Materials
Processes
This restoration came from antique collectors. It was challenging to restore these traction engine lamps to the original oil lamps from their electrical adaptation.
I strongly advise collectors never to de-value antique lamps by changing how they create light. It destroys the historic integrity of a piece, and like museums, I’m committed to conservation.
The reflectors, unfortunately, had been drilled to allow wires to enter the oil pots, so I had to seal and re-silver the patches by applying a silver-plating solution to the reflectors to repair much of the surface.
Removal of black paint to brass
This porthole had a good scrub down. I had to remove the old lacquer and the discoloured brass underneath. Usually, 5 to 10 years is the limit for lacquer to keep brass bright before it needs renewal.
Silver-soldering
I silver-soldered the circular handle connected to the hinge because the hinges attached to the light fixture and glass front were attached to a lower-temperature soft solder. Had I overheated the whole surface, the fixture and glass front could have ended up on the floor. I had to anneal the brass because of copper content as it work-hardened when I bent it around a form.
Completion
A new glass, a new gasket, and a specially made size of O-rings finished this porthole, ready to return to a bathroom that looks out over the sea.