero ver una restauración espectacular, el mejor trabajo que hayas hecho!!! (Soy un suscriptor exigente jaja!) Gracias por el vídeo, hasta la próxima.

[@randomrestoration6858]

De hecho, hubo un par de otros colores interesantes para elegir, pero tal vez los guarde para futuras restauraciones. Tiene razón, por alguna razón, el orificio cuadrado en el cubo se moldeó en lugar de presionar el orificio cuadrado con una brocha cuadrada. Esto hizo que el tamaño del agujero fuera mucho menos preciso. Curiosamente, el resto del conjunto tiene una calidad de construcción muy alta, especialmente las perillas de las puertas. Jajaja bueno, podría estar a la altura de tus estándares, ¡el próximo proyecto será una pieza genial! ¡Gracias como siempre por mirar!

[@jodylarson5317]

i'm traditionally more of a fan of the black-and-bronze combo ... but that green background is quite handaome, isn't it?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha me too. I was so tempted to paint this one black too, but am quite glad I didn’t - Green really seems to compliment this piece I reckon! Thanks as always for watching, Jody!

[@mrknittle532]

Drill bits have always been the bane of my existence, too. I guess I need to take the plunge and buy an expensive set, as Harbor Freight and Menards' bits are just terrible. Love the green look on this set. I have never seen that color scheme before. How long do you let the paint dry before you wipe it off of the relief? I tried with black enamel, let it get tacky, and wiped it off, but the background kept wiping off in blotches.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha yeah I need to take the plunge too because these bits are toast! Thanks a lot, this was the first time I’ve seen green as an option in a catalog so I knew I had to test it out! I generally let the paint dry for 10 or so minutes before wiping it off. The most important thing is folding the towel/cloth over many times so that it’s very rigid and won’t easily slump down into the recessed areas. Thank you for watching!

[@selmamariasantos4775]

Parabéns lindo trabalho 😍

[@randomrestoration6858]

Muito obrigado!

[@markchristopher9515]

As beautiful as I have come to expect. It was the nickel I think, perhaps the combo. I didnt see it in it but you found it somewhere.

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate it, Mark! I really wasn’t too fond of this design at first, but that green paint really changed my mind about it haha. As always thanks for watching and have a nice weekend!

[@marklammas2465]

Nickel? I think it's worth more than a nickel! 😉

[@ArtisticEndeavors]

Doncha just hate sanding but love the results?! ✌🏻🎨☕️ Edit - forgot to say “DAYUM!”

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha yeah I can only do so much sanding in one day before I start wanting to rip my hair out, but it’s definitely worth it in the end! Thank you for stopping by, Susannah!

[@vladimirgarcia2518]

Absolutely beautiful work you've done here. I'm looking for someone that can do that kind of work for a 1909 Craftsman Style Home in Los Angeles. Any suggestion as to how to find someone that could do that kind of job for an entire home?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, Vladimir! My apologies for the late reply, but I currently don’t know of any places that offer authentic restorations for people, sorry! Thank you for watching, and good luck on your search for getting your hardware restored!

[@jonp8225]

This is really amazing. I have several of those mortises and escutcheon plays in my home. They are Brittany, graham and Mathes. I’ve been restoring them, but not nearly as well as you. Curious why you went with a greenish paint. My wife really wants to paint our too. How did you get the paint off the metal areas?

[@condar419]

Excellent work, well done! Any idea how many hours of video you had to edit to get down to 16 minutes?

[@randomrestoration6858]

I try to be as efficient as possible when recording to cut down on editing time, but this was around 3-4 hours of footage to cut down. My store door lock set restoration had around 15 hours of footage to edit down which was pretty rough compared to this one hahaha. Thank you for watching and have a great weekend!

[@condar419]

@@randomrestoration6858 Thanks for the information! And a good weekend to you, as well.

