Repairing a Travel Chest

Vintage travel chests make great repair projects because they can be used as storage and decor items in your home. This can be a confusing project because of the unique construction used to build travel chests.  I'll walk you through how I repaired this travel chest/steamer trunk so you can understand the techniques and hardware to be successful in your own repair project. If you prefer to watch how this is done, click on the following Fixing Furniture video.

Be aware, there are some travel chests that are very valuable. The approach I'm using on this project would ruin the value of a Louis Vuitton travel chest for example.  The chest that I'm working on is very damaged and isn't a valuable piece.  I suggest doing some research before beginning any repair work.

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 Travel Chest

The canvas that protects the outside of the travel chest 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 chest, which would give the restored chest 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 interior chest liner, but before I do that, let me explain how trunk nails and trunk tacks work.

Understanding Nails and Tacks for Travel Chests

A travel chest is made from thin boards, so there isn't much wood for nails to grab on to.  A travel chest nail is unique, as it's designed to be bent on the inside of the chest.  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.

To remove the travel chest nails, I need to access them from the inside of the chest.  That means, removing the interior chest liner, which in this case is paper. The photos below shows chest nails from the handle loops on the end of the chest.

How to Remove Travel Chest Paper Liner

The paper liner on the inside of the travel chest is applied with wallpaper paste.  The liner in this chest is falling apart, but it doesn't come off easily.  The best way to remove the paper liner is to use a wallpaper steamer.  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 interior chest paper, the wood needs to dry out before finishing the inside.

How to Repair Broken Wood on the Travel Chest

There are a few pieces of split wood on the travel chest.  It's important to repair these to restore the strength of the chest.  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.

Finishing the Wood on the Travel Chest

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 travel chest, 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). I also scraped and sanded the inside of the travel chest 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 allows the adhesive-backed trunk liner paper to stick better than it would to bare wood.

Best Way to Install Travel Chest Nails

Installing travel chest nails is a unique process. I held the head of a small sledge hammer tight on the inside of the chest where the nail would come through. The result is a tight-fitting bent nail. If you try to drive in the nail and bend it after, the nail will be loose.

Finishing the Travel Chest

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 chest.  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. Watch the video to see how it's done.

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.

I hope you found this helpful.  If you're interested in learning how to repair furniture, take a look at our furniture repair courses and our Fixing Furniture Community.

Author: Scott Bennett, Co-owner, Wooden It Be Nice - Furniture Repair