My buddy gave me his dad's Gerstner chest that he inherited over 50 years ago. It had been sitting in a corner of his basement all that time and when I mentioned that I need a project, and that chest would be fun, he gave it to me. It's a Model 42 from the 1942-1948 era. It was in rough shape but it would be great for my knife and watch collections. I was lucky that all the hardware was intact and none of the drawers were missing or damaged.
I knew I couldn't make it look like new, nor did I want to, so I opted for a refresh rather than a restoration. I started with mineral spirits to get most of the dirty oil off it. Then followed with Simple Green, then denatured alcohol which left some haze all over the finish. Finally I rubbed it down with Minwax Wiping Poly using a brass wire brush to really work it into the grain. I cleaned the hardware with a buffing wheel and Flitz metal polish. I replaced the weathered green felt with fresh burgundy felt, and used leather for the work area of the drop down front---the leather is better for tiny watch screws that could get snagged in felt.
The last thing was to replace the broken key and the rusted springs in all the latches. Gerstner was able to supply these bits for an outrageous $52 but I wanted it done and complete. The latch springs had all broken over the years and surprisingly are replaceable. The Gertsner site has a video showing the procedure with channellock pliers and shims but I couldn't get them in as described. I found it much easier to press them in with a straight bit using my drill press. Overall I felt some accomplishment and my buddy is thrilled that his vintage chest found a new home.
I knew I couldn't make it look like new, nor did I want to, so I opted for a refresh rather than a restoration. I started with mineral spirits to get most of the dirty oil off it. Then followed with Simple Green, then denatured alcohol which left some haze all over the finish. Finally I rubbed it down with Minwax Wiping Poly using a brass wire brush to really work it into the grain. I cleaned the hardware with a buffing wheel and Flitz metal polish. I replaced the weathered green felt with fresh burgundy felt, and used leather for the work area of the drop down front---the leather is better for tiny watch screws that could get snagged in felt.
The last thing was to replace the broken key and the rusted springs in all the latches. Gerstner was able to supply these bits for an outrageous $52 but I wanted it done and complete. The latch springs had all broken over the years and surprisingly are replaceable. The Gertsner site has a video showing the procedure with channellock pliers and shims but I couldn't get them in as described. I found it much easier to press them in with a straight bit using my drill press. Overall I felt some accomplishment and my buddy is thrilled that his vintage chest found a new home.
