How to Clean and Restore an Old Rustic Wooden Box . The utilitarian crates have weathered some heavy use and emerged to a new incarnation as decor in your home. It’s a win- win; you keep them from the landfill, and they keep loose objects from cluttering up your house or getting lost. Even the most beat- up box will have some part worth saving; the best of the boxes need little more than a quick scrub to be ready for their new roles. Rustic Box Rescue 1. Wooden boxes designed for transport get banged up, splintered, dusty, dirty and stained. Wipe them down to remove dirt, spills or powdered chemicals and use medium- and fine- grit sandpaper to remove any rough sections.
Check for loose boards and shore up any weak spots with metal braces or wood glue and clamps. Scrubbing or light sanding may remove marks and stains, but wood stain - - traditional or color- tinted - - or paint masks glaring imperfections. A coat or two of linseed oil evens out mismatched wood tones and protects the box. Alternatively, clear lacquer or polyurethane provides a strong protective finish, some moisture- proofing and an easy, wipe- down surface.
Under the Counter. Hunt for old wooden boxes, with large colorful labels intact, at country green markets and city flea markets.
Shipping boxes for fruit, tea, cigars, colas and other consumer goods may still have vintage labels that served as advertising and now look like posters from a forgotten time. Clean them carefully, repair any tears or punctures with school glue, and spray or paint them with at least two coats of clear polyurethane for protection. Then determine what storage items for the kitchen or pantry each can hold and build a frame to house the boxes as pull- out drawers, each with its own cubby, labels facing out. Your reclaimed storage unit is a work of visual art and a sturdy home for cleaning supplies, baking cookware, stockpiled food cans or other necessities. Top the unit with a slab of butcher block to make a harmonious melange of woods, a work- storage area and vivid decor. The Good Bits. Mix and match salvageable pieces from a variety of old wooden boxes to make a bespoke cupboard for kitchen or dining room display.
Carefully remove undamaged panels from discarded wine, soda or produce crates, saving the pieces with interesting stamped designs or typography. Reassemble the pieces into an open shelf with compartments to hold individual mugs, glasses, spice containers or other groups of like objects. Make a plate rack with vertical dowels and short lengths of molding to keep plates from sliding out. Use the box that’s mostly or entirely intact as the base for the shelves and experiment to place the most interesting salvaged panels where the designs on them will be visible once the piece is mounted on a wall or placed on a counter.
Wheeled and Mounted. Wipe down, minimally sand and don’t fuss too much over old rustic boxes as you turn them into eclectic decor. Add casters to the bottom of a fruit crate for rolling storage that contains kids’ blocks in the playroom or rain boots in the hallway. Arrange a series of crates in a line along the wall over a desk or a sofa for a shelf system to hold photographs, collectibles, office supplies or light electronics and chargers.
Stack cleaned, braced and de- splintered boxes in an alcove or against a bare wall for a casual bookcase; securing a tall construction to the wall with braces keeps your haphazard, “found” library wall from tumbling down. About the Author. Benna Crawford has been a journalist and New York- based writer since 1. Her work has appeared in USA Today, the San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, and in professional journals and trade publications. Crawford has a degree in theater, is a certified Prana Yoga instructor, and writes about fitness, performing and decorative arts, culture, sports, business and education . Photo Credits. Hemera Technologies/Photos.
Intro: Restore a rusty toolbox. I recently picked up a rusty old toolbox for a few dollars at a thrift store.It was structurally solid and didn't technically need any work to make it. Some common household and shop items can turn your rusty planes into. Now grab a plastic container deep enough to fully submerge the tool or. I restore old planes and buy.
How to Clean and Restore a Socket Set. Dirty or rusty sockets and wrenches do not work as well. Finding socket sets on eBay is a great way to build your tool box at a reasonable price. Repainting an old Tool box 26 posts. The thing is the toolbox is a bit rusty in places and the paint has cracked all over the back. There are a bunch of folks there that restore old tool boxes, vises, machine.
This allows you to restore rusty surfaces without. The Rust Doctor Ambulance will travel. I put a brush in my Makita and cleaned off all the dirt and grime and then hit it with the Rust Doctor. The rusty areas turned.
Save your rusty tools with. Learn to restore all your tool and drill batteries to. Barns Garage Garage House Garage Shop Organization Garage Tool Chest Organization Ideas Mechanic Tool Box Organization Tool Storage Tools. How can I repair rusty tools? To clean old rusty tools, old shears. Store in a dry tool box with silica gel; cat litter also works to keep them dry.