Metal Steamer Trunk Restoration

I prefer to work with aluminum flashing for this type of work.

Metal steamer trunk restoration. My goal was to restore the piece to look original again. The next step is to restore and seal the wood using special non toxic restorative oils and varnishes in a slow repetitive manner to bring out the beautiful luster and patina that only 100 year old wood can achieve. Scrape old paper from the inside of the steamer trunk with a putty knife and remove excess glue using a spray bottle with water and vinegar mixture. So i chose to use a metallic paint for the metal parts of the trunk.

Step 2 most steamer trunks have tin on the exterior and wood slats. Now that the inside is all cleaned up and the handles are removed i am ready to go back to the exterior. The last step is to bring back to the original color the metal hardware fixtures and any sheathing. Especially on the metal areas since the product does not absorb into the metal.

But here s a fun fact. We have a good selection of metal accessories to protect decorate your antique trunk including pressed metal corner metal dust banding and sheet brass. Restoring a vintage steamer trunk. Apply and buff well where it s very dirty to remove the oxidation from metal and remove dirt and debris.

Removing the old material covering. It is cheap readily available and very soft but not to soft. Trunk restoration is a combination of wood working metal craft and leather work so it helps to have some experience in all three fields. Materials for restoring a vintage steamer trunk linseed oil old rag 2 screws steel wool fine grit sandpaper foam brushes scraper polyurethane optional.

Several types of sheet metal for steamer trunk fabrication and repair. Use a putty knife to remove old paper from the inside of a steamer trunk. Restored a rusty steamer trunk with muriatic acid from walrmart for 6. The hardest part of the entire project is in the preparation of the piece.