Recreating a Forgotten Finish | Lockset Restoration | Random Restoration

Welcome!
Today I will be restoring an old mortise lock set, and will be recreating a forgotten finish which used to be very popular from the later 1800s to the earlier 1900s. For some incomprehensible reason most people these days incorrectly call this antique finish Japanned Copper despite the fact that the components are not japanned and that isn't even what the name of the finish is, but I'll rant about that more in the restoration video haha.
I started this hardware restoration by disassembling the mortise lock. The lock was slightly rusty, but I've seen much worse for sure - This was not going to be much of a rusty restoration. After disassembly I moved onto paint stripping. The case and case cover were originally japanned, so they need a couple spray downs of paint stripper before I was able to remove all the japanning. Since the faceplate was so bent I had to figure out how to efficiently unbend and restore it. I decided to drill out the old rivets and remove it from the mortise lock. The faceplate was easy to repair once removed.
After that mortise lock repair, I moved onto painting the case and cover. They were cleaned and painted black. Then I moved onto the small parts. Aside from some cold bluing, I worked on the small parts off camera. I then moved onto sanding the damage away from the door knobs, escutcheons and mortise lock faceplate. Following this I moved onto mirror polishing all of the parts.
After I was done with polishing I decided to do some research through a catalog or five to figure out what this finish was actually called. Ten seconds of researching later and I found the name of the finish: Antique Copper, Antique Brass and Antique Bronze. Not a very interesting name, but it's nice to find the original finish while doing an antique restoration. Following this I blackened the parts and re-polished the design into them.
Now it was time to reassemble the mortise lock. Unlike previous restorations I didn't focus too much on getting a perfect mortise lock restoration this time round, as this video was more dedicated to recreating the "Antique Brass" finish. It may not have been a perfect restoration this time, but it was still quite fun attempting to recreate this finish, and considering how this lockset looked when I first got it, I'd really consider this a proper trash to treasure restoration.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Welcome!
0:54 Disassembly
1:48 Paint Stripping
2:38 Rust Remover
3:20 A Quick Key Test
3:36 Removing the Faceplate
4:02 Unbending the Faceplate
4:54 Cleaning and Painting the Case
6:04 Cleaning up Small Parts
6:50 Sanding and Polishing the Knobs
8:18 Looking at the Finish I'm Recreating
9:52 Finding the Name of the Finish
10:54 Recreating the Finish
11:39 Abrasive Buffing and Unbending the Escutcheons
12:43 Sanding and Polishing the Escutcheons
13:26 Recreating the Finish Part II
14:47 Restoring the Faceplate
15:41 Reassembling the Mortise Lock
17:16 Before and After
17:42 Thanks for Watching!
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Thanks for watching the video Recreating a Forgotten Finish | Lockset Restoration | Random Restoration
Random Restoration

[@GWN_Garage]

Nothing better then watching a craftsman polish his knob.....well done 😁

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha well I mean I guess I can't disagree with that 😆 Thanks a lot for watching!

[@samanthazeiger1553]

Your work is phenomenal, and your sarcastic captions are my favorite thing

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate the kind words, Samantha! The sarcasm was strong with this one hahaha

[@sypoth]

I can't be the only one who thinks that the shiny black brass looks incredible.

[@randomrestoration6858]

I do enjoy the look of the fully blackened pieces as well, so at least two people like it hahaha. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@beadowarrior]

Came for the restoration, stayed for the sarcasm 101 ; >)

[@randomrestoration6858]

Oh yeah, the sarcasm was very strong with this one hahaha. Thanks for watching!

[@lotsabirds]

Great Job! Thanks for pointing out the cases of mistaken identity!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha I just couldn't resist making a video about it! As per usual, thank you for watching, Bill!

[@pault8470]

Fantastic,every single item you restore is fantastic lol

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha you're on a video watching spree I see - Thanks again!

[@ArtisticEndeavors]

Crazy awesome - thank you! ✌🏻🎨☕️

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate it, Susannah!

[@vinceianni4026]

Beautiful restoration mister good well done

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you kindly, Vince!

[@dv8r685]

Outstanding!!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, Edmund!

[@larrykelly2838]

Beautiful restoration on those old lock sets.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks, I appreciate it, Larry!

[@jojoglemond]

That is beautiful work, my friend!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, I appreciate it, Joseph!

