Posted 11 years ago
laniebug
(1 item)
Does anyone know about this trunk ??? I've been cleaning it up after I found it thrown out by the curb . It is missing one of the casters and it's a little beat up but I love it .
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Posted 11 years ago
laniebug
(1 item)
Does anyone know about this trunk ??? I've been cleaning it up after I found it thrown out by the curb . It is missing one of the casters and it's a little beat up but I love it .
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That is a fabulous curb find. Probably a 1890 -1910 dome top trunk. Two unique features of this one is the fact that the tin has not be painted or embossed which is highly unusual. Also the fingering pieces at the edges are a unique design and they appear to be cast iron. How rare is it to find a trunk with a key on the curb!!! Unfortunately without a label it will be most difficult to find our who made it due to the plethora of makers at the time who bought common parts for their trunks. Welcome to CW and thank you for the post -- great to see!
Thank you Trunkman .
I wonder if maybe the lock would be able to help me narrow down the date ???
Yea when I saw it laying out there on the curb I freaked out in disbelief . Score for this girl ...
I don't believe it was painted just very rusty
supertrunk!!
That is a beauty. I believe the pattern on the slat clamps is called dogwood. Although I am not a lock expert, I expect some wd 40 would do it some good. Does it work easily? If not, lubrication would help.
Yes the lock works ... Any idea on the best wood cleaner and tin polish ? Or do I leave it as is ? I really just want to get most of the rust off and have been using c.l.r and baking soda to make a paste and scrubbing my arms off ha ha , I hope that that is the right way to clean it without damaging it ????
First timer here with this project , any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)
Thank you all and have a great day !
I think that the fine steel wool is the best. Don't know what clr is. Some have recomended a product like naval jelly for rust but others are against chemicals. When it is cleaned to your satisfaction it will need to be sealed or oiled to prevent further rusting and foil your hard work. There is, again, contraversy on what to use to accomplish this. It all sounds like fun to me.
Tung oil is your friend.
Thank you trunkingforfun and passion4trunks
I would wipe the wood down with a damp cloth then apply some oil. I wouldn't touch the tinwork. You will loose the patina. Very nice trunk.
Thank you RonM...
While cleaning it up today I came across brown paint on the one side of this trunk ? like I said before I'm new at this and not sure what to do about the paint issue ? Do I clean it and repaint ? Do I even clean the rust off ? What's the best way to clean it anyways grrr
Thanks to all for any input on this .
There are some who abhor paint at all costs. I believe this should be determined on a case by case basis. My usual wish is to return the piece to as original as possible without replacing lots of parts. If it were me, I would likely try to remove the paint but first in place not readily seen so as to quit if I wasn't crazy about the result. Really just have fun with it.
Sometimes with old metal I clean the dirt off of it and wipe it down with a light oil to give it a little shine,but retain the patina,same as on the wood.Just having fun with it sounds the best.
Hello, what a great find! Amazing that people still throw out things like this. This style trunk was called a Cross Slat Barrel top trunk in the old trunk catalogs. They didn't use the name dome top back when these were made. It is a trunk from the 1890's to early 1910's per a variety of old trunk catalogs I've collected over the years. I prefer cleaning the metal with fine steel wool also and don't like to use corrosive chemicals. If you do, make sure to clean them well after use, such as with the clr. Tung oil varnish is a good treatment and preservative which can be used on the wood and metal after it is cleaned. It doesn't leave an oily film like rubbing oil on it would. Enjoy your trunk!