How Do You Refinish a Storage Trunk

1 Clean the Chest Up. Place the chest on a work surface at about waist height. … 2 Remove the Hardware. Use a screwdriver to remove hinges and latches. … 3 Repair Cracks + Splinters. … 4 Fill Dents + Scratches. … 5 Sand the Chest. … 6 Nooks + Crannies. … 7 Final Sanding. … 8 Wipe On, Wipe Off.

How do you restore a storage trunk?

1. Put protective gear on before starting. …
2. Clean the trunk to remove all dirt, dust and grime. …
3. Remove old finish or paint with a paint scraper. …
4. Look for gouges or scratches. …
5. Remove any metal pieces on the trunk. …
6. Remove rust and grime from the metal using steel wool. …
7. Sand the entire trunk. …
8. Use a dry cloth to dust the wood.

How do you restore old rusted metal trunks?

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.