Over the years I have bought many props at club auctions.  They may have looked a little the worse for wear at the time but after getting my treatment they have been restored to a useful condition once more.

My basic method of renovation for wood, metal or plastic props is as follows: 

1. If possible, carefully dismantle the prop. This enables you to repair or replace any parts that are damaged. 
   
2. Make a tracing on paper of any graphic work on the prop. This will help you to get as near as possible to the original when painting.
   
3. Lightly rub the paintwork over with some fine sandpaper. This gives the new paint, that you are going to apply, something to key itself into. There is no need to rub down to a bare surface.
   
4. Wipe off any dust as this will spoil your paint's finish.
   
5. Screws often come loose with time. I always apply a small amount of glue to the threads before reassembling. 
   
6. Small pins and rivets also come loose. If possible I replace these with small screws with glue on the threads. For extra stress areas, such as hinges, I often fit a small nut and bolt if there is space for this. 

The adhesives that I use are as follows: 
Evostic Resin W for wood-to-wood joints.
Bostic clear adhesive or Evostic impact adhesive for joints which need to remain slightly flexible such as cloth hinges.
Araldite original two part epoxy adhesive for hard joints such as metal-to-metal / metal to glass which are not going to be flexed.
For polystyrene plastic I use plastic model makers glue or liquid glue call MEK (trade name for Methyl Ethyl Ketone).Apply by brush to the joints. 
For joining perspex I use Chloroform which I get from a friendly local chemist. Take care when using either of these substances as they are very toxic and should not be used in a confined space. 

Paints
I have used many types of paints over the years but these days I paint most of my props with ordinary household gloss paint from the local D.I. Y. store. The advantage of this is that they are cheaper than the much smaller tins of model makers enamel paints and they are also more readily available. The only real disadvantage in using household paints is that they take longer to dry completely and also they are usually gloss finish and so will shine under spotlights.  Use matt finish paints if this is a problem. 

The colours I buy are red, blue, green and yellow in the brightest shades I can find plus black and white. These enable me to mix any colour that I want and make my props look really bright and colourful and different from anyone else's. I also buy small tins of metallic paint if I need to pick out something in gold or silver.
 
If there are graphic areas, then I transfer the design in pencil back onto the prop from the tracing paper before repainting it. 
The better quality pure bristle brushes give a superior finish to the paint. The cheaper brushes are stiffer and leave lines in the paint more readily. For small areas such as face details I use camel hair brushes from the local art shop, for larger areas I use 
good quality bristle brushes from the D.I. Y. store, The main sizes being1/2" 1" and 2".

I use the following method for cleaning the brushes. In my garage I keep two plastic paint kettles. One is filled with white spirit, the other is filled with concentrated washing-up liquid. I wipe off as much paint as possible from the brush with an old rag or newspaper and then I rinse the brush in white spirit. Do not leave brushes standing in white spirit as it makes the paint in the bristles turn into a horrid sticky mass and makes the brush useless. After rinsing in white spirit I put the brush in the washing-up liquid and work it into the bristles. This removes any white spirit and paint that remains in the bristles. Finally, I rinse the brush in warm water to remove the washing-up liquid and any residue from the bristles. While the bristles are still damp they can be formed into a point or chisel shape which they will keep when they dry. This makes the brushes ready to use again and ensures that they will give many years of service.

As well as buying from auctions I have also bought so called 'Collector's Items' from dealers. You may be horrified to know that I have also given these .the Peter Gardner treatment. To my mind if a prop is sitting in my the cupboard then It is not earning It's keep, whereas with a simple lick of paint and a bit of tarting up, it can be put back into regular use and bring in a few extra pounds. 

I hope that these short notes have been of some help to those of you that like doing bits for yourselves.