I decided to restore and reuse the old painted hardware that came right off the doors in this 1915 house. At first the process was daunting. But it was worth the effort!
Restoring painted hardware
First, I had to get some help to get the pins out and the doors off the hinges. Next, I removed the hinges from the doors and door jams as Andrew took the knobs apart.
Previously, I bought a large old pot from the thrift store for this purpose. You’ll never cook food in the pot again, so don’t use your favorite pasta pot!
Baking soda boil
On the stove, I used a two step process. First, I boiled the brass and other metal hardware (screws and all) in a water and baking soda mixture. Then, I removed the pieces and rubbed them with rags. Much of the paint peeled and rubbed off.
Boiled linseed oil
I wanted to oil the hardware as well. I read a few articles online and decided boiled linseed oil would be perfect. As it turned out, the oil removed even more of the stubborn paint and protected it at the same time.
If I were to do this project again, I’d try the linseed oil boil for the hardware first. That might save a bit of time doing the paint removal and protecting the brass hardware at the same time.
