TRUNKS

I wrote this article for the Association Of Restorers December 2002 newsletter.

             What's Unique About Restoring Antique Trunks?

My first trunk was purchased at my grandfather's auction in 1970 when he sold out and moved to town.   He said one of his grandmothers had brought it to America in the 1870s.   The sale was a sad day because this farm was the last parcel of an 1812 land grant to the family.   It was a small German trunk made of cardboard decorated with a printed geometric design. The leather latches were gone as well as the leather hinges.   I'm ashamed to say that I haven't restored it yet.   I now understand why cobbler's children have no shoes.

The most desirable trunks in my area are the camel backs.   Generally they are older plus they have a unique character.   I once read that they were made that way so other trunks couldn't be stacked on top of them.   Flat tops are desirable for end tables, coffee tables and such.   Wood trunks generally have a greater value than metal.   The metal trunk with no design and common hardware is in least demand.   It has no eye appeal.   Metal trunks with embossed designs such as acorns are very desirable.   Leather trunks are desirable if in good condition, which is a rarity. Trunks were covered with leather, metal or wood to make them more durable.    Also many people go for the elaborate interiors with umbrella holders, glove holders, hat compartments, lids, lift up latching trays and decorated with vintage prints.   Saratoga style, also known as Jenny Lind, trunks are in demand due to their shape and general elegance. The king of trunks is Louis Vuitton.   Some of them sell for thousands of dollars.   They are still in business today.

Also look for miniature trunks that look exactly like the large ones.   Whether they were made for children or as salesman's samples, they are highly in demand.   These are different that doll trunks, which are also small, but are very flimsy and delicate.   Many collectors seek doll trunks.    I stay away from wardrobe trunks.   They are heavy, large and basically undesirable in my area.   They do make great furniture for a child's room.   They can easily access the hangers and drawers.   Trunks after 1920 were made of plywood and compositions.   They are low quality and usually painted or covered with a linoleum-like material.   There is no demand for them.   Keep in mind that anything bearing the name Louis Vuitton is an exception to these rules. Most of the trunks we see today date from as early as 1840 up to 1920.   Normally you'll find that the fancier the trunk, the older it is.   Some trunk makers used paper labels to identify their products.   I always preserve them and make a copy for myself.

Restoring trunks is rather neat!   You never know what a client is going to bring, or its condition.   I meet clients by appointment only, so I always get a verbal as to type of trunk, age and condition prior to seeing it.   I've had clients describe a nearly mint trunk as “badly in need of restoration”, others described as “a little rough” where all the tin and the bottom plus six inches up each side were rotted away.   My favorite was a person bringing in three trunks.   They were disassembled and in one large cardboard box. Yes, boards and hardware were missing.   I have only refused to restore one trunk.   It had no sentimental value to the owner, was a very common nondescript trunk in such poor condition that the restoration fee would have been three times the cost of buying a restored one.   Nearly all of my work is on family trunks with great sentimental attachment.   People feel guilty for neglecting them for so many years and want to display them and tell the family stories.   The largest trunk I have restored was a dome top European model five feet long and thirty inches tall.    My favorite is the Jenny Lind pictured in the before and after photos.   I had to repair the leather surface, strip paint, make new closure straps, repair the lock, make new nails and rebuild the interior.     Antique trunks come in all sizes, shapes and materials.   Some are solid paper, others solid leather, some plywood covered with asphaltum.   Many are the wood trunks are covered with leather, paper, tin or just natural wood.   Most common are wood trunks covered with canvas.

Every trunk has a unique history.    Many times the restoration client will know the story of their trunk.   Immigrant ancestors brought all their possessions to America in this trunk.   “My grandfather played with Sousa and this was the trunk he used for traveling.” Since it had “J. P. Sousa Band” in large yellow letters on the side of the large red wood trunk, I tended to believe the story. (I also saved all the travel stickers adhered to the outside.)   Most people tell me their trunk was used by immigrant ancestors moving to America.   The part I never tell them is that, in 95% of cases, the trunk was made in this country.   They would never believe me plus it would burst their bubble.   They wouldn't be able to tell a story they knew was no longer true.