[@bgbthabun627]

You have a rare gift for creating beautiful videos of beautiful restorations of antique hardware. I love these videos!!!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much for the kind words, I do appreciate it!

[@razorboyXVII]

What a unique finish! Great restoration!

[@randomrestoration6858]

It’s definitely an interesting finish, thanks for watching!

[@timsmith1589]

That's dope bro, cool resto

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot, Tim!

[@swampy1584]

That finish is fantastic

[@randomrestoration6858]

I agree, it’s a pretty cool finish, and there were so many different cool patterns between all of the companies. Thanks for watching!

[@WorkshopDC]

Perfect! 👏👏

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks, man, I appreciate it!

[@koaya730]

I love your restorations, especially how you do such an amazing job at repairing them to look as they did in the past. Keep up the great work!

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate the kind words! Thanks for watching!

[@koaya730]

@@randomrestoration6858 I have one question though, where do you get those kind of objects? I want to try to restore something sometime, but I dont know where to get something I can restore. Do you find it underground or underwater, do you buy it online, do you go to an antique shop?

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@koaya730 Good question! I buy all of my restorations online. When it comes to door hardware like this there are a number of places you can look. There are websites devoted to selling only antique hardware, and that’s a great place to find more rare ornate sets, but you should be able to find a set similar to this on eBay. You’ll be shocked at how much a shabby set like this will be listed for sometimes, so make sure you don’t get ripped off/overspend!

[@koaya730]

@@randomrestoration6858 Thank you so much, this will help me a lot in the future! :)

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@koaya730 You bet!

[@willymaes]

I have four sets of these locksets in my house and I never knew what kind of finish they had. I have antique copper and no one better call it Japanned. Another great video.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Very cool! Antique copper was by far the most popular variant of this finish - Much more so than the antique brass finish I did in the video. If anyone tries to tell you they're "Japanned copper" make sure to send them to this video to prove them wrong hahaha. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@georgeshelton6281]

I'm also impressed to see this old timer door knob, get revamped. It's just that the house I'm still living in now, is about to go through some serious changes. Definitely a makeover. I'm also so far; treating my own bedroom, just like a storeroom. Depending on what am I selling, that's planning to sell. 🤔 🙃 😕 😐

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! Well a proper home makeover sounds like a bit of added excitement for the time being haha. As always, thanks for watching!

[@catd11rcattester]

Absolutely love your work… real nice The finish is not my style, but love the fact you keep it authentic

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! This style definitely isn’t for everyone, I think most people in today’s age would much prefer a nicely polished brass set instead, so I totally see where you’re coming from. Thank you for watching!

[@tarrahbell4043]

Haha I hear the goats!!😍

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha oh yeah they always like to add some commentary in the background!

[@jamesmoe9188]

Hello again! Was off for a while, but I've watched the back catalog to current now. Some folks may not be fans of mortise locks back to back, I for one very much enjoy them, as there was so much style and craftsmanship that go into them. I loved watching the past few restorations, getting to learn some of the history behind each piece, and seeing the techniques you chose for various issues with them. That modified bolt for the damaged piece last video was very cool, I was thinking you might just epoxy the snapped off chunk back in place, your solution was much more elegant. This one is my favorite to date though. You've already shown us your skill plenty, but this time we got to see your artistic creativity as well, which I think is awesome! It gives me ideas of my own, like trying to blur/gradient the edge between the light and dark sections of the finish, for a softer feel in contrast to the striking looks of this piece. This is inspiring stuff for anyone who is interested in doing their own projects. As always, thank you for sharing with us! Small aside, those abrasive buffs are like four bucks each where I am, did you find some sort of bulk deal somewhere?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Welcome back, and thanks a lot James! Glad to hear you enjoyed the past few restorations. This one was pretty fun for me - It was a lot of sanding, but was well worth it in the end. I think this set would definitely look better with a softer edge between the dark and polished areas. The door knobs have a pretty soft edge, but since I used a more solid polishing wheel for the escutcheons the edges were a bit sharper than I would have liked. I buy the abrasive buffs 100 at a time - 25 of each of the four grits. They are not made by Dremel, and they aren’t as sturdy as the official Dremel buffs, however since you can get 100 for the price of eight or so they more than make up for the lower quality. As always, thanks a lot for watching!

