Tips Needed 40 year old Door knob? (paint, cleaner, furniture, cleaning)

[SunnyKayak]

The simplest would be replace the door knobs but the door knobs have a plate in the rear of the knobs and have left there mark on the doors.
This would show if replaced so Im left to cleaning them.

They are made by Schlack Im thinking it might be brass. I will remove them to clean them so I will not effect the finish on the doors but what is best way to clean them

Thanks

[the painter]

someone told me lemon juice and baking soda paste, rub with soft rag and rinse off residue. I have NOT tried it. There are a number of comercial cleaners on the market, none that I am thrilled with.

[mrstewart]

Brasso and then varnish them...there is a varnish made for covering brass...good luck! I'm sure it will be beautiful!

Did mine last year and they were so shiny and nice but I did not varnish them...wish I had.

[harry chickpea]

Varnish can be an ongoing problem. You can delay oxidation with a good coat of Carnuba (paste car wax). When it eventually wears down or the metal does corrode, common cleaners will remove the remaining wax and allow re-polishing. With varnish, the varnish can turn to a semi-solid, or build-up and be very difficult and messy to remove. The same technique holds for metal range hoods and other shined metal.

If you are removing the plates for cleaning, you have a number of options. Soaking them in a hot solution of TSP would remove most surface crud and paint, with the remaining coming off with a light brushing with a toothbrush. Commercial brass polishing compounds work well, especially if you like a little patina left in crevices for character. If the plates are a base metal, you might find a shop that can electroplate them with brass for you.

[Cosmic]

It is unclear what you want them to look like in the end.

Do you want the original finish only cleaner, or do you want them to appear bright and shinny? Also we do not have a clue what the original finish is.

If you want the present finish only cleaner, use something like a Greenie with normal household cleaners.

If you want a bright, shinny like new finish, first try scrubbing them with alcohol. Then a bluffing wheel mounted in a drill with various rouges is the ticket for easy cleanup and like new finish. Or you can do as I do, use paint remover, first. Or just do as below with no prior cleaning.

Varnish can be a tricky finish. It will darken and age, if that is what is desired fine. If not, a poly coat is better. Apply a couple of coats.

Some of that type of hardware cleans and polishes very well with a fine brass wire wheel. Again easy to mount in a drill. Is what I use to restore a lot of hardware like hinges, knobs, various plates, hardware on cabinets, etc. If you go this route, you do not have to attempt to remove any dirt, finish, etc prior, it is the lazy man's method. Even the finer steel wire wheels can work, should not mark the work, can bluff out.

[texdav]

If yuo don't want to be continuingly polish them then you can buy a protective spray coating that will make it lkess a constant chore. Its basically a laquer that is easily removed to recoat.

[SunnyKayak]

great tips I cant believe I forgot to upload the photos and Ill do "after a week or so from now

[old_cold]

You might be happy enough with the results from just a 'regular' cleaning like Cosmic mentioned or my favorite, ammonia and a ScotchBrite or similar

[Kootr]

Your door hardware will clean up nice, and should be easily made to look brand new. I would take all the hardware off the door (one at a time is okay) and clean them using a brass cleaner first and then a polishing pad on a either a bench wheel or hand drill. If you don't want to clean and polish them yourself you should be able to find a shop (metal, auto, furniture repair, etc.) that will do it for you. After the hardware is clean and polished you can have them sprayed with a lacquer or varnish finish that will prevent tarnishing. There is a new product available that gives a protected finish similar to Baldwin Hardware's Lifetime Finish they guarantee against tarnishing. You should be able to find out where it is available by searching online. Or if you have some marine (boat) dealers near you that refurbish boats, especially saltwater craft, they certainly have the equipment and products to do it for you. Again, your door hardware should clean up very nicely and not be all that difficult to do...and with the proper coating it will look great for a long, long time.

[Coldjensens]

clock repairmen must clean loads of brass on a regular basis. Good Clock cleaner is industrial strength ammonia. You can use regular strength ammonia or buy the stronger stuff from a clock supply store. Usually, you do nto need to scrub it, just soak it for a while. Be sure to rinse it off well. Do not scrub it. If that is brass plate, you may scrub right through the plating. . Some oils will keep it shiney for a while.