[@johnvaluk1401]

So is there a market for these refinished or are these for a collection. Either way they finished up great!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Good question! While restored hardware like this will sell for more than the original purchase price, with how much work goes in to restoring these it really isn't worth the time. It's a long story, but most of these sets will be installed in a door and put back to use by me in the future. Any sets that don't get installed will stay as display pieces. I appreciate it, John - Thank you for watching!

[@johnvaluk1401]

@@randomrestoration6858 thank you for reply. I have a few set pulled from a old house just packed away.

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@johnvaluk1401 Ah I see, well you can probably fetch a decent price for them one eBay if you decide to sell them!

[@k.george8722]

I missed your video! I was away for a week and I refused to look at any social media, videos, etc. What was that green crust anyway? I did like the green paint, nice contrast. Do you know for certain that was the shade green they used? And, most importantly, did you get your new drill bits? lol

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha hey no worries, sounds like a week well spent! It's a good question, but I'm not entirely sure - I find that the green goo (which dries to a crust) shows up mostly on bronze/brass/copper compared to iron or steel. I only soak the bronze parts in the rust remover to remove any rust that has leached on to the surface of them from nearby rusty items they were in contact with. It doesn't cause any damage to the parts, thought it does take a bit of extra time to remove haha. I appreciate it! So the color choice was mostly a guess haha. Of all the hardware and all the catalogs I've come across only this one (Brittan Graham & Mathes) that offered green recessed areas, and I wasn't able to find any examples of hardware manufactured by them which had anything other than black recessed areas. From other companies I've seen examples of red, pink, white, brown and a few shades of blue, all of which vary in shades. That said, they're usually either a dark or light shade of whichever color they came in, so I'd say it's a 50/50 that the paint used would mostly match the original haha. As always, thanks a lot for watching, and sorry for the late reply!

[@k.george8722]

@@randomrestoration6858 Ha ha, no worries, your busy. I find it nice that you actually respond and answer my annoying questions lol. You mentioned red, pink, white, brown, and a few shades of blue? Did you come across actual examples of these colors or only read about them? Do you think you will be trying those colors in the future?

[@randomrestoration6858]

​@@k.george8722 Haha hey no problem, I don't mind answering questions! So the red, pink, white, brown and multiple blue shades are all ones that I've come across in person and know exactly what they look like - Colors other than black were much more popular in the 1870s and can be found for sale from time to time with the original baked on enamel paint which is very strong and holds up well after all these years. I'll definitely do pink/black, light blue/black and white/black combinations in the future, but I'd like to find period correct sets to do these with which are very hard to come across unfortunately, so it'll be a while before I'll be able to test them out.

[@nescobaraloplop9468]

How come you lacquered the brass before you painted but not after you painted and sanded? Won't it start to tarnish now?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Good question - The items weren’t sanded after lacquering, instead the paint was removed from the raised areas with paint thinner which has no effect on the lacquer. Since this lacquer is not designed to be applied over paint and will not properly adhere to it the paint has to be applied over the lacquer. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@nescobaraloplop9468]

@@randomrestoration6858 Aha! Thanks!

[@jamesfield5346]

What is the green crusty stuff you are removing off of this lock after soak?

[@danlopez1668]

How long did you let green paint dry before you wiped?

[@randomrestoration6858]

I usually leave it for about five to ten minutes, though in instances where I'm painting many parts in one sitting I'll apply the paint all at the same time, so some parts may have paint that's been curing for a couple hours before I get to them. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@restorationofdirty]

😍🌹

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hey thanks a lot, man!

[@Fireater303]

I have a PENN Mortise lock set that I'm looking for restoration. Do you take on clients/jobs?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Sorry for the late reply, but as of right now I do not restore sets other than for myself, sorry! It's possible I'll occasionally take on sets from viewers in the future. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@Fireater303]

@@randomrestoration6858 no problem, I think I got it figured out and restored. Of course not to your quality and standard, but it functions as I need it too! Thanks for the video, it gave me inspiration and helped with my own restoration project!