reusing porcelain door knobs

We have these old porcelain door knobs from our house. I want to reuse them if possibl with modern latches. We need to clean them of paint etc., get new door knob plates (? name – the decorative ring that sits between the knob & the door), & get new internal latches to replace the old bulky mechanisms.

I have a few questions:

Will boiling of the knobs work to get the paint off? If not then what?

Given we only have a few good ‘plates’, where can I get locally new ones (in brass or even paintable tin etc)?

Where can I get new internal latch mechanisms?

Will new modern design latches work with these
knobs?

What should I do on bathroom & bedrm doors where I would want a non bolt lock (something that can be unlocked from outside of rm in emergency/accidental locking by child etc)?

Is reusing these knobs a lot more work in installation than would be for modern setups such as sold by Lowes (I quite like the Gatehouse
Polished Brass Cabana Hall and Closet Knob which also has a lockable “Bed and Bath Knob” option). I have a pref to reuse old if possible but not if it involves excessive effort/cost I can’t afford…

Thanks!

By going4broke |