Restore your antique trunk yourself rather than have us do it
Here are some Hints and procedures on how to restore an antique trunk....
1) Have a good idea what you want your trunk to look like at the end of your restoration project. Some
good reading is our Trunk Philosophy page and the Before and after page.
2) What ever way you decide to go forward, you will have to remove some parts from your trunk to clean,
paint, buff, and replace certain areas and parts. Some tools you are sure to need for part removal and other
tasks are:
Tack Lifter Rags
End Nipper Pliers Paint Brushes
A good hammer Wire brushes and wire wheels
regular pliers Electric Drill
razor knife Scissors
ruler Masking Tape
Keep in mind when removing nails that they are "clinched" over on the inside of the trunk and can be quite
hard to get out. It is best to find the "clinched" end and nip it off with pliers before using the tack lifter to
pry the head of the trunk nail up. Then the end nipper pliers can be used to pull the nail out. This will ensure
minimal wood damage as the nail comes out. Don't keep the nails, they will be replaced.
3) tin, rust and other bothersome things -
Flat and Embossed tin that is rusted can be refurbished in several ways: wire wheels on an electric drill,
Sandpaper, wire brushes, etc. followed by steel wool. If the rust is only in small areas on flat tin and
corners, etc. it is best to just remove the surface rust to a matte finished steel appearance with the above
mentioned tools and paint on a clear coat to protect it.
If your tin looks like it has been submerged in water for a while you might want to consider other more
drastic measures. A product that is found in Auto parts stores called EXTEND RUST TREATMENT is
useful to kill off rust and turn it into a black , paint ready surface. After treating rusty tin with EXTEND,
prime paint with any primer made for steel and then paint satin black.
Any flat tin that is rusted through will need to be replaced with new tin or aluminum sheet metal. Just cut
to fit and nail on. After priming and painting it will not be noticed. Embossed tin that is damaged or rusted
beyond recognition can be replaced also however, the pattern might be hard to match. Call us for used
embossed tin replacements.
4) wood slats -
wood slats can be stripped if painted, or cleaned with furniture refinisher. In a best case scenario you can
just clean with Murphy's Oil soap , sand, and re-coat with tung oil or top coat of your choice. If you do
refinish the wood slats, use an oil stain such as Watco Danish Oil and follow with an oil based top coat. The
oil based products will add oils to the wood surface and rejuvenate the hidden patina.
5) Canvas coverings -
Canvas covered trunks originally had paint applied to make them somewhat water resistant. If you are lucky
enough to have a canvas covered trunk that has canvas still intact and repairable it can be glued back down
in any areas that are loose with common white ( Elmer's) glue and weighted to clamp down flat. After being
cleaned and reglued the canvas can be repainted or just preserved with a clear coat such as Water based
polyurethane.
In the event that the canvas is too far gone to be repaired, the trunk can be stripped of all its canvas and new
canvas applied using the old canvas pieces as patterns for the new. This will require more removal of items
that are on top of the canvas, ( slats, tin, metal corner protectors, etc.) Apply with Elmer's glue and after
dry seal with a water based polyurethane to make the surface more soil resistant.
6 ) Finishing Embossed tin and leather -
Embossed tin was originally painted in two colors. When restoring a trunk there are several ways to
refinish the patterned tin.
1) Sandpaper or wire brush the tin down to bare metal and clear coat with Tung oil, shellac, or any
oil based sealer.
2) Sandpaper or wire brush the tin and paint with a gloss or satin black paint. After the paint is
dry carefully sand the paint off of the raised areas of the embossing to reveal the bare metal. Last, clear
coat the tin to add protection from rusting.
3) Repaint in two colors to reproduce the original look of the embossing. First remove any rust
or loose paint from the tin. Select an OIL Based paint and paint the embossed tin all over. This color will
be the color of the raised areas of the embossing. Allow at least 36 hrs to dry.
Select a color of Water based paint for the recessed areas. Before starting to paint have a container of
water, kitchen cleaning sponge, and a roll of paper towels ready. Working with a small area quickly paint
the water based color over the oil based color making sure to get the recessed areas covered completely.
Wrap a paper towel around the wet and wrung out sponge. Gently wipe over the embossed tin that you just
painted and remove the oil color from only the raised areas. Use a light touch and wipe the water base
color off until the raised areas are completely clean and the recessed areas are still covered . I f you do
not like the way the panel turns out, use water to remove the paint and start over. Once you have the
proper look to the embossed tin, let the paint dry for 24 hrs. A product called Oops Latex remover can be
used then to remove any troublesome areas and add final touches.
