Services

Our Restoration Process

Most of the Tansu furniture originates from the ancient city - Kyoto and ranges from mid 1600 through to early 20th century.  Each piece of furniture is painstakingly restored in our restoration area at our headquarters at Redbrick Mill, Batley, West Yorkshire.

Whilst a purist may hold the opinion that a piece should be left exactly as found - 'warts and all' and the traditionalist that one should repair as minimally as possible using only traditional carpentry and not using or applying any wax or polish to the piece, the majority of our customers prefer a piece to be restored using our methodology and techniques.  Our method of restoration combines traditional values with customer requirements, restoration is kept to a minimum using as far as possible traditional methods, whilst it is then waxed and polished to give it a more finished appearance.

The restoration process begins with evaluating and repairing any damage, generally this is minimal or indeed superficial; typical things may be loose fittings or occasional cracks in the wood or perhaps scratches or chips to the piece. 

Once these have been repaired the piece needs cleaning down; whilst no two pieces are alike one can usually scrub the piece down with wire wool and either warm water or methylated spirit.  When dry, a further application of smooth wire wool lifts away any residue leaving a clean, smooth surface revealing the natural grain and patina.

A polish is now applied, usually shellac which is brushed on to the wood with the greatest of care until a good coat has been built up, this serves to seal the wood and protect it.  Again, it is rubbed down with a fine wire wool prior to final beeswax being applied so as to enrich the finished piece.

Our aim throughout is to interpret the customer's requirements and give customer satisfaction.