Preparing the Old Trunk

• 1). Spray trunk's exterior with cleaner. Use a damp sponge to clean away surface dirt. Towel dry.
  
  
• 2). Remove rust by rubbing with damp steel wool, in circular motions, until removed. Change the steel wool frequently. Add a squirt of rust removal cream to the steel wool if the rust is difficult.
  
  
• 3). Wrap medium grit sandpaper around a sanding block. Sand the exterior wood in a back and forth motion until smooth.
  
  
• 4). Fill holes in the wood with wood putty. Smooth the excess away with your fingers. Wipe smooth with the edge of a putty knife. Allow the putty to dry. Putty shrinks once dry, add additional layers of putty to attain an even surface.
  
  
• 5). Sand the dry putty until smooth with medium grit sandpaper wrapped around a sanding block. If staining the trunk, verify your putty is stainable. All wood putty can be painted. Once the putty is dry, use a damp towel to brush away sandings.
  
  

Painting the Old Trunk

• 1). Cover metal with a metal primer using a paintbrush.
  
  
• 2). Paint the trunk with a wood sealant. Allow sealant to dry.
  
  
• 3). Paint the trunk with acrylic or latex paints. Allow paint to dry. Stenciled or freehand images can be painted on top of a base coat.
  
  
• 4). Spray with a clear coat of spray paint in a well ventilated area. Allow the paint to dry.
  
  

Staining the Old Trunk

• 1). Fill a coffee can 1/4 full of tung oil. Fill the can 1/4 full of mineral spirits. According to Brettuns Village, some hardware stores sell pre-mixed tung oil and mineral spirits. Trunk and furniture makers used tung oil in the 19th century.
  
  
• 2). Pour three tablespoons of solvent-based stain into the tung oil/mineral spirit mix. According to Brettuns Village, you can stain/refurbish most trunks with a half a coffee can of the mixture. Water-based stain will not mix into the solution.
  
  
• 3). Stir with a wood stirring stick. Look at the color on the stick. Add more stain to the mixture until you achieve the desired color. Brettuns Village prefers golden oak stain.
  
  
• 4). Paint the stain onto the wood with a paintbrush. Use a rag to wipe away any drips. Allow the trunk to air dry.
  
  

Deodorizing the Old Trunk

• 1). Tear out any fabric lining that smells bad. For paper lining, wet a sponge and wipe the interior. Use a paint scraper to scrape out paper and the dried glue. According to Brettuns Village, the glue in old trunks is called mucilage and was made from horse by-products. Allow the interior to air dry for about 24-hours.
  
  
• 2). Place an open bag of cat litter inside and close the trunk. Leave it for a week. The litter will absorb odors.
  
  
• 3). Sand the trunk's interior with a piece of medium grit sandpaper until smooth.