[@crabtreeshep4969]

I've never seen that finish before. I guess that's a little fancy for us in the Appalachian mountains of NC but it's pretty cool. Love the editing and close-ups. Great restoration and masterfully done R. R.!!!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, Roger! Haha yeah it's a bit of a different finish, but was very common at the time. I'll be doing a bit of a different take on this finish in a future project with some snazzy beaded oval backplates/door knobs, but it'll likely be at least a few videos before I get around to it. As always, thanks for watching!

[@timsmith1589]

Nice

[@randomrestoration6858]

Much obliged, Tim! I'll be doing a bit of a different take on this finish in the very near future with an oval backplate/door knob set from my workshop door. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@georgeshelton6281]

There's a lot of stuff that has appeared in the random restoration video series, that I never knew really existed. 😳

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha there are always new things to discover!

[@jameshasselbrack8412]

Greetings, enjoy your restoration and sarcasm videos... I worked in an antique store during high school in the 70s and I believe we called that finish a bronze wash finish... I could be wrong, but who's gonna argue... the 70s were a blur for some... keep up the great work!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Much appreciated, James! Hahaha yeah I can imagine the 70s being a bit of a blur for a number of people! I won't doubt your memory, and I've also come across some calling it a copper/bronze flash and copper/bronze oxide finish. The modern day equivalent to this (which features a different, modern style to this finish but uses the exact same process) is an oil rubbed bronze finish. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@marcelozabala1086]

Muy bueno, realmente, un artista de los herrajes, gracias por la informacion de como tratar tesoros antiguos, saludos desde Cordoba Argentina, MAESTRO, 💪👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇦🇷🙋🏻‍♂️

[@randomrestoration6858]

¡Muchas gracias, se lo agradezco!

[@johnnydoe00]

Odd to think in the 1900s they had "Antique style doors" when now those new recreation ones are now actually antique

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha right, now it's just an antique "antique finish," and it's an odd finish at that!

[@billiehydrick6417]

I knew you were a artist 🎨😌😏😉🙂👌

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate it, Billie!

[@restorationconstantines7731]

Super👍

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, I appreciate it!

[@BUTCH0120]

thank you.

[@randomrestoration6858]

And thank you for watching!

[@jomercer21113]

what do you use for blackening the various metals? I need to refurbish some 1906 sewing machine hinges with the antique copper finish.

[@randomrestoration6858]

For this project I used "Brass Black" which you can find here: www.amazon.com/Brass-Finish-3-Ounce-Product-Dimensions/dp/B09JYKZLG7 It'll blacken brass, bronze and copper - This lockset was bronze and it worked well, but the parts have to be very well cleaned to get good results. There are many other blackening solutions out there that you could try, but I haven't had the opportunity to test out any of the alternatives yet. Good luck on the restoration/refurbishment! Thanks a lot for watching and happy new year!

[@wokohedgehogs]

Hmmm, lovely restoration job, there’s a reason why they don’t sell that finish in the shops anymore. We’ll done though, nice to see something a little different 😊

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! Hahaha yeah I somehow suspect that this finish wouldn’t be a particularly big seller these days. Thanks for watching!

[@mykstreja8648]

Not sure why this finish was popular to begin with. I guess times change.

[@MrJonathanpearce]

Probably would look a little nicer if the transition was more subtle of a more fade between colours, but yeah still not the nicest

[@elisabethnadalini9324]

Magnifique like a mirror Nice job louix XVI serait fier de vous😊😉

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much, I appreciate it! I reckon he’d be envious of the modern tools more than anything hahaha. Thanks for watching!

[@elisabethnadalini9324]

@@randomrestoration6858 Oh yes i'm sure me too 😊💋

[@RESTORATIONOFSCRAPMETAL]

Greetings, Cool project and Great job buddy 👍Subscribed

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you very much, I do appreciate it! Thanks for watching!

[@thisisdvd8094]

There are some modern locks being made that are very similar to this one, the latches are in a slightly different place, but they're mostly the same design. I wonder how they compare in durability to an original one?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Sorry for the later reply but this is a fantastic design since there is no force/resistance whatsoever from the latch when you go to close the door, it's so smooth! I'd be curious to compare the two, these are very simple but seem very reliable - I don't see any obvious points of failure unless it was being intentionally abused, so I'd hope than any modern day equivalents would hold up well with extended use, but that may be optimistic haha. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@stevebentley1330]