Why did I get into trunks? I believe everyone in the Midwest has at least two trunks in their attic or basement rusting and rotting away.   No stripping shops or restoration shops in my area do trunks…too time consuming and too many problems requiring a variety of skills such as fauxing, mold making, metal working and leather craft.   They refer people to me.   Another benefit is their weight and size.   I need no help and they are generally kind to my bad back.   And I like challenges.   Every trunk is different and offers unique challenges requiring many skills.   When I started restoring trunks, I only remember one supplier.   Information on restoration methods was very scant.   I constantly looked at restorations by other people and decided what I thought they did right and wrong and incorporated that knowledge into my procedures.  

My objective when working on a trunk is to make it look like it was maintained in excellent condition.   I do not use gold or brass paint on hardware.   I make every attempt to keep any required replacement parts within the period of the trunk's origin.   If replacement parts are used, I age and distress them to match the existing parts.  

First determine how the client wants his restored trunk to look.   If it is canvas covered and part of the canvas is missing, does he want the canvas repaired?   Most clients want the canvas removed so they can admire the lovely old pine or poplar under it.   Now is the time to determine what lies under the canvas.    My best friend also does trunks.   I will never forget the time he learned that sometimes there is cardboard under the canvas instead of wood.   Yes, he uses lots of water and never wallpapers inside.   I still think of this event almost every time I check under the canvas.   You can also find Masonite and fir plywood.   Neither of there are too great naturally finished, either. I explain to the client what I have found and recommend an appropriate solution.  

Do they want to repair the existing hardware?   I explain up front if I feel the missing hardware cannot be matched, that a broken lock may not be repairable and I may not be able to provide a key for their lock.   Missing snaps and latches on snap latches and locks of early trunks are extremely difficult to match.   I state on the work order that I quite likely will be unable to repair or replace those missing parts so there will be no misunderstandings.   What do they wish to remain unchanged?   I recently replaced a cobbled up lock that was basically just a rusty barn door clasp less than fifty years old.   I bought a trunk with the exact replacement lock (a very rare one) and used the lock to restore her trunk to its original condition.    First thing she noticed was the old clasp was gone.   For some reason she had liked it.   I offered to replace it for her but she decided she liked the new lock.   I would have loved to do it so I could have the lock back!

Is the trunk painted?   How difficult will it be to remove?   If only the canvas is painted and they want the canvas removed, it shouldn't be a big problem, though some paints do soak through the canvas.   If the slats, which are nearly always oak, are painted, it will be more difficult to remove.   Next, evaluate the condition of the trunk. Is any embossed metal damaged or missing?    Do boards have to be replaced?   Is the correct hardware on the trunk? Are any metal corners or cleats missing?   Can you match them?    Is it structurally stable?   Are the bottom rollers loose or missing? How much work is required on the bottom?   What is the condition of the metal?   How many nails are missing?   Are they stock nails or decorative ones that I will have to make?   Are there large straps going around the trunk?   Do they want them removed or replaced?   Are knots missing from boards?   Is the lid lifter gone?   Are the hinges broken or bent?   Does the trunk close properly?   Have bent hinges resulted in the front top edge and sides being chewed away?   I guess by now you have the picture.   Miss any of these items in your quote and you can end up working rather cheaply.  

Now look at the inside.   What does the client want done inside?   Is there a tray to repair?   Is it one of the fancy trays that latches up into the lid and has loads of covered compartments?   Are all the parts there?   Many of these parts have not been reproduced.   I always save the trunk manufacturer's labels and pictures.   Remember that saving a picture in a trunk lid means being very careful when stripping the outside and inside.   The old paper is of such poor quality that just getting it wet causes it to dissolve.   For safety and liability reasons, leather handles will always be replaced.   No trunk leaves my shop without new handles!     Are mildew and odors present?   I use an ionizer on all trunks to kill any mildew present and remove odors.   Now you are ready to give the client a quote for the restoration.   You will always spend about 50% more labor than you plan, so quote it.   There will be many things you missed when preparing the estimate.   I quote a firm restoration fee, usually between $400 and $600 with most being in the $500 range.   A fancy tray needing computer and/or artist reproduced trim and picture repair bring the cost up to the high end.   A faux finish will also cause it to go up.   I have never had someone choose not to have the work done, nor has anyone ever complained of the fee.   I have had people pay me more than I asked when they picked up their trunk.   I guess that expresses their degree of satisfaction.   I use a checklist for preparing estimates.   It includes all the items above, estimated completion date, plus a sample of the wallpaper the client chose.   Oddly enough, most tell me to pick the paper that I feel suits the trunk.

