Hello Folks,

I just purchased an old wooden tool chest. Classic, 4-board chest with 2-board lid and inside tray. Ship’s handles and big hinges, pine and nails. The bad news? It has been closed for some time and is mildewy inside, the lid has a big (motor or other) oil stain on it, there are some oil splotches inside together with the midewe and spider’s cocoons.

When I cleaned teak brightwork on boats in the seventies, I used Tip Top Teak Crystals (some sort of crystalline bleach mixture), water and a scrub brush to scrub and bleach the grayed-out teak. Once done I would oil it to a warm reddish-brown tone of luxury. Boat owners were always willing to pay those bills.

So I am tempted to do the same thing here, but worried about saturating the pine with water. All the pieces are there and relatively well-aligned, so I am not too worried about stuff veering off into space. I thought I would bleach the wood, let it dry, then use Tried and True Linseed oil. Do any of you see dangers I am too ignorant to see on my own?

Thank you,

Lawrie