And again the Master makes another masterpiece. How did you get started on this process.....I would be interested in hearing your tale.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, Steve! As far as getting into restorations, I’ve always enjoyed both the idea and process of taking something that’s pretty shabby and getting it looking good as new. As far as the first item I restored, there was a small thumb oiler that someone was going to throw out, and for some reason I decided I wanted to save and restore it, even though I was totally unfamiliar with how to properly restore things haha. When it comes to restoring hardware, I really found a passion for it when I removed a bunch of old rusty mortise locks, escutcheons and knobs from the house I lived in and stripped off the huge amount of house paint that had been slathered on them throughout the years. With many of my previous restorations I never really used the items after being restored, but with the door hardware I used it daily and it was always satisfying to use knowing how it both looked and operated prior to the restoration. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@patrickfcheneyjr9848]

The finish you are referring to appears to be what they call japaning process kind of like charcole mixed with varnish dissolved you can check into the proper mixtures

[@randomrestoration6858]

I’m aware of what japanning is, but the question in this video is why do people call this finish japanned copper/brass when it is at no point japanned, nor does it have any correlation to japanning. This name of the finish I showed in the video is called Antique brass/copper/bronze/silver, and it was chemically blackened, not japanned. Many people refer to the finish as “japanned,” however that is erroneous, and this video is devoted to showing that it is incorrect to call it that. Thanks for watching!

[@susankeith6135]

Hi, I have the door plate that you showed at the 8:29 mark, and I'm in the process of trying to restore the door plates, mortise locks and door handles. I know the pieces aren't brass because a magnet sticks to them, however, they do have that coppery look to them BUT it almost appears as if they are plated and not solid. Do you have a video that shows how to restore the particular door pieces like the one at the 8:29 mark? I'd love to get the 13 total door plates, handles and mortise locks restored, and want to know what is the proper way to clean them to get the 150+ years of gunk off of them as well as how to get them polished up and looking as close to "new" as possible, as it would appear on the one I'm testing things on some of the metal underneath (the silver part of the metal) is peeking through. And do I use some kind of an enamel paint (like a clear Rustoleum enamel paint) to protect them from tarnish in the future which I would put on the door handle plates, the door handles, etc? I've already got one of the mortise locks working (I cleaned it and got the rust out and sprayed it down with some spray graphite), so the lock part actually turns now, but I still need to shine up the face plate on the mortise lock as well and put something on it to protect it from tarnishing as well. Thank you for any tips, etc, my house is about 180 years old, and I'd love to restore the pieces as close as possible to what they would have looked like when first installed!

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you for the comment, Susan! It sounds like your beaded oval backplates were a darker bronze plated wrought steel. By pure coincidence in my next video I will be restoring a complete beaded oval backplate/knob/lock/strike set and recreating the most common finish for them which is similar to the finish in this video. That said, they are wrought bronze instead of the steel ones you have. The video will be uploaded April 22, so it's a while out haha. Anyway, if they look like they were originally a copper color then they would have had an "antique copper" finish like I showed in this video. Despite the name, antique copper pieces were usually actually bronze plated to imitate an aged/darker copper color. The most common style for beaded oval backplates with an antique finish was a polished top, bottom and middle section, with blackened areas left around the collar and keyhole - I'll be doing exactly this in my next video if you want a better idea of what I'm explaining. A strong degreaser and a toothbrush should easily remove any gunk, but for removing rust I'd strongly recommend Evapo Rust - This is what I've always used and it works extraordinarily well. Once rust and gunk free I'd recommend some sort of hand polishing product like Brasso since it's very easy to polish through the remaining plating with power tools, and since you noted the plate you're working on has areas already somewhat worn down to bare metal. Yes you would definitely want to use something to protect them after cleaning them up a bit - You could get something as simple as a Rust Oleum gloss clear coat, or you could opt for any number more expensive lacquers (I haven't tested any, so I don't have any recommendations haha) that would last longer, you just have to make sure to carefully follow the instructions to get the best results. The only option to get them looking perfectly back to new would be having them re-plated, but that's likely a pretty pricey thing to have done! Good luck with your restoration/refurbishing, and let me know if you have any other questions!

[@ussdiscovery6912]

LOL LOL! 😂 I LOVE the misidentification scene! So was that a car tire that you used to polish with?? All joking aside beautiful restoration! Well Done Mate! Interesting finish, never seen anything like that before.

[@randomrestoration6858]

I decided to polish this specific set using a crowbar hahaha. Thanks a lot! This was a very popular finish (at least in the US and Canada) in the later 1800s and into the 1920s or so, but I don’t think this would be a very popular finish in today’s age haha. As always, thank you for watching!

