Restoration of old locks

diadalad

I was wondering what members’ thoughts are on restoring old locks. I suppose there’s nothing wrong with thorough cleaning, but how far can you go? What about:

rust removal?
polishing brass parts?
repainting/japanning?
replacement of worn or broken parts?

Do such operations greatly reduce the value of an old lock? I’m not thinking of really rare museum pieces, but say, 19th or 20th century door or safe locks. How far is it advisable to go?

Diadalad

diadalad

As far as i know the general rule is to never clean or polish a lock (or any antique) as it degrades the value. As a collector, I like to see a deep dark brown or black patina on an item. However, if you just want to display it and do not care about the selling value, it is fine. I have cleaned a few, but I only do so if I am sure I will never want to sell the piece.

hope this helps

69Coronet

what if the lock is covered in many layers of paint and rust?