4) Leather covered trunks are easy to restore if the leather is not too dried out and crumbly. Use a
Saddle soap and soft cloth to clean the leather and Neetsfoot oil to restore the suppleness and add color
back to the leather. Any loose areas can be re-glued with white glue or hide glue and weighted down to
clamp tight until the glue sets. Small areas of missing leather are best left alone as it will always look
Patched if you try to add new leather to a 100 year old trunk.
7) Renailing the trunk
The trunk should have all the existing nails tightened to make the trunk box more solid and not wobbly. To
do this you will need a good hammer, and a steel heel to hold inside the trunk where the nail came through
the wood. Hammer the trunk nail from the outside and hold the steel heel against the wood on the inside. It
helps to have a helper hold things for you at times. Any nails that are replaced have to be hammered in this
way also so that the nail curls over on the inside of the trunk and is tightly holding the handles, tin, etc. on
the outside. While you are re-nailing you might as well install the new leather handles, ornamentation,
handle loops, removed corners, locks, hinges,bottom studs, etc. A steel auto body work dolly will work
really well for use as the heel to hold inside the trunk and hammer against. Try your local Auto Parts
store for this tool.
8) Musty mothball odors, holes, gaps, etc. -
Musty odors inside a trunk are easily removed when the lining paper is removed, and the inside washed down
with a solution of detergent and water or ammonia and water. After the inside is dry, if any odor remains
set the opened trunk in the sun for a few days, after it is completely dry, seal the inside wood with shellac.
Gaps in the wood are caused by the wood drying out and absorbing moisture many times over the last 100
yrs. The wood case has come into equilibrium with the cycle and the restraints of the outside tin, etc. Be
very careful if you try to close the gaps with glue and clamps to prevent undue stress on the case. Holes
from loosened knots and other causes can be patched with wood fillers and other compounds. On occasion
an area of the wood will have to be replaced completely. Saw out square and glue in a repair the same
thickness as the existing wood.
9) Relining the inside -
Relining of a trunk will add a clean surface to the inside and finish off the trunk for use as a blanket chest,
etc. Any number of materials can be used to reline but plain paper, wallpaper, fabric, and cedar paneling are
the usual choices.
First scrape the old paper out with a paint scraper. It helps to wet the old paper down with a spray bottle
and water. Next if there are any gaps running the length of the trunk, glue down a 1-1/2" strip of thin fabric
material over them. Linen fabric works really well for this.
If you choose wallpaper, save yourself a lot of bother and try not to use solid vinyl paper. It is difficult to
work with and because of the many lap joints is difficult to get to stay glued in the corners. Try to reline
with thin vinyl coated wallpaper or plain paper wallpaper instead.
The procedure is: cut each piece to fit with 1/2" extra at the corners and reline the ends - first, front and
back - second, and bottom/top - last. Make sure the wood on the inside of the trunk is sealed and use
white glue to paste it in.
Plain paper is my choice for relining. I use unprinted newsprint and age ( antique) the paper after it drys with a
tea stain. Use the same procedure as with wallpaper.
You may also re-line a trunk with cloth material. When lining in cloth be sure to glue the cloth to a poster
board backer first before gluing into the trunk. Cut the poster board to size for each surface before
gluing on the cloth, then glue the poster board/cloth assembly into the trunk. Use 3M spray glue for this.
If you are good at wood working and don't mind the added weight of cedar, try lining the trunk with cedar
paneling. You can find cedar paneling at almost any Home Improvement store in a bundle. It is the same
material used to line your clothes closet. Keep in mind that if your trunk has a tray and you reline
completely in cedar, the tray will not fit any longer because the cedar will make the trunk smaller on the
inside. Find a good woodworker to reduce the size of the tray so that it fits inside your trunk again.
Any trays should be relined completely with plain paper or wallpaper along with the inside of the trunk.
Remember to have fun and not to rush, give things time to dry completely before moving on to the next
phase and if you just can't seem to get it finished, we are always here to help or complete your restoration!
Gary - Owner - Shenandoah Antique Restoration
Here are some Hints and procedures on how to restore an antique trunk....
1) Have a good idea what you want your trunk to look like at the end of your restoration project. Some
good reading is our Trunk Philosophy page and the Before and after page.
