Jayblay Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Hello, New to forum and a newbie woodworker?. I recently scored an antique tansu that I want to lightly restore. It does not have a laquer finish and the finish may be wax/oil based. Some light water rings on top a light scratches on front but hoping to not disrupt patina. I was thinking of cleaning with DNA, then finishing with pure ting oil and wax. Does this approach sound reasonable or any other recommendations? Thanks so much in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Sounds reasonable. Do a test on the back or bottom. Take careful notes so you can follow the same sequence on the rest of the piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 I can't help with your question but that is pretty cool! Welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayblay Posted June 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 I searched online and some people do shellac + wax or they use briwax (beeswax with tint if needed). The wood looks a little dry so I think the tung oil should rejuvenate it. The iron hardware is a little rusty so the wax should clean that up as well. I also have lots of tung oil and carnuba wax in hand from a previous project. Any benefit from using beeswax versus carnuba wax for final top coat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Beeswax is way to soft, use the carnuba. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wright Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Briwax is what I would use. You put the first coat on with 0000 steel wool, then put on a topcoat with a clean rag. It will make the piece look nice without ruining the patina. I have used it on several antique pieces and the results are pretty amazing https://www.amazon.com/Briwax-Original-Furniture-Wax-16/dp/B00DUFSEN2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayblay Posted June 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 4 minutes ago, Andy Wright said: Briwax is what I would use. You put the first coat on with 0000 steel wool, then put on a topcoat with a clean rag. It will make the piece look nice without ruining the patina. I have used it on several antique pieces and the results are pretty amazing https://www.amazon.com/Briwax-Original-Furniture-Wax-16/dp/B00DUFSEN2 I have read a lot about Briwax. I would probably use the clear color as I do not want to change the color of the piece. How durable is the finish given it is beeswax based I believe? Will the 0000 steel wool sand off any of the wood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wright Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 the 0000 steel wool wont mess with the wood - it seems to dissolve a little bit of the old finish which mixes in with the wax. We have a few antiques that we "restored" with Briwax and we maintain the finish with Old English furniture oil. The finish is reasonably durable, but not something you can put a drink on without a coaster. The best feature of Briwax is that it will maintain all of the character of the original finish and not look like somebody tried to touchup it up. It will also make the hardware look good. I learned about it from a friend who is an antique dealer and he uses it on everything from wood to leather to metal. I would use a brown tinted Briwax on your piece to blend in the spots that are bare wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayblay Posted July 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2016 Hi all, I decided on using a brown briwax to restore the piece. I'm just waiting for the wax to come in the mail next week. I'd like to remove the black water mark off the top of the piece without a total refinish so as not to destroy the original patina. I don't think briwax and 0000 steel wool will be enough. Should I try oxalac acid on the stain with briwax afterward or will the oxalic acid bleach the wood too much and make the area stand out more? Any other thoughts on how to remove these watermarks destroying the patina? Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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