Here it is in all it’s rusty glory!
Ok, I blogged about this great find earlier last week. We drove up to Lincoln to get this and planned to clean it all up and turn it into a wine cabinet or tea cabinet. The first step you must complete when dealing with old appliances is to strip it down to bare metal.
Click on images to enlarge:
- The best tools for stripping an appliance when doing it yourself is a paint brush, scraper, and steel wool to loosen stubborn paint.
AARRRGGGGGHHH! I am finally done stripping this thing!
- After the stripping was complete I wiped down all the surfaces with a wet cloth to remove any surface debris. Here it is after the primer was applied.
Here it is all painted and with the newly refinished feet attached.
As you can see I painted the doors and laid them out to dry in the sun.
I applied the refinished hardware after the paint dried.
So after 4 days of scraping, cleaning and degreasing this appliance it is done. I think it turned out great!
I hope you think it looks good too! On to the next piece.
It looks stunning – of course! Question….did you use a chemical to help strip it? And, how did you restore the old hardware? Did you use regular primer on the entire piece or a special one for metal? Great job kiddo, as usual! It was so good to see you & the adorable Mz. Kitty today if only for a short time. I worked on getting the space with the cabinet looking great – till 4 o’clock! It is such a stunning piece & was already getting a LOT of attention. I’m so glad to have it back in the store. It’s a show stopper for sure!
Thanks Vic.
I used a chemical stripper sold at Lowes. The hardware refinish was accomplished by grinding off any corrosion and then painting them a rich antique gold color. I used primer approved for all metals. It was really great seeing the both of you today as well. I am glad you are satisfied having the hutch back. I will blog about our new hutch tomorrow.
Great job…..as always !!!!
Thanks Frank I really appreciate it!
Hepcat – Your restoration skills are incredible! Would love to see a post that discusses how you obtained the skills/knowledge to do this work…or is it just a hobby during your free time? Regardless, your talent for this is amazing.
Thanks Frugale_Femme. I just posted a response to your question on the main page. Thanks so much for the support and taking an interest.
I almost sold my ice box at my yard sale this weekend! Glad I didn’t because after stumbling upon your site I have decided to bring it back to life!!!
I am soo glad I inspired you to restore it. These usually turn out nice and can be used for almost anything. Best of luck on your resto!
THank you! I will do taking before/after pictures!
I just purchased an old icebox that looks similar to this one. I don’t see a manufacturer on it–the only thing is on the back a stamp that says 522 and GREEN AND IVORY–and then there’s a handwritten number which looks like G-31. Do you have any resources that you’re willing to share on where to research these–I’m trying to determine it’s age and worth prior to having it refinished. I paid 85.00 for it. Thank you!