2) What ever way you decide to go forward, you will have to remove some parts from your trunk to clean,
paint, buff, and replace certain areas and parts. Some tools you are sure to need for part removal and other
tasks are:
Tack Lifter Rags
End Nipper Pliers Paint Brushes
A good hammer Wire brushes and wire wheels
regular pliers Electric Drill
razor knife Scissors
ruler Masking Tape
Keep in mind when removing nails that they are "clinched" over on the inside of the trunk and can be quite
hard to get out. It is best to find the "clinched" end and nip it off with pliers before using the tack lifter to
pry the head of the trunk nail up. Then the end nipper pliers can be used to pull the nail out. This will ensure
minimal wood damage as the nail comes out. Don't keep the nails, they will be replaced.
3) tin, rust and other bothersome things -
Flat and Embossed tin that is rusted can be refurbished in several ways: wire wheels on an electric drill,
Sandpaper, wire brushes, etc. followed by steel wool. If the rust is only in small areas on flat tin and
corners, etc. it is best to just remove the surface rust to a matte finished steel appearance with the above
mentioned tools and paint on a clear coat to protect it.
If your tin looks like it has been submerged in water for a while you might want to consider other more
drastic measures. A product that is found in Auto parts stores called EXTEND RUST TREATMENT is
useful to kill off rust and turn it into a black , paint ready surface. After treating rusty tin with EXTEND,
prime paint with any primer made for steel and then paint satin black.
Any flat tin that is rusted through will need to be replaced with new tin or aluminum sheet metal. Just cut
to fit and nail on. After priming and painting it will not be noticed. Embossed tin that is damaged or rusted
beyond recognition can be replaced also however, the pattern might be hard to match. Call us for used
embossed tin replacements.
4) wood slats -
wood slats can be stripped if painted, or cleaned with furniture refinisher. In a best case scenario you can
just clean with Murphy's Oil soap , sand, and re-coat with tung oil or top coat of your choice. If you do
refinish the wood slats, use an oil stain such as Watco Danish Oil and follow with an oil based top coat. The
oil based products will add oils to the wood surface and rejuvenate the hidden patina.
5) Canvas coverings -
Canvas covered trunks originally had paint applied to make them somewhat water resistant. If you are lucky
enough to have a canvas covered trunk that has canvas still intact and repairable it can be glued back down
in any areas that are loose with common white ( Elmer's) glue and weighted to clamp down flat. After being
cleaned and reglued the canvas can be repainted or just preserved with a clear coat such as Water based
polyurethane.
In the event that the canvas is too far gone to be repaired, the trunk can be stripped of all its canvas and new
canvas applied using the old canvas pieces as patterns for the new. This will require more removal of items
that are on top of the canvas, ( slats, tin, metal corner protectors, etc.) Apply with Elmer's glue and after
dry seal with a water based polyurethane to make the surface more soil resistant.
6 ) Finishing Embossed tin and leather -
Embossed tin was originally painted in two colors. When restoring a trunk there are several ways to
refinish the patterned tin.
1) Sandpaper or wire brush the tin down to bare metal and clear coat with Tung oil, shellac, or any
oil based sealer.
2) Sandpaper or wire brush the tin and paint with a gloss or satin black paint. After the paint is
dry carefully sand the paint off of the raised areas of the embossing to reveal the bare metal. Last, clear
coat the tin to add protection from rusting.
3) Repaint in two colors to reproduce the original look of the embossing. First remove any rust
or loose paint from the tin. Select an OIL Based paint and paint the embossed tin all over. This color will
be the color of the raised areas of the embossing. Allow at least 36 hrs to dry.
Select a color of Water based paint for the recessed areas. Before starting to paint have a container of
water, kitchen cleaning sponge, and a roll of paper towels ready. Working with a small area quickly paint
the water based color over the oil based color making sure to get the recessed areas covered completely.
Wrap a paper towel around the wet and wrung out sponge. Gently wipe over the embossed tin that you just
painted and remove the oil color from only the raised areas. Use a light touch and wipe the water base
color off until the raised areas are completely clean and the recessed areas are still covered . I f you do
not like the way the panel turns out, use water to remove the paint and start over. Once you have the
proper look to the embossed tin, let the paint dry for 24 hrs. A product called Oops Latex remover can be
used then to remove any troublesome areas and add final touches.
