I’m restauring a set of 6 interior window shutters that come from a building 
constructed around 1750. The shutters are vintage, just like the windows. They are made of oak, frame and panel construction held together with square pegs.
Stripping the paint took a very long time, I counted 7 different colors, and who knows how many coats. Particularly tough was a lead-based white paint, probably used before WWII. The hard work paid off when I discovered gold leaf on the metal fixtures. There is a good chance that this gold leaf dates from the construction of the building.
At that point, I switched to a mild paint stripper that would not damage what was left of the gold leaf.
After many hours spent carefully peeling the paint, the fixtures could be seen in their original state. I finally applied a sealant and rust inhibitor to protect this archaeological discovery!