Ironmongery Refurbishment
Lambstongue Ltd.
Condition
Most of the ironmongery requiring repair in Lambstongue Ltd. consisted of fasteners, pulleys, catches, latches, handles, pulls, hinges and occasionally locks for windows and doors. The earliest items were made of wood and wrought iron. Later copper alloys, most commonly brass as well as cast iron were also used. In modern times the use of steel, brass and plastic are most common.
Batches of ironmongery for refurbishment could vary in size from 10 – 1,000no. items depending on the size of the project.
Some historic ironmongery were anachronistic in function, and so were often unused or misused by their owners. Many were worn or damaged from continual use, sometimes beyond repair. They were commonly over-painted restricting movement and obscuring decorative detailing, distorted and warped due to careless use or suffering from corrosion or irregular patination due to poor maintenance.
Treatment Aim
Repair and restore ironmongery to functional condition, with finishing particular to each client’s specifications.
Treatment
Most ironmongery were severely over-painted and required paint removal. Paint was softened using an acetone based solution and mechanically removed using brass or steel wire brushes. Following this the surface was swab cleaned using acetone.
Where distorted the metal was reshaped. Functional parts that were worn or damaged beyond use were repaired or had parts replaced in architectural brass, bronze or mild steel where possible.
Surface corrosion was mechanically removed using handtools or carefully controlled use of an abrasive wheel. Where corrosion was more severe a conservation metal de-corroder was used before mechanical removal.
Natural patination on copper alloys was mechanically pared back to a regularised finish using handtools and an abrasive wheel if the client wished to retain it. Use of chemical patination would sometimes be used to even out the finish if needed.
The metal surface was polished using a fine abrasive wheel and sealed using microcrystalline wax. Exterior ferrous ironmongery was coated in a hard-wearing paint system.
Aftercare procedures for maintenance and use were produced for clients.
