my new find its a old lunch time horn used in mills that where very loud pat- date is 1918 I don't think that's how old it is got a ? do you think I should clean it or leave it old and dirty looking it's brass or bronze it works good. if I clean it I will take away the cool old look just wanted to ask the tool talk friends what they think or what they would do .

                                                                                                                                           THANKS

                                                                                                                                                       GARY.

Hi Gary, when I 1st saw "horn" I was not thinking whisle.  as I have an old factory horn
that works on 110 v,  fairly loud. when I got it, it is brass, but has old white paint on it,
I  have the same mental problem, clean it or leave as found.  after about 15 years, it is still as found.

if I had your whisle,  I would leave as found and make a cage in the peak of the front of the garage
and pipe in an air line to it.  when I am in the garage and see someone I know, I would activate it.
as I sometimes do with the horn.

shiny brass in nice to look at, but then when I see a whisle like you have, I like it better.

sorry, I can not give you a straight up answer. is there a name on it ?

are you going to keep it ?

 If I planned to sell it I would leave as found. If I was going to keep it I would shine it up to the nth degree because I like shiny things. I have decreased the value of many old items by shining them up but it makes me happy and they will remain mine.

Steam whistles are one item I've found that cleaning is a good thing. Take a look at old steam engines at a steam show, all the operators have them almost glaring shiny.
And shiny brass does look nice if you can clean it the right way.

As long as it still functions I would leave it as is, that's just me thoe.

Its a lunkenheimer I think its so hard to read used eye loupe and magnifying glass to get what I could the #'s on it are 200 and 1 1/2 that's all I can find. and yes that is what I am going to do with it is put it on my work shop so when I sound it off my wife knows that I need a beer.

You could probably leave it as is, other than any mechanical work needed.
Most collectors would polish it up, but the buying price won't be much different.
Enjoy it, and consider it as a good investment.

Quote from: jimwrench on January 24, 2015, 08:30:56 PM
If I planned to sell it I would leave as found. If I was going to keep it I would shine it up to the nth degree because I like shiny things. I have decreased the value of many old items by shining them up but it makes me happy and they will remain mine.

What Jim said !!


Brian

I'll be interested in buying that as is.

Batz