Now you are ready to start the actual work.   Again, evaluate the trunk closely, note the missing parts, check your inventory and put all the needed parts in a receptacle.   You'll place all removed parts and nails in this same receptacle.   It makes life easier to know everything is in one location.   Now is the time to order any parts you don't have on hand.   Van Dykes has the best assortment, but I get the best prices from WSI Distributors and Scott Becker.   Their professional discounts are very generous.   You will need to age any new hardware.   Remove the protective coating with paint remover or lacquer thinner.   Then soak in vinegar or lye solution to further age the shiny new finish.     I also use the brass tarnishing solution I purchase from WSI.   Use heavy rubber gloves, a face shield, rubber apron and have good ventilation.   I sometimes age with an airbrush.   Use the desired colors for several coats to get the look you need.   Use a lacquer base paint so it can dry powdery (hold the airbrush far enough away so the texture is rough enough to match the original hardware with its rust pits).    Before applying any finish, use 3-M pads to match the texture of the new piece to that of the originals.   Don't use steel wool anywhere near the trunk if you plan on using a water based finish.   You'll never be able to prevent rust spots caused by remaining steel wool. Even though water based finishes dry in minutes, the bits of steel wool will still oxidize and leave rust spots in your new finish.   Next spray a thin coat of shellac over the metal to make certain the final finish adheres to the metal.   I then apply a water based finish for protection.   I also prime all bare metal with shellac.

Stripping the old finish and paint is the next chore.   I often remove all paint, varnish and crud with hand held scrapers.   This is the least invasive method.   It's almost a necessity if you have to protect the interior of the trunk.   It really goes quite fast if you know how to use them and keep them sharp.   Chemical strippers can be used by hand. The wood is too dry and too thin to immerse or even flow-over. If you use water inside or outside the trunk, do not dry the trunk in the sun or direct heat!      It will warp and buckle like nothing you have ever seen!   There are always exceptions, but try to use fast-drying solvents for the paint remover wash to prevent distorting the wood.   Water will be necessary for removing wallpaper and its adhesive inside the trunk.   Use a carbide scraper and a spray bottle filled with DIF wallpaper remover to dampen the paper.  The new gel remover works great, too. Wipe up any surplus water immediately.   If you do end up warping some boards, get out the warm water and lots of clamps.   If you end up with splits, go back to your basic woodworking skills-and a hot knife to care for the wide gaps.    On trunks with very wide gaps due to missing wood, I carve a piece of wood to fill the gap, staining it to match the trunk before putting it into place. It often works out better to put the repair strip into place after the outside of the trunk has the first coat of finish on it. After the repair is in place, apply the final coats. This will aid in hiding the restoration.

Remove any broken parts and the handles now.   Do not pull the nails, as this will damage the wood.   I drill the centers out of the nail heads with a bit about the size of the nail shank and drive the nails through to the inside with an ice pick and remove them with nips.   You do not want to make the holes bigger or split the boards.   If the bottom metal is rusted through, I usually just replace it with aluminum, which I paint the original color, usually black.   If any of the metal edge surrounding the bottom edge is broken or rusted through, I also replace it.   I use an aluminum break to get proper corners and edges on the new piece.   If the trunk has embossed metal that is damaged, find a matching pattern location that is not damaged and make a mold.   I use the two component Knead A Mold from Restorers Supplies to make the needed molds.   It is the best product I have found.   It dries quickly, usually within 15 minutes, remains flexible and the mold keeps forever and is easily reused.   I use 5-minute epoxy to cast the missing area.   When it isn't possible to cast it in place, just fill the mold with epoxy and then cut it to fit as soon as it can be handled. The casting will still be very flexible.

