I bought a tansu drawer today from a lady in the mountains in North Carolina and in the process of cleaning it up after its been in a garage improperly stored for 5 years. Done 2 cleanings tonight to help revive the wood and plan to recondition it tomorrow then planning to fix the cracks in the wood. At first I could see it was supposed to have a key of which she didn't say anything then heard it rattling around in the car. Would you say it is ok to spray alittle wd-40 in each of the locks to smooth the mechanics? Also what is best to use on cleaning the iron hardware so I don't hurt the wood? I can wait to see it all cleaned.😁❤️😇
WD40 is ok to use on the ironwork, but may stain unfinished wood. It will not affect lacquer if the chest is lacquered. You might want to watch the video on Tansu locks and pegging the drawers as well. When I want to clean the iron I will use a brass or nylon brush to remove any loose rust, and an ebony wax to seal the surface. If the the iron is off the chest I will sometimes burn it with oil or wax to give it a carbon finish like a cast iron pan. That was done in many areas of Japan but they also used lacquer as well.
@shibuikotto5794 I do believe it had and original finish, the wood was just horribly dry so I am taking things slow to give the wood time to adjust. I was definitely watching those when I found your Facebook as well. I love so much that you are taking the time to revitalize these pieces in your shop. Thankfully none of the fitting is are off the chest, they are old and alittle spotted with rust so I scrubbing them gentle with a mild soap & washcloth first to see how they look after. I also bought some Murphys and then got to get the wax for the drawers.
Somehow after many years unlocked one of my tansu drawers has the tongue in the locked position (even thought I can still open it) and I can’t fully close the drawer. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
@Alex-dz2et Many of mine are doing that too, simply from where my toddler saw me using the key and has been trying to use real keys. I did spray that little bit of wd-40 in the openings, then used my key to turn the little lock blade down. Two are still stuck and won't move, but I can not fix that just yet.
Not sure why this popped up in my feed but the information is interesting and who knows, maybe even useful for me some day.
I bought a tansu drawer today from a lady in the mountains in North Carolina and in the process of cleaning it up after its been in a garage improperly stored for 5 years. Done 2 cleanings tonight to help revive the wood and plan to recondition it tomorrow then planning to fix the cracks in the wood. At first I could see it was supposed to have a key of which she didn't say anything then heard it rattling around in the car. Would you say it is ok to spray alittle wd-40 in each of the locks to smooth the mechanics? Also what is best to use on cleaning the iron hardware so I don't hurt the wood? I can wait to see it all cleaned.😁❤️😇
WD40 is ok to use on the ironwork, but may stain unfinished wood. It will not affect lacquer if the chest is lacquered. You might want to watch the video on Tansu locks and pegging the drawers as well. When I want to clean the iron I will use a brass or nylon brush to remove any loose rust, and an ebony wax to seal the surface. If the the iron is off the chest I will sometimes burn it with oil or wax to give it a carbon finish like a cast iron pan. That was done in many areas of Japan but they also used lacquer as well.
@shibuikotto5794 I do believe it had and original finish, the wood was just horribly dry so I am taking things slow to give the wood time to adjust. I was definitely watching those when I found your Facebook as well. I love so much that you are taking the time to revitalize these pieces in your shop. Thankfully none of the fitting is are off the chest, they are old and alittle spotted with rust so I scrubbing them gentle with a mild soap & washcloth first to see how they look after. I also bought some Murphys and then got to get the wax for the drawers.
Somehow after many years unlocked one of my tansu drawers has the tongue in the locked position (even thought I can still open it) and I can’t fully close the drawer. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
@Alex-dz2et Many of mine are doing that too, simply from where my toddler saw me using the key and has been trying to use real keys. I did spray that little bit of wd-40 in the openings, then used my key to turn the little lock blade down. Two are still stuck and won't move, but I can not fix that just yet.