Antique red cedar drawers

Always fascinated and wanted a set of these drawers and while these were free I made a donation in appreciation of finally getting these after missing out on so many.
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Love the idea of needing to lock each drawer so my clothes aren't stolen :) My question is, is there an easy way to get a key or more without paying a locksmith?
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I'm thinking it's best to clean with Sunlight soap. Then add some new shellac followed by lantern oil to make the grain scream. This broken edge is fine until I have the skill to cut new piece in.
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Plenty of internal structural work to do
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Plenty of work to do on the drawers to get them working properly again and sitting properly on the rails. It looks to me like the back was cut on a large circular saw in one direction and then when the drawer was made they trimmed the back on the same saw but in the opposite direction.
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Would appreciate any advise and especially history and when and how these were made. Any corrections to my comment really appreciated to help me learn.

Hi,
I suggest you watch lots of Thomas Johnson’s YouTube videos. Every one of them contains a few gems about furniture restoration.

Good find!

I'll be working on a few of the drawer runners on my chest this weekend.
Most of the drawers are loose, so they will be knocked apart (with a bit of heat from a heat gun).
I'll add some pine runners with hide glue.

Looks like yours need a bit of work too.

If the drawers are solid, you can fit new runners using a bullnose plane and some chisel work.
It's a lot easier if you can get them apart (easier to clean too).

Are those bun feet mismatched?
How are your turning skills? :U

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Thumbthumper

Good find!

I'll be working on a few of the drawer runners on my chest this weekend.
Most of the drawers are loose, so they will be knocked apart (with a bit of heat from a heat gun).
I'll add some pine runners with hide glue.

Looks like yours need a bit of work too.

If the drawers are solid, you can fit new runners using a bullnose plane and some chisel work.
It's a lot easier if you can get them apart (easier to clean too).

Are those bun feet mismatched?
How are your turning skills? :U

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I never thought of using hide glue or heat gun so thank you that info.
The 3rd bun foot has been removed and a different pair installed for now.

I actually have a few projects I can't complete because I need items turned and I have never done it. Wasn't aiming to invest into machinery just for those items. Fairly sure I have stock for turning so eventually have to cross that bridge.

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They're addictive :)

In answer to your question:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blackout

My question is, is there an easy way to get a key or more without paying a locksmith?
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Note that while I have never done this, around the year I was born, my father made a key for the backdoor of the house I then lived in.

While a lot bigger than the locks on those drawers, the lock on the back door to our house used the same basic mechanism.
Inside each lock is a "shutter" that the drawer key fits. The "shutter" will be slightly bigger than the lock's key. How much bigger can really only be determined by using a file to remove material from the key till it opens the lock.

Based on what I now know, dad probably used sheet lead, sheet copper, soft sheet brass, stiff card or similar to determine the shape of the shutter.
He would then have used a file to shape the new key to the lock.
The round hole in the escutcheon is bigger than the key's round spine, as is the socket at the back of the lock that accepts the key.

While making your own keys might be a worthwhile exercise, I suggest you try and buy the key blanks rather than braze a flag onto a suitable round rod.