
How to Restore Antique Trunks
- Step 1. Assess your trunk. Most storage trunks were made of a soft wood such as pine, reinforced with hardwood (usually...
- Step 2. Clean or strip the covering material. If the canvas or hide covering is in fair condition, it will be much...
- Step 3. Remove old glue from the wood with sandpaper, going with the grain and using a light touch.
How to refurbish an old trunk?
- How to Remove Canvas From Your Trunk Plus how to fix up the wood beneath to prepare for applying finish.
- How to Remove Rust and Other Miserable Stuff Cough, hack, wheeze... ...
- How to Deal With Odors In the trunk, I mean. ...
- How to Attach Parts to Your Trunk Secrets of nail bending revealed! ...
How do you clean an antique trunk?
- Brush the canvas covering with a clean, short-bristled paint brush.
- Attach the brush attachment to a vacuum and carefully vacuum the surface. Pay careful attention to crevices.
- Wet a sponge and squeeze out excess water.
- Dab dirty spots lightly with the damp sponge.
How to refinish an old wood trunk?
Step 8: Finished Trunk and Key Replacement
- Get more than one key. You WILL mess up at least one, so have a few extras
- Learn how to pick the lock first. There are tutorials online that will teach you and it'll give you an idea of the shape you need.
- As the key gets closer to the right shape, it'll slowly turn the lock more and more. ...
How to repaint an old trunk?
Then I wiped down the whole trunk with a soft cloth (an old tee is always my choice) and a solution of vinegar and water. I think I used 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water, mixed in a spray bottle. I lightly sprayed the cloth instead of spraying directly onto the trunk because I didn’t want to soak the trunk.

How do you refurbish an old trunk?
2:468:02DIY: Refinishing An Antique Trunk - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe first step was tearing out all of the old canvas. And then after that we sanded down the insideMoreThe first step was tearing out all of the old canvas. And then after that we sanded down the inside of the trunk and applied a polyurethane to seal during this filming I was not wearing gloves.
How do you clean and restore an old trunk?
Vacuum the inside and outside of your antique trunk. Use a brush attachment to gently vacuum along the inner walls and corners of the trunk. ... Clean metal antique trunks with a mixture of one part white vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle. ... Prop the trunk open and allow it to air dry completely.
How do you reline an old trunk?
3:4322:52Restoring the inside of a Steamer Trunk - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo not only are we going to put some new fabric in here but what I'm going to use is modge podgeMoreSo not only are we going to put some new fabric in here but what I'm going to use is modge podge good old modge podge. Because. It helps with it helps seal in the wood help seal in any smells.
What can you do with an old trunk?
If you find a beautiful vintage trunk you can even use it a purely decorative piece. It doesn't have to be repurposed as a bedside table, coffee table, nightstand or anything else. Just use it as a place to display a few decorations and place on the hallway or somewhere where everyone can see it and admire it.
How much are antique trunks worth?
Your trunk is worth a few thousand dollars, up to as much as $50,000. You may want to consider having a reputable antiques expert near you perform an appraisal to get a handle on what that thing is worth.
How do you get rust off an old trunk?
Rub the rust in a circular motion with steel wool, remembering that steel and tin, which are harder, may require a wire brush, while brass, which is softer, might be quickly restored with steel wool. Still, a heavy buildup of rust on brass might require the wire brush.
What are old trunks made of?
They were usually made of pine and covered in decorative material or leather. Some of the more recognizable styles of trunks include the Jenny Lind, Saratoga, steamer, barrel-top (also known as "Camelback Trunks"), and full dresser trunks.
How do you line a wooden trunk with fabric?
4:5625:46How to line the inside of an antique trunk - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAround the poster board in other words your fabric is going to be an inch bigger on either side ofMoreAround the poster board in other words your fabric is going to be an inch bigger on either side of your poster board you can just go ahead and take a razor knife or a pair of scissors.
How do you restore an old wooden chest?
2:1010:00Restoring an Old Chest - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSomebody's have a go at least with a sander. You can see where all the swirl marks are. And. So weMoreSomebody's have a go at least with a sander. You can see where all the swirl marks are. And. So we need to please some work to this and we want it to be a bit lighter as well.
Can you paint an old trunk?
Clean and sand the trunk until it is free of any dust and has a smooth texture. Dip a paintbrush into the paint until it is barely covered. Wipe it off on a soft cloth to reduce the amount of paint on the bristles. Brush the paint onto the trunk with an light pressure, letting the trunk's original finish show through.
How do you upcycle an old chest?
0:0217:57How to upcycle and old chest of drawers - Reuse & RecycleYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPaint. I'm going to use pearls. And this is from the vintage with grace paint cans come with caps onMorePaint. I'm going to use pearls. And this is from the vintage with grace paint cans come with caps on and I'm going to use one of the vintage with grace bushes.
How do you get the musty smell out of an old trunk?
Here's a method I use to lighten up old trunk odor:Vacuum the interior carefully and then set it outside in direct sunlight for a day.Wad up newspapers and fill the interior with them. ... Next, spread out fresh newspapers. ... Repeat these steps until the smell has lessened.More items...•
How do you clean a trunk?
0:112:59How to Clean and Detail a Car : How to Clean a Trunk - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's a must to be clean well basically what we need bucket of water with a little bit of a few dropsMoreIt's a must to be clean well basically what we need bucket of water with a little bit of a few drops of dish detergent.
How do you refurbish a wooden chest?
2:1810:00Restoring an Old Chest - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo you can see I've already made it start sanding just to get an idea for you know what the woodsMoreSo you can see I've already made it start sanding just to get an idea for you know what the woods like underneath lovely big white pine. Board no joynton at all at one piece.
How do you clean an old wooden chest?
0:154:14How to Clean & Hydrate Old Wood and an Antique Art Box TourYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI also like to use microfiber cloths. Because they don't shed very much. You can use a lint-freeMoreI also like to use microfiber cloths. Because they don't shed very much. You can use a lint-free cloth as well and you want to just rub it into the wood the vinegar cleans the wood.
Why a Healthy Trunk Is Important
Like any living creature, a tree’s life depends on maintaining a delicate state of equilibrium. Without the right amount of light, water, and nutrients, it won’t be able to survive and grow tall. As you may remember from science class, a tree’s trunk is a vital part of its biological function.
What Not to Do
When you need to repair tree trunk damage, the trick is to avoid interfering with its natural defense mechanisms. While trees can’t heal injuries to themselves like human beings, they do have ways of mitigating the damage. Through a process called compartmentalization, a tree can isolate damaged sections of itself with new wood growth.
Clean Up the Wound as Best You Can
The first thing you should do to repair tree trunk damage is make the damage as clean as possible. That’s not to say you should get in there with soap and water, though. In this case, a clean cut means one with no rough edges. A ragged gash can cause problems with a tree’s ability to transport nutrients as well as impede new growth.
For Serious Damage, Create a Bridge Graft
Sometimes, a tree will sustain serious enough damage that simply cleaning the wound isn’t enough to keep it alive. This can happen if a tree becomes girdled. That is, when a large portion of its bark is removed from around its circumference.
Materials used to restore this antique steamer trunk
Disclosure; this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not affect the price you pay. This disclosure statement refers to the rest of the amazon links and other affiliate links in this post.
How to restore the antique trunk
Before we get into restoring or painting, I needed to clean up the trunk.
Antique Steamer trunk restored
If you enjoyed this post I would love for you to Pin it HERE or Pin the image below.
