How to Restore a Steamer Trunk

Steamer Trunk -

How to Restore a Steamer Trunk

By Scott Bennett, Co-owner, Wooden It Be Nice Inc.

Vintage steamer trunks make great restoration projects because there are a lot of them available and they make great storage and decor items for your home. This can be a confusing restoration project, so I walk you through how I restored this vintage steamer trunk. If you prefer to watch how this is done, click on the following Fixing Furniture video.  A list of supplies and tools are provided below.

Be aware, there are some steamer trunks that are very valuable. The approach I'm using on this steamer trunk would ruin the value of a Louis Vuitton steamer trunk for example.  The steamer trunk that I'm working on is very damaged and isn't a valuable piece.  I suggest doing some research before deciding what work you would like to do on your steamer trunk.

How to Remove Paint from Wood Slats

The first step in this project, before removing any of the outside canvas, is to remove the paint on the wood slats. If you've never stripped paint from a piece of furniture or millwork, make sure you read the instructions on the paint stripper you have and wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect your health and safety.

I applied the paint stripper with a brush and let it sit as per the directions for the paint stripper. After scrubbing off the paint with steel wool, I applied one more coat of stripper to take off the remaining residue.

How to Remove Canvas on a Steamer Trunk

The canvas that protects the outside of the steamer trunk was very worn and damaged. Someone had repaired it in the past, and the repair was failing. I decided to remove the canvas from the outside of the trunk, which would give the restored trunk a warm wood look.  Using a brand new blade in a utility knife, I cut off the canvas by tracing the edges with knife.  The canvas peeled off easily.

The next thing I need to do is remove the trunk liner, but before I do that, let me explain how trunk nails and trunk tack work.

Understanding Nails and Tacks for Steamer Trunks

Steamer Trunk Lock

A steamer trunk is made from thin boards, so there isn't much wood for nails to grab on to.  A steamer trunk nail is unique as it's designed to be bent on the inside of the trunk.  Nails are used to hold on hardware, where structure is needed.  Tacks are shorter than nails and are used to hold on decorative elements such as metal corners or embellishments.

You can purchase steamer trunk nails and tacks at Kennedy Hardware, our YouTube channel sponsor.

To remove the steamer trunk nails, I need to access them from the inside of the trunk.  That means, removing the trunk liner, which in this case is paper.

How to Remove Steamer Trunk Paper Liner

The paper liner on the inside of the steamer trunk is applied with wallpaper paste.  The liner in this trunk is falling apart, but it doesn't come off easily.  The best way to remove the paper liner is to use a wallpaper steamer (see link in supplies & tools list below).  As you can see in the video, it is very efficient at soaking and heating the paper so it can be lifted off with a putty knife.

After removing the trunk paper, the wood needs to dry out.  While that happens, I unbend the trunk nails where I need to replace the broken trunk lid and remove the trunk latches.  I also remove the trunk handle loops as I need to replace the broken leather trunk handles.

How to Repair Broken Wood on the Steamer Trunk

There are a few pieces of split wood on the steamer trunk.  It's important to repair these to restore the strength of the trunk.  As I teach in our YouTube videos, there are specific glues that should and should not be used when repairing wood.  For split wood where the wood won't come together with clamps, I use epoxy as it's the only adhesive that will hold when there's a gap.  For the areas where the wood does come together when clamped, I use PVA (aka carpenter's glue) for a strong permanent bond.

After the adhesives are dried and cured to full strength, I move on to staining the outside.

Finishing the Wood on the Steamer Trunk

It's important to remove any old adhesive from the wood before staining, otherwise it will look blotchy. I scrape the wood where I removed the canvas with a paint scraper, followed by 120 grit sandpaper.  I then apply a coat of water-based stain and let it dry.

To protect the wood on the outside of the steamer trunk, I use shellac.  It's one of the easiest finishes to use and it's less toxic than other types of protective finishes.  Another advantage of shellac is that it dries quickly so after I finish applying the first coat, I immediately start the second coat.  I leave it for a few hours and then rub it down with 0000 steel wool and dark wax to smooth it out and remove some of the sheen (shiny look).

Sealing the Smell on the Inside of the Trunk

I also scraped and sanded the inside of the steamer trunk to prepare it for the new liner.  There was a terrible smell of mothballs so I sealed it with two coats of shellac.  The smoother shellac surface also makes adhering the adhesive backed trunk liner paper easier as it sticks better than to bare wood.

Best Way to Install Steamer Trunk Nails

After some experimentation with installing a nail and then bending it on the inside, I decided to try a technique I had read about.  I held the head of a small sledge hammer tight on the inside of the trunk where the nail would come through.  I then drove the nail through the trunk and into the side of the sledge hammer.  It turned out much better than before, giving a tighter hold compared to bending the nail over with a hammer.

Finishing the Steamer Trunk

Steamer Trunk Liner Paper

With all the hardware repairs done, it's time to line the trunk and apply a finish to the wood.  I chose to use an adhesive-backed trunk liner to make the repair easier.  This works like cupboard shelf liner.  I start by measuring pieces for the bottom and leave a little to go up the sides of the trunk.  Once installed, I then move up the front and back sides, overlapping the edges from the liner on the bottom - that way the paper won't get torn when in use.  I finish the lining by installing the liner on the ends, which are smaller pieces and easier to do the final fitting.

The last part is installing the lid stay so the lid won't fall down on someone.  It's a simple device held on with two screws, but it's an important part.

Supplies & Tools

I hope you found this helpful.  If you're interested in learning about furniture restoration, see our resources on https://www.fixingfurniture.com

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