Reconditioining the smell on a 1935 wood tool box

[Brian Runau]

My father made this in high school circa 1938 and used it a while when he was a machinist. Very musty old oil smell on the inside drawers. Looking for ideas to remove some of the odor without damaging it. thanks for any suggestions. Can i fill the drawers with baking soda and let it sit for a while? Brian

469063 469064

[Warren Lake]

try coffee, some car detailers use it. The old guy gave me his roll around, open a drawer now damp location and the mold smell can take your breath away.

this all reminds me of the old Navy guy who rubbed limbuger cheese in the bottom of their tool box drawers and he drove one employee nuts who took it all apart and washed it then did it again not knowing the bottom of the drawers was the scene of the crime.

[Lee Schierer]

You could buff the inside of the drawers with a scotchbrite pad to remove the surface oil and crud. It won't remove the wood if you do it by hand.

[Andrew Hughes]

Warren has the answer coffee grounds after that and some cleaning Shellac.
Cool piece to have.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Get a rattle can of Zinsser Shellac and give it a very light mist coat everywhere inside.

Yes - baking soda. coffee grounds (unused) and charcoal - all will help remove odors. Try them prior to the mist coat of shellac.
Unless there are big gobs of goo on the insides - I'd just leave that alone and spray over it. The shellac shouldn't have any problems with that since all you are doing is a mist coat.

[Tom M King]

This stuff will remove old house odors, and old book odors, to the point that there is no smell. It's non-staining too. I use a Ryobi mister, and mist everything in old houses, including in closed up book cases, furniture, rugs, china cabinets. I don't keep it off anything. People can't believe the difference. It seems to last too. You can walk in the old houses I look after, and there is no odor. The air even feels fresh.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FJPWZRF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

That was the first thing I tried in the mister, and never wanted to even try anything else.

[Lon Crosby]

Stick it in large plastic bag with a small ozone generator. Std approach for motel rooms, used car dealers and more.

[Brian Runau]

Warren has the answer coffee grounds after that and some cleaning Shellac.
Cool piece to have.

What is cleaning shellac? Thanks brian

[Rich Engelhardt]

coffee grounds after that and some cleaning Shellac.

As in, first you use coffee grounds, then after that, you do some cleaning and after the cleaning, you use shellac.

[Rob Luter]

Wash it with Murphy's oil soap and rinse well. Use paper towel to absorb any remaining water. It will not harm the wood. After it has air dried overnight, hit the drawer insides with a coat of shellac.

[Mike Stelts]

Don't forget the power of the sun. We removed the smoke smell from a sofa that was in a house fire by leaving it in the (summer) sun for a few days.