4) Leather covered trunks are easy to restore if the leather is not too dried out and crumbly. Use a
Saddle soap and soft cloth to clean the leather and Neetsfoot oil to restore the suppleness and add color
back to the leather. Any loose areas can be re-glued with white glue or hide glue and weighted down to
clamp tight until the glue sets. Small areas of missing leather are best left alone as it will always look
Patched if you try to add new leather to a 100 year old trunk.
7) Renailing the trunk
The trunk should have all the existing nails tightened to make the trunk box more solid and not wobbly. To
do this you will need a good hammer, and a steel heel to hold inside the trunk where the nail came through
the wood. Hammer the trunk nail from the outside and hold the steel heel against the wood on the inside. It
helps to have a helper hold things for you at times. Any nails that are replaced have to be hammered in this
way also so that the nail curls over on the inside of the trunk and is tightly holding the handles, tin, etc. on
the outside. While you are re-nailing you might as well install the new leather handles, ornamentation,
handle loops, removed corners, locks, hinges,bottom studs, etc. A steel auto body work dolly will work
really well for use as the heel to hold inside the trunk and hammer against. Try your local Auto Parts
store for this tool.
8) Musty mothball odors, holes, gaps, etc. -
Musty odors inside a trunk are easily removed when the lining paper is removed, and the inside washed down
with a solution of detergent and water or ammonia and water. After the inside is dry, if any odor remains
set the opened trunk in the sun for a few days, after it is completely dry, seal the inside wood with shellac.
Gaps in the wood are caused by the wood drying out and absorbing moisture many times over the last 100
yrs. The wood case has come into equilibrium with the cycle and the restraints of the outside tin, etc. Be
very careful if you try to close the gaps with glue and clamps to prevent undue stress on the case. Holes
from loosened knots and other causes can be patched with wood fillers and other compounds. On occasion
an area of the wood will have to be replaced completely. Saw out square and glue in a repair the same
thickness as the existing wood.
9) Relining the inside -
Relining of a trunk will add a clean surface to the inside and finish off the trunk for use as a blanket chest,
etc. Any number of materials can be used to reline but plain paper, wallpaper, fabric, and cedar paneling are
the usual choices.
First scrape the old paper out with a paint scraper. It helps to wet the old paper down with a spray bottle
and water. Next if there are any gaps running the length of the trunk, glue down a 1-1/2" strip of thin fabric
material over them. Linen fabric works really well for this.
If you choose wallpaper, save yourself a lot of bother and try not to use solid vinyl paper. It is difficult to
work with and because of the many lap joints is difficult to get to stay glued in the corners. Try to reline
with thin vinyl coated wallpaper or plain paper wallpaper instead.
The procedure is: cut each piece to fit with 1/2" extra at the corners and reline the ends - first, front and
back - second, and bottom/top - last. Make sure the wood on the inside of the trunk is sealed and use
white glue to paste it in.
Plain paper is my choice for relining. I use unprinted newsprint and age ( antique) the paper after it drys with a
tea stain. Use the same procedure as with wallpaper.
You may also re-line a trunk with cloth material. When lining in cloth be sure to glue the cloth to a poster
board backer first before gluing into the trunk. Cut the poster board to size for each surface before
gluing on the cloth, then glue the poster board/cloth assembly into the trunk. Use 3M spray glue for this.
If you are good at wood working and don't mind the added weight of cedar, try lining the trunk with cedar
paneling. You can find cedar paneling at almost any Home Improvement store in a bundle. It is the same
material used to line your clothes closet. Keep in mind that if your trunk has a tray and you reline
completely in cedar, the tray will not fit any longer because the cedar will make the trunk smaller on the
inside. Find a good woodworker to reduce the size of the tray so that it fits inside your trunk again.
Any trays should be relined completely with plain paper or wallpaper along with the inside of the trunk.
Remember to have fun and not to rush, give things time to dry completely before moving on to the next
phase and if you just can't seem to get it finished, we are always here to help or complete your restoration!
Gary - Owner - Shenandoah Antique Restoration
Shenandoah Antique Restoration
Helpful hints and trunk tricks of the trade
Helpful hints and trunk tricks of the trade
TAck lifter
End nipper pliers
A correctly clinched trunk
nail,curled into the wood---------->
nail,curled into the wood---------->
An incorrectly clinched trunk
nail, bent over at 90 deg.
<---------------------------
nail, bent over at 90 deg.
<---------------------------