Now is a good time to repair or replace the rollers.   I can usually find some old matching ones from my salvaged stock.   If you don't have a match in stock, replace all four of them and age them.   Most likely you will be required to adjust the way they are mounted since some are on the surface, some recessed into the slats while others are mounted on the bottom of the trunk and the slot notched to allow the roller to project through it above the surface of the bottom slat.   

Replacing nails in thin, brittle old wood requires placing them so the square part of the nail shank is perpendicular to the grain of the wood.   If you drive them with the slanted shank parallel to the grain, the nail will act as a wedge causing the board to split every time.  To put it another way, drive the nails or tacks with the wide part of the shank crossing the grain of the wood. Be certain to buy trunk nails and trunk tacks.   Any other kind will be too hard to curl.   Curling the nail is the secret to a secure joint or fastening.   To do this, place an anvil or iron block in the inside of the trunk directly behind the location where you are going to drive the nail.   This will do two things for you.   One, it will make the trunk solid when driving the nail and will prevent additional splitting and damage. Two, the anvil will cause the nail to bend “curl” back into the wood and make a very tight and secure fastening.  

I use epoxy to secure any loose joints that can't be repaired in any other manner.   For example, trunk sides become loose because the sheet metal corner pieces stretch.   Additional nails aren't the answer because they would be visible and ruin the symmetry of the trunk, plus, in most cases, nails won't hold in the old soft wood, since they'd be in a location where you wouldn't be able to "curl" them.   Clean out the paper and dirt from the seam and run a hacksaw blade up and down it several times to remove debris and improve the gluing surface, then blow out the dirt with compressed air.   Before you do this, make certain you have all the clamps you need at hand.   Also verify that the trunk lid will still be correctly aligned and close properly after you glue it up.   Usually gluing up the case and drawing in the front and back and sides will resolve the very common problem where the trunk lid seems to be too small for the trunk.   This problem or bent hinges cause the front of the trunk to be chewed up by the top when it closes and snap locks that can't be secured because the top won't come down far enough.

Now for the finishing.   I try to convince most clients that a natural wood color would be best.   If they have a desire for a particular color or shade, now is the time to apply it.   Remember, this is usually pine, so it will get blotchy if you don't follow proper finishing techniques.   I now use water based finishes.   I add some colorant to them so they don't have the weird “too clear” look.   I seal with shellac before applying the finish.   You can choose a shellac that will give the color you desire.   Go with unwaxed shellac to make certain you don't run into an adhesion problem.  

If the trunk is metal, it most likely had a faux finish when it was new.   The original finish can usually be found in one of three places on a trunk.   Either under the handle caps on the ends of the trunk, under any original wallpaper that was glued over the top edge of the trunk and down the outside surface or inside the lock hole.   Fauxing is my favorite part of trunk restoration.   If the trunk metal has an embossed design, the back ground and the raised design would be contrasting colors.   Go to the same places to see the original colors.  

After the trunk is finished, it is time to apply the handles and lid lifter as well as any other leather straps that are required.   If a special size is required, I design it on my computer, print out the design to size and cut it out of leather.   I find Tandy to be my best leather source, though I have been finding leather at great prices at flea markets.    I fasten the new handles with tee nuts.   They never come loose because I peen the flat head bolts over on the inside of the trunk.   I fasten the lifter and straps and strap keepers with trunk nails like previously described.   The new leather can be aged with dyes and waxes.

Though some restorers use cloth or just sand and finish the inside, I always decorate the interiors with wallpaper since this was the standard interior in nearly 100% of trunks.   The color of the paper is important.   If the outside of the trunk is a dark color, choose a light, bright paper.   If the outside is a light wood color, choose a bright, dark color for accent.   Sand the interior smooth enough that the paper will lay well, but not so smooth that the adhesive can't adhere.   Most trunks will require a double roll of paper.   Add a tray and you'll need another roll.   I put the remainder of the roll in the trunk for the client so it can be used for future repair.   If the trunk is extremely rough inside and has many nails, I may line the trunk with heavy poster board I apply with contact cement.   It makes the interior smooth, prevents any of the nails from discoloring the paper now or in the future, adds strength and makes the interior very suitable for any kind of storage.   A few quality trunks were lined with cardboard when they were manufactured.

