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How to Antique a Lantern

If you’ve ever seen an old horror movie, chances are you’ve seen an antique lantern being carried by a henchman or villainous fiend. The old timey mystique of an antique lantern is something that has been lost in modern times, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create the classic look yourself. Antiquing a lantern is the process of taking a modern lamp and making it look old. Many lanterns are made of metal or brass, both of which are antiqued in a unique way. Before antiquing a lantern, remove the heating element and any fuel inside of the tank.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 quart water
  • Cooking pot
  • Tongs
  • Acetone
  • Cotton cloth
  • Rubber gloves
  • Antiquing solution
  • Plastic bucket
  • Sponge
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Instructions

  1. Preparing Brass

    • 1

      Fill a large cooking pot with 1 quart of water and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Put the pot on a stove top and bring it to a boil.

    • 2

      Grasp the lantern with tongs and dip it into the boiling solution. Boil the lantern for 15 minutes.

    • 3

      Remove the lantern and rinse it under hot running water.

    • 4

      Moisten a cotton cloth with acetone. Rub the lantern with the cloth. This process removes the lacquer. You don’t have to do this for lanterns made of stainless steel or other bare metals.

    Antiquing

    • 5

      Mix one part antiquing solution with 10 parts room temperature water in a plastic bucket.

    • 6

      Dip the lantern in the solution and agitate it until bubbles form. The color of the liquid will change, which is normal. Keep the lantern submerged until it turns the color you want.

    • 7

      Remove the lantern and rinse under hot running water to stop the antiquing process.

    • 8

      Rub the lantern with a sponge to even out any dark spots.

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