how do you hang heavy cast iron brackets?

You need secure fixings driven deep into solid masonry. Plasterboard will not take the weight of a cast iron antique bracket. Use heavy gauge steel screws and substantial wall plugs. If you have doubts about the wall structure, hire a builder to find the studs.

My house has uneven walls in the hallway and I want to put up some old wooden clock brackets, will they sit flush?

They rarely sit flush on old plaster. The timber backplates on antique brackets are rigid, while historic walls usually have bows and hollows. You can scribe the backplate to match the wall contour if you have woodworking skills. This involves shaving the back edge until it follows the plaster line exactly. Most people just accept a slight shadow gap. You can paint the wall behind to match the bracket, making any small gaps far less obvious.

what wood are carved brackets usually made from?

Mahogany and oak dominate the surviving domestic examples. They hold crisp carving details well and take a good polish. You also find plenty of softer woods like pine. Makers used these when the piece was destined for thick coats of paint.

I bought a pair of matching brackets but the holes for the screws are in different places on each one, is that normal?

It happens all the time. Successive owners move these fixtures from room to room, drilling new fixing holes whenever the old ones split or wear out. Sometimes the original maker just drilled wherever the timber grain looked strongest. Handmade pairs rarely have the kind of template-driven uniformity you get with modern factory goods.

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Antique Brackets from the 19th Century

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Antique brackets are projecting wall supports designed to bear the weight of heavy horizontal loads, commonly found in carved timber or cast metal forms.