It is very difficult to find a paper suitable for trunks.   Vinyls do not look right.   A vinyl coating on paper is acceptable if it looks right to you.   If you notice the paper in old trunks, it is usually a mini-print with a nondescript pattern, often with no obvious repeat.   It will not be lined paper.    Do not pick a paper with lines in the pattern.    No one ever made a square trunk.   It must have been illegal.   Your best bet to find suitable paper is to hit the sleazy discount houses where you will find wallpaper under layers of dust.   The paper will be of better design, it will be paper instead of solid vinyl and the price will be right.   You have to be looking all the time to build an inventory of suitable paper.   I have looked through loads of wallpaper catalogs and have found nothing I considered acceptable for a trunk.   The 1970s and '80s papers were great designs for trunks. This was the age of the country prints-small nondescript, often-unrecognizable tiny designs in great colors.   Today's wallpapers, besides being vinyl, which isn't appropriate, are not old small prints in acceptable color.

I restore both trunks and porcelain.   And I get great satisfaction from both.   Seems like an odd combination, but it works for me!

GLOSSARY:

CORNERS    These cover the ends of the slats and protect the wood and metal.   They are found on all corners, are usually metal but can be found in paper and leather.  

FAUXING    This is the simulated finish on the metal panels of the trunk.   Trunks are usually fauxed in gold or bronze tones.   I have restored both red and blue that were mottled to simulate the old graniteware pots and pans.

LID LIFTER This is a metal or leather device, usually placed above the lock, that is used to lift the lid of the trunk.   The leather ones are always gone.   Usually the metal ones are in place and can be repaired.

ROLLERS These are on the bottom of the trunk to facilitate moving it.   Sometimes large metal studs were used.   Either allows the trunk to slide easily without damaging the bottom of the trunk.

SLATS These are the thin wood strips on the bottom, top, and sides of trunks.   They can run either way.   They are usually Oak because they receive the most abuse.

SLAT CLAMPS    These are thin metal pieces used where slats join other slats on the top and sides of a trunk.   They protect the ends of the slats and are decorative.

SNAP LOCKS These are the latches on the front of the trunk that secure the lid.   They can be a sliding lever mechanism (most desirable) or just a curved metal piece that snaps over a protruding piece of metal on the lid.   Early trunks used leather straps and buckles to keep the lid secured.

TRUNK STAYS   These are the folding metal pieces that support the trunk lid when it is open.

Trunk Restoration Examples

NOTE:

Any information provided here is primarily based on my experience. While I can't guarantee you will obtain the same results, the various procedures should work for you if you follow the precautions before attempting them. For example, determine the type of finish that currently exists before starting any procedure. Always determine the stability the existing finish. If is flaking, it is unstable and either needs to be left alone on a valuable item, or amalgamated or removed if it is a piece that will have a greater value if restored and refinished.

This brings up a very important issue. TV programs such as the Antiques Road Show increase people's awareness that not everything should be restored, and that in cases of valuable items, it will decrease the value considerably. Now, the hard question to answer-what should you leave "as is"? If you are in doubt, contact an expert, knowing that he may charge you several hundred dollars to evaluate the piece. If you buy regularly from a knowledgeable antiques dealer, he may give you an opinion for little or no cost. If the item is one you see at most antique shows and shops, you can bet it is safe to restore it yourself. If it is something you've never seen, and you don't want to hire an appraiser, look for it on the internet and at the public library.

I can tell you some things I don't think you should strip and refinish. These would be furniture with its original paint, even if it is almost half missing. Usually these will be primitive items such as pie safes, cupboards,tables and chairs. Also, the wood beneath the paint will most often be pine, poplar or a mixture of woods.