[@aw7248]

I personally can't dig the fresh finish, but I suppose with time it will develop a patina that reduces the contrast to blend everything smoothly. Nice work as always, especially on modifying the faceplate to attach with machine screws instead of the peined posts.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a bunch, Andrew! This finish is a bit odd and definitely isn’t for everyone, so I totally understand where you’re coming from. Thanks for watching!

[@robinbohn7478]

your humor!! lol.....although your drawing skills are lacking...The end result ,a unique piece of art. love it

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot! My drawing skills are quite hopeless - I shy away from sketching anything other than smiley faces hahaha. Thanks for watching!

[@ChakatNightspark]

one thing is though. the Antique copper/brass so on. both sides were Never the same. One side will have a pattern while other side would have its own pattern but be in same look. it could be reversed it could be extra lines, less lines, added marks. but never the same.

[@randomrestoration6858]

You are definitely correct in some cases - When it comes to the design I was recreating, they all had the same general shape (the black line always started at the top left, then went to the right side and back to the bottom left) but the design was always proportioned way differently since it was all polished by hand. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@tomswindler64]

I couldn’t do better myself,yea right,love the copper toning,great looking piece,so what do you do in your spare time,beside working,collecting,refinishing,reading,keep doing what your doing 👍👍👍😎😎😎

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, I appreciate it! Aside from word that’s really all I do in my free time. On the weekends I work on projects and on weekdays I edit the videos, but I may have a couple hours or so a day that I spend watching KZbin, but that’s pretty much it. Thanks for watching!

[@imckdonnelly]

WHat is the name of the handheld buffing wheel tool that you use that really blasts thru? At the start of the section "abrasive buffing"? Thank you! Video is great.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Sorry for the late reply, but I use a Dremel tool with an abrasive buff. If you search online for "Dremel abrasive buffs" you'll find what you're looking for - These things are great for removing tarnish/dirt/grime and I know you can also find them in jumbo sizes which are compatible with a bench grinder. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@imckdonnelly]

@@randomrestoration6858 Thank you! Another question - when you do the knobs, you start with the dremel brush, and then switch to the sandpaper. Do you have a recommendation for grits/progression of grits? My instinct would be to start with maybe 240 and go up from there to maybe 1000, jumping by 100-150 every time? Is that too much effort? Thank you very much! I'm trying to fix my antique mortise locks so your videos have been a huge help.

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@imckdonnelly Good question - For ornate knobs I start with 400 grit to remove as little material as possible, but with plain knobs I generally start with 320 unless there's a lot of deep damage to remove, in which case I would start with 240. With steel or cast iron I usually do 240, 320, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 - It sounds excessive but it generally takes longer to sand the damage away with the first grit used than it will to sand up through the rest of the grits. With bronze I've found you can usually skip a grit here and there, so if you used 240 you could then pretty easily do 400 next, followed by 600 then up to 1000, but you have to be a bit more thorough with each grit. Good luck with your projects, and if you have any more questions feel free to ask!

[@mrkrasker9609]

It appears that the door this Lockset was attached to was knocked down a time or two from the shape this faceplate was in.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha I'd say so! This set had seen a very rough life - I can't even imagine how the faceplate had gotten as bent as it was, but it was great fun getting it all straightened out!

[@IMAindian09]

Is there a reason that you didn't japan the exterior of the mortise as it would've been done originally? Is paint just as good of a substitute?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Good question. Other than for historical accuracy there's no real reason to re japan the case - It would make more sense to powder coat the case and case cover, as it's much quicker and easier to apply and should hold up better long term compared to japanning. That said, the main reason I use a standard paint is that it holds up well during installation. I've installed a couple of these locks I've restored, and aside from scuffing up the paint on the exterior of the case there were no chips or notable damage to the paint that would require repainting or touching up. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@rosemarshall1219]

Love how curious and precise you are in many specific design patterns. Eye brows on fleak to say hello!! 🙃🤘

[@randomrestoration6858]

I appreciate the kind words, Rose! I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for some sweet eyebrow moves hahaha

[@jools182]

this is much better to watch at 2x speed

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha yeah many of my videos are a bit slow - I personally watch restoration videos from other channels at 2x speed normally because I mean I can watch two videos in the same time I'd be finishing one haha. Thanks for watching!

