A family member recently found out I have been restoring trunks and furniture for a hobby, and they remembered that their mother had an old trunk in the basement. As you can see, it had dwindled from a pristine trunk that carried an entire families possessions from Liverpool England to Boston, MA to a weak, fragile coffin-like box. After weeks of considering if it was even worth bringing back to life I decided to take on the task of revival.

Step 1: A Brief History...

This trunk contained belongings of the family of George Abbot James when their family traveled from London to Boston in 1867 on a ship called the "Asia". There was an old envelope attached to the back of the trunk with writing saying so. The "Asia" did many trans-Atlantic passages in the 1800's bringing families seeking a new life in America. You can see this envelope in the photos attached. The envelope has been framed and preserved.

Step 2: Removing Dry, Flaking, Outer Layer of "skin"...

To remove this heavy layer of crusty, dry paper-like material I used paint scrapers, putty knifes, razor blades, Dewalt Orbital sander, and sanding blocks.

Step 3: Salvaging As Much As Possible...

On all projects I take on, preserving the originality of a piece is crucial. Salvage as much original character as possible. Instead of trying to refurbish the outside in a fashion that would suit the time period it was created, I decided to sand it (deWalt orbital Sander, various grit sandpapers) completely and stain the trunk a unique color and top coat the trunk with a MinWax clear satin poly.

Step 4: Salvaging Cont...

Every single original nail was salvaged. Newer more modern nails were used, however, in some places just for strength purposes, and they were distressed to match the look of the older nails. The older nails were polished with Stove Black polish. To anyone who has never used StoveBlack polish I highly recommend it. It works wonders on restoring old metal but leaving that original distressed look. The original metal banding on the front, back and sides of the trunk was unable to be salvaged, which was too bad. It was too rough, sharp, broken, and too much of a hazard. Instead, I cut thin strips of pine to the same dimensions of the metal banding.

Step 5: Mimic the Original Look...

The original pins surrounding the lid of the trunk were very fragile. Unfortunately, once again, I had to go to plan B. I removed all the pinheads and then the pins because they were just so loose. I sanded over the old holes and purchased to newer upholstery pins to match the pre-existing ones.

Step 6: Stove Black!

Once again, Stove Black comes in to save the day. The metal banding on the corners of the trunk was able to be refurbished. Just dip the the corner of a rag into the stove black and start rubbing! Rub it on with a rag and rub it off with a clean cloth. To get into the small crevices I used the small paint brush and a toothbrush.

Step 7: Staining...

I originally chose a a light Walnut Stain. However upon staring at it for a few days, I convinced myself to do a second coat with a darker hue to it. I mixed a few leftover stains I had and BOOM! I got a great Mahogany/Cedar/Walnut custom combination stain. It was applied with a paint brush and then wiped immediately after with a rag. Two coats of clear satin polyeurathane was then applied. The last thing I added were wheels. This trunk is awfully heavy and after it gets filled with belongings it's only going to be heavier.

Step 8: Interior Design...

The interior had some cool newspaper clipping from WWII along with some cracking and peeling paper lining it. The interior was completely sanded yet again with the DeWalt sander and also by hand with sandpaper. This is when things got fun. My friend offered me some "Regal" green fabric and I began making panels to line the inside. Each panel consists of 1/4" Luan plywood sprayed with fabric adhesive and then I laid a piece of fabric of the luan. The fabric was then smoothed out and folded. The inside of the lid was done in the same fashion but with smaller strips. I decided to get funky and alternate between dark and light colors on the top.

Step 9: Revel in Your Success...

After many hours it's finally time to sit back and enjoy the piece of history you have brought life back to. It may not be 100% original, but it is able to be viewed in a different light now perhaps. Instead of rotting and withering away in a dark, wet basement, it is now able to be used practically again for storage. Indeed a lot of storage space as it measures 4' wide by 3' tall by 2' deep. Cheers!