Refinishing an Old Wood Box

I love wandering through flea markets, going garage sale hopping, and scouring through thrift stores when I have the time; I’ve found some real treasures along the way. A couple of years ago I posted a cool flea market table that I got for a steal and refinished. It was the first piece I’d ever fully transformed from start to finish and I was thrilled with the results. That table still sits proudly in my living room.

A couple of years ago I found this cool little wood box at a flea market and knew I could transform it into a handsome box for my husband. As it happened though, this little box sat unfinished until I finally decided to tackle it a few weeks ago.

As you can see, it had oil stains on the top and inside the box that I knew went deep and would not sand out, so I decided to stain the exterior a rich coffee color. I really wanted the beauty of the wood kept in the interior plus I wanted to add some contrast, so I chose to stain the interior a lighter color. This didn’t completely cover the oil stain inside but I think that’s part of what gives this box a little character. The hardware, especially the hinges and screws, were quite rusty so I used a rust remover to clean them up and give them a bit of shine. The handle on the front was also put on a bit wonky, so I knew I’d need to straighten it when I reattached it.

Here are the “before” photos. The rocks in the box are part of another project of mine and this box had become their temporary home.

Here are the photos after removing the hardware and sanding. In the 2nd photo of the front of the box, that’s just a shadow at the bottom. That’s what happens when you take a few quick photos without looking very closely at them afterward.

How to Refinish an Old Vintage Wood Box

• See my final notes at the bottom.
• To begin this project, I carefully removed all of the hardware, which did prove a bit difficult as the screws were pretty rusted.
• I then cleaned the hardware by soaking it all in POR-15 Rust Remover for about 30 minutes. I then rinsed it all under cool water and dried it well.
• I filled in the screw holes on the front of the box with Elmer’s Stainable Wood Filler to be safe, as I knew I was going to be realigning the handle on the front and didn’t want the old holes to possibly show. This took a couple of applications of filling the holes and then using a putty knife to level it off, as wood filler shrinks as it dries.
• Once the wood filler was dry, I started the sanding project with a 120 grit sanding block, being careful to always sand in the direction of the grain. I used a block with angled edges, which made it easier to get into the edges and corners on the interior.
• Once it was well sanded with the 120 grit, I moved through 220 grit, then 400 grit, then 800 grit. Some people might say this is overkill, but I have found I’m a little fussy on the sanding portion and love the smooth finish this gave me.
• I then used a soft towel and denatured alcohol to wipe the box down inside and out, then let it dry completely.
• To prep for staining, I applied Varathane Interior Wood Conditioner, using a soft cloth to apply it just to the interior of the lid and box first. I wanted to stain the interior completely before moving to the exterior. I let the wood conditioner sit for 30 minutes and then began staining.
• To apply the stain, I used sponge applicators with angled tips.
• For the interior stain color, I used Varathane Traditional Pecan, which I’m not even sure is still a current color of theirs, as I’ve had the can for quite some time. I applied one coat, let it sit for few minutes, used a clean lint-free towel to wipe off the excess, let it dry for 2 hours, and then applied a second coat following the same procedure and let it dry overnight.
• Now, because I wanted the interior trim edges to be the darker stain, I had to carefully stain those and then let them dry before I could flip the lid and box over and stain the rest of them.
• For the interior trim edges and exterior, I used a very small sponge applicator to apply Minwax Gel Stain in Coffee, applying it in the same method that I used for the interior.
• Finally, when the edges were dry, I was able to flip the box and lid over and condition and stain the exterior. To do this, I didn’t want to set the now-stained edges on the newspaper I was working on so I used 2 plastic containers to rest each piece on, which “floated” them above the newspaper.
• I applied the wood conditioner and let it set for 30 minutes.
• I stained the exteriors of the lid and box using the same technique as mentioned, once again giving the final coat a chance to dry for 24 hours.
• To seal the stain and protect the finish, I used Varathane Interior Water-Based Polyurethane in semi-gloss.
• When using polyurethane, it’s important to make sure you stir it well before using and it’s always best to pour what you’re going to use into a container as opposed to dipping a brush in and out of the can, so as not to get any dust, debris, or hair into the can.
• Before applying the polyurethane, I used a soft, lint-free cloth to wipe down the box and lid.
• I applied the polyurethane similar to how I stained everything, completing the interior first, though this time I included the interior trim edge pieces, and then, once dry, moved to the exterior.
• For this project, I applied 3 coats of polyurethane allowing 2 hours of drying time in between coats. I didn’t sand in between coats.
• Once the entire box was completed and fully dry, I carefully put the clean hardware back on, using a small level to ensure the handle went back on correctly.

I really love the way the finished box looks and, more importantly, so does my husband.

Isn’t it gorgeous?

Here are a few final notes from this project:

• The outside dimensions of this box are 11.25″ wide x 6.5 deep x 5.25 high
• This was my first time using a gel stain and I’m not sure I love it. It definitely goes on thicker than a standard stain and is, in my opinion, harder and trickier to work with.
• I was careful not to over-sand where the hinges were placed so that there weren’t any issues with them going back on and fitting just like they had.

I had a day or so of indecision as to whether or not to reattach the handle but in the end, I decided the handle was part of its charm; the box didn’t seem the same without it.

There is a huge trend in the last few years to paint everything but I much prefer staining over painting something when you can; with stain, you can still see the beauty of the wood.

I can finally turn this box over to my husband and move on to a new refinishing project, of which I have many on deck. Next on my list is a cool old wood toolbox that I just picked up at a flea market this summer for a whopping $18. I’m excited to start working on it.

Thanks for stopping by and if you have any questions or I was unclear on anything here, please leave a comment and let me know.