[@asluicer4536]

Very interesting about that pattern. There’s a pattern I’m familiar with called copper oxide which is very similar to what you recreated with the brass. It’s possible that both patterns are one in the same but the terminology has been diluted to the point where they mean the same thing. I have zero clue how that was created though. If you look up Edison diamond disc reproducer oxide you will see the pattern I’m talking about. I’ve always wanted more information on the pattern but it appears to have been lost as well. I’ve seen it on antique mirrors as well.

[@randomrestoration6858]

So I had a look and this is certainly the same finish that I just recreated. Although it is meant to look like copper, it is actually bronze plated to make an imitation copper finish that shows a bit of age. Then it would have been submerged in a solution that blackened the entire piece. They could have used liver of sulfur to do this, but it’s hard to say what they ended up using to blacken the piece originally. Then they simply polished a pattern in it like I did in the video and applied a lacquer to the piece to keep it from tarnishing. Long story short though, the finish would be called “antique copper” rather than “copper oxide,” and it was a very widely used finish. It can be found on everything from staplers to chandeliers. Antique copper, or rather bronze plated imitation antique “copper,” was by far more popular than the antique brass finish I did in the video. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@asluicer4536]

@@randomrestoration6858 pretty cool. Thank you for getting back to me. I’ve always wondered about that pattern and why it’s so unknown today.

[@randomrestoration6858]

@@asluicer4536 Yeah this finish really fell off the radar at some point. I don’t know if any company in modern times that offers this type of finish, not even the numerous companies that make reproduction door hardware bother with it. Maybe they think that most people wouldn’t like this finish

[@chriscraft9681]

👍

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you as always, Chris!

[@Castleknight]

6:04 bluing small parts. Why did you put them in oil after blueing them and what kind of oil was it?

[@randomrestoration6858]

With cold bluing the parts have to be treated in oil in order for them to have some rust resistance. I’ve successfully used standard motor oil, but I’ve recently started using a spray oil which is a bit thinner than stuff out of a bottle and I find it is easier and less messy to soak them in. Thanks for watching!

[@Castleknight]

@@randomrestoration6858 I'm trying to learn the "why's" of the restoration processes. Thanks

[@Castleknight]

Is that real country sounds outside or a soundtrack? What state are you in? Do you live in the country?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Indeed it is 100% real background sounds haha. There are loads of animals outside my window, none of which are mine, but they sure like to hang around my house sometimes haha. I live in the US in the actual middle of nowhere, but I’ll be extra secretive about what state I live in. Thanks for watching!

[@AiMR]

Where do you find these old lock catalogs?

[@randomrestoration6858]

I search around on Google for the catalogs. I never search for any specific date, but rather the company itself since many catalogs throughout the years have effectively been lost for good. Some entire companies (such as F.C. Linde) have no known catalogs in existence. Thanks for watching!

[@-Deena.]

So beautiful. I'll avoid my depressed existential reflections on the futility of aspiration today!🧡

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you, Deena! Haha well I don't mind your comments, but the KZbin comments section can be a pretty harsh place! Thank you very much for watching, and enjoy your Friday!

[@EmRePhoto]

Why does it feel weird that they used to have antique finishes on things that we now consider antiques?

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha, right! Thanks for watching!

[@lourias]

Interesting. I do not like the pattern you made... PERSONAL OPINION. You did show me some really cool stuff. I did not know you could "blue" the copper to make it black. Very, very interesting. Keep up the detailed work! I think it is awesome that you did not file and shave down original casting marks to make something all nice and perfect. The "old" casting marks is what makes an item appreciable, again, MY OPINION.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha yeah this design/finish definitely isn’t for everyone, so it’s totally understandable! You can chemically blacken Brass, bronze and copper with the blackening solution I used which is pretty handy. Thanks a lot! That faceplate never would have been perfect from the factory, so I reckon it’s best to keep it closer to what it looked like originally. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@abo_fhad]

ههههههه اضحكني حركة الحواجب , انت مبدع

[@randomrestoration6858]

ههههههه حسنًا ، كانت فرصة مثالية لبعض حركة الحاجب. شكرا للمشاهدة!

[@ausbear]

It's a shame the internals on these locks are hidden. They are works of art.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Right! Some of these locks have really nifty looking interior components that no one will ever see. Thanks for watching!

[@mykstreja8648]

Wonderful job but for the finish on the brass.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thanks a lot!

