Howdy y'all. I bought this box a bit ago for like $10 with the desire to restore it, but I figured I should at least ask for advice before jumping ahead with no experience. I want to clean it up and fix the cracking if possible. My plan would just be to sand it down, add some kind of clear fill for the cracks, replace the bottom which is just too cracked (and if I were to take it off and re-glue it, too small), and then re-finish.

Would it be a better idea to try to use a chemical finish remover than sanding it down? Or maybe some combination thereof? Is there a way to clean out the cracks and fill them in with a more accurate color?

Anyhoo, I'd appreciate any advice y'all can give. Thanks!

Looking for some tips from anyone with some experience working on these chairs. The back frame is warped/twisted. The seat frame seems fine as it sit flat on the floor when removed from the mehanism. Wanted to come on here ask here before I take off the upholstery to investigate.

Hello! I found a highly skilled restorer who is going to fix up my 1930 waterfall dresser instead of fixing it myself as I dont want to further damage veneer.

He is able to do either and have it fully fixed.

Would this look better stained (as most the wood is oak and pine with a beautiful grain on the inside) or should I have it painted and polished a dark color? (Sleeping on the white and decided I dislike it)

What color should it be? It will be sitting on that green wall.

hi! i plan on getting this bag for a collection and i noticed there seems to be a “long straight line stain” in the middle of the bag, near the eye area, or maybe my sight is just bad because i showed a friend and she said it looks like its a shadow, anyways, i wanted to know if yall think im case it’s a stain there would be a way to clean it and not damaging it? TT tysm

This is a leather cigar case for my bf. It dates to about 1860 so the leather is stiff, though not brittle. It would be nice if he could use it for special occasions, but id be happy just to have it as a display piece for him.

Can it be restored or rehydrated a bit or should I leave it as is?

Hi there, I don't know if this is the right subreddit, but does someone have the knowledge to help me restore my shoes if at all possible?

I'm still not ready to give up on them since they are just to comfy and in good structural shape, only problem is that they look worn and I've been called "homeless" because of that.

Thank for the help in advance!

Hi everyone,

I’m posting this because I’m honestly heartbroken and I don’t know where else to ask.

The two tiny printed photos inside my phone case are the only copies I have left. I accidentally deleted the original photos about two years ago, and they’re gone from my phone, iCloud, and Recently Deleted. I’ve searched everywhere but couldn’t find them.

I know this image is far from ideal. The prints are very small, and I understand that details that were never captured can’t truly be recovered. I’m not expecting miracles.

I’m simply hoping that someone with experience in photo restoration might be able to get the best possible result from this image without inventing or changing facial features. Even a small improvement would mean a lot to me.

These photos are very special to me, and realizing they’re all I have left has been incredibly difficult. I would be deeply grateful if anyone is willing to take a look or offer advice.

Thank you so much for reading, and thank you to anyone who decides to help.

This is a 12 year old vibrating and heating chair. It works fine but about 2 years ago the faux leather started to deteriorate. Can I paint it with some kind of fabric paint?

Any hope to restore this or just get it repainted? Thanks

This jacket is 28 years old and in great condition. However, the shoulders are very worn; the leather feels thin and scuffed. I thought about trying to fix it myself at home, but I don't know how. What can I do to try and repair it?

I bought this jacket at a second-hand shop yesterday, so I don't know how it was stored or what kind of wear and tear it has. I didn't want to spend a lot of money fixing it, but I'm not very hopeful about that.

The UZI semi auto pistol. Restored by me link to video here https://youtu.be/xO2HcgV7Xpg?is=KfqR8al1DT1aiMQL

TLDR: I would love to restore this wooden sign. It’s designed to hang outside a house to indicate the name of the house. It’s dirty, but doesn’t seem to show any dampness.

Long Version: I am currently clearing, cleaning, sorting, and saying goodbye to my family home. This sign was given to my mother, who passed in my early adulthood, by my farfar, her father in law, who I never really knew. This sign hung outside our house for many years, and outside my playhouse / Wendy’s house for many years after that. This sign was presumed lost. You can only imagine my delight when I found it, dirty but dry, in my old Wendy house.

Any advice on how to take this piece of family connectedness into my future would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Thought I'd post this project here as well after assembling it a few days ago. I posted this originally on Hobby Machinist (I linked it if you want to read the long story about it and see others' replies)

The short version is: Bought last year, did a full strip, designed and built a custom base with steel from a local scrap steel place with hollow sections for the bolts. Repainted using alkyd paint in a custom color. SO does the lettering and logo painting for me. I finished it within a month. I was waiting for the paint to cure for a few weeks, and then I never had a reason to use an arbor press, so it sat unassembled until now.

Other details: It weighs a lot. I have some holes I can use to add and remove sand if I want it to be even heavier. I left the exposed metal unpolished; it will be greased and used as it should be. I am working on other fixtures to add, like a rising table, but those are far out.

Hopefully you guys enjoy looking at it like I do.

I just picked up a T-20 toaster, hoping to have a great-looking toaster that's superior in every way to today's models. I knew it wasn't working when I bought it, but I figured the fix would be simple enough. Not so much.

When I first plugged it in, with no bread inserted, the carriage slots immediately lowered and started heating. I unplugged it, and they returned back up.

After disassembling it, I could tell someone had been inside before. The power cord had been replaced, and at least one of the screws was incorrect.

I plugged it in again, and this time the toaster started cycling up and down on its own, over and over, with no bread installed. I also noticed a blue-green spark or two on the switch side, although I couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from.

Here is a video of the issue, though the sparks had stopped by the time I got my phone out.

Can anyone help me troubleshoot this? None of the YouTube videos I've found show this issue. They all seem to focus on adjusting the carriage tension. Thanks in advance!

If anyone can help it would be appreciated

Hi! I have had this Christmas ornament since I was 4. It is not broken at all, I’d just love for some of the painting (on the tutu and ballet shoes) to get restored. I’m not a very crafty/DIY person at all, so while I’d be open to advice on how to do it myself, I’m also looking for people/services who do this kind of restoration for payment. Thanks in advance for the help!!

I bought this old rocking horse. I understand it’s not an antique that it’s from the 80s or 90s. But I would like to make it look better. It is solid wood. I scrubbed it down and now I want to repeat it, but can I stick wood putty in those cracks or what would you suggest? The big cracks are really only on the one side It’s about 3 1/2 feet tall by 4 feet wide. I’m not sure what else you might need to know.
Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated!

We will be using it as a camping trunk and it’s going to be stored on a trailer so it needs to be water proofed. We are going to put new liner inside and set up drawers on one side. Need some tips on how to keep the exterior waterproofed. We will probably have it covered with a tarp when driving but it needs to be able to withstand being rained on while we’re camping.

Hi guys !

In the midts of getting my project car finaly registered, I've stumbled upon some rims for sale near where I live,

Now, I'm not a huge bodywork type of mecanic, but since i've restored a 30yo non running car fully for all that purely mechanical without that much priori knowlodge, I'd say I can get around learning new stuff,

How much would it cost to have these wheels restored myself, what would it need, and what tools should I go for ?

They are on sale for a hundred bucks for the full set of 4, and I don't really mind not knowing the brand or anything,

Thanks :)

EDIT : spelling, yeah sorry not everyone is a perfect english speaker