Restoring Old Trunks Parts4/29/2021
It gives a nice metallic look without looking fake and it sticks to just about anything.We just experienced the biggest snowstorm in history here in Lancaster, PA.
We are supposed to stay off the roads so I have been getting a ton of stuff done around the house including this post. Have you ever come across one of those cool old steamer trunks The ones with really cool hardware and old peeling pictures on the inside. I have and I didnt really know what to do with it until a customerfriend of mine asked if could refinish one for them. So here we go This is the trunk in the condition it was received. Restoring Old Trunks Parts How To Restore AnyThe only problem was I wasnt exactly sure where to start or how to restore any of this. Dont fret Good old google searches and you tube came in handy. With the help of Antique Trunks and Chests on You tube and a few local people I got the job done and had such a fun time learning this. The first thing I did was sand this whole bad boy down from top to bottom with a fine grit sponge and clean it really well with steel wool and warm vinegar water. I had to change the water quite a few times as the trunk had collected quite a bit of dirt and grime over the years. As you can see the inside was covered with half peeling paper. I found out the glue used to hold that paper in place was most likely a wheat paste which will soften and breakdown when dampened with water. ![]() You want to be careful to not saturated the wood. I didnt get it all off so I did a second round of spraying and then used a grout cleaning brush to get the rest off. The sun also helps get rid of any funky smells that might be left over too. After the inside was completely dried out (about 24 hours later), I sanded the inside with a 100 grit sanding sponge to smooth everything out and get rid of any residual paper. They were a few exposed nails on the inside so I had to be extra careful when sanding around those buggers. This was something I had zero experience in doing, so I had to watch a you tube tutorial. I had to go out and buy this little nail extracting tool and a little tiny hammer. Its super easy. Takes a few strikes of the hammer but it works like a charm, even on these wicked old nails. This gave me a an idea of how to refinish the rest of the piece. So I chose to use a metallic paint for the metal parts of the trunk. I chose Martha Stewart Crafts Multi Surface Metallic Acrylic Paint.
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