[@gayle525]

Are you stripping paint or japaning? Can you remove japaning with a chemical stripper? I have a few of these lock sets in to fix myself. I also think you need to blur the edges of your polishing. Too sharp of contrast.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Haha well so I’m stripping japanning with paint stripper. It does work, but sometimes you have to apply it, wire brush it after 30 or so minutes and repeat the process a couple of times since it’s a pretty strong finish. I do agree that the edges should be a bit softer. The chemical blackening solution I used really didn’t like to have a smooth transition, and in the future I’d like to test out something like liver of sulfur to submerge them in to blacken them. Thanks a lot for watching!

[@sallyebsworth2531]

Much prefer the total brass look

[@randomrestoration6858]

It’s definitely a finish that wouldn’t be very popular these days - I’m sure most people today would prefer the plain brass as well. Thanks for watching!

[@animeangel1983]

So here's a question: Are the rules of Birdo Fight Club the same as Human Fight Club? Are we allowed to talk about it? It seems the birdos were doing quite a bit of talking in the beginning.

[@randomrestoration6858]

I have no idea what in the world was going on in that nest, but it sounded like a proper boxing match was going in in there hahaha. There were a couple shots that I actually had to lower the volume on. In fact, I lowered it as much as I lowered the volume for the bench polisher and the Dremel tool and it still was a bit loud. Who knows what they were up to haha. Thanks for watching!

[@maysnyder4104]

Why not simply swipe the bluing on in that pattern?

[@randomrestoration6858]

I did some testing beforehand, however the issue was that the edge along the black portion was very sharp, whereas in the original finishes the edge was soft and a bit blended between the polished vs black areas. Thanks for watching!

[@simonmuschamp4582]

Oh my god...forehead reveal! 🤪

[@randomrestoration6858]

Hahaha right! Though who’s to say I didn’t hire a stuntman to record those shots for me 😆

[@user-nc8ke5pq5t]

n.6 like)

[@randomrestoration6858]

Thank you for watching!

[@davidrheaton]

I think it's possible the finish was called Japanned Copper not because people were confusing it with the (at that time) well-known black asphalt-based japanning, but rather because it looked like the exquisite orange and brown finishes found on some Japanese bronze and enamelware pieces. If you do a search on Japanese Bronze, you'll see examples of that same variegated orange and brown pattern. Back around the late 1800s there was a craze for all things Far Eastern, both as Chinoiserie and a fascination with Japanese art. I imagine lots of different products of all kinds and descriptions were labelled as "Japanese" this and "Chinese" that, as a result of that fad.

[@randomrestoration6858]

It's very apparent through my research that this was meant to be an aged looking finish, and has no correlation whatsoever to any items made in japan. I have seen zero instances of this finish in old documents being called or marketed as anything other than "old copper," "old brass," or "antique copper" and "antique brass." The documents I've found from the time this style was popular always describe the finish as being an imitation aged look, nothing exotic. In fact, companies would use bronze instead of copper to create the "antique copper" finish. This is because the polished areas look like a slightly tarnished, darkened copper rather than a freshly polished copper surface. Calling it japanned copper/brass is simply completely incorrect, and seems to come from nothing other than a total misunderstanding of the finish and lack of research into the real name of the finish. The fact that every hardware manufacturer of the time that offered this finish calls it antique/old copper/brass is a pretty good sign that this was the name of the finish. What people decide to call it doesn't matter, as calling anything other than what the manufacturers called it is factually incorrect. Sorry for the large rant, but the nonsensical name that people call this finish bothers me a bit hahaha. Thanks a lot for the comment, and thank you for watching!

[@grayukuk]

The finish really didn't work, did it? It was too precise and the edges weren't blurred enough to seem genuine. I think the idea was originally meant to represent the wear and tear hands would cause and thereby keep certain areas polished.

[@randomrestoration6858]

Both yes and no. Some had very sharp edges exactly like you saw me do with the escutcheons, and usually had more of a mirror finish than a dull finish, and others, like the antique copper ones I showed on camera, did have much softer edges that blended the polished areas and darkened areas. Although the idea was to create an aged finish of sorts, many companies created a finish that more represented a “new vs old” look rather than actually making a convincing aged piece. No company at the time attempted to make a finish as you described that represented areas of wear that hands would naturally cause - they made simple, quick to reproduce patterns. Every hardware company at the time was making this finish, and many offered different patterns for the finish, such as a more randomized mottled design to simple horizontal polished sections. Thanks for watching!