50 Before And After Pics Of Things Being Restored To Their Original Glory
InterviewYou can accomplish pretty much anything with enough patience, grit, and determination. There’s a lot of pleasure to be had in accomplishing a difficult task, like restoring an old object to its former glory. Even more so if you know for a fact that most others would have given up a dozen times over. While there you are, slowly putting your skills to the test, learning from your mistakes, and working on something that’s going to make the internet’s jaw drop.
Our team here at Bored Panda has collected photos of some of the most impressive restoration projects from all around the net. We hope these pics will scratch the same DIY itch it did for us, and inspire you to do something similar. Scroll down to enjoy some truly magnificent restorations.
Bored Panda reached out to artist Gavin Gerundo, who spent a whopping 150 hours restoring and painting this grandfather clock, to hear about his project, workflow, and passion for art. Read on for our full interview with him!
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I Do Custom Shoe Polishing And Dyeing! This Is My Newest Restoration
You have a gift and an amazing eye for detail. Did not think old shoes would impress me so much. Well done
This is Bored Panda. You can't say dyeing; you have to say unaliveing! (I put the e so it wouldn't be the sub for dying, but for dyeing)
We got in touch with artist Gavin for a chat about the magnificent work he's done upcycling this gorgeous grandfather clock right here. He was kind enough to walk us through the inspiration for the project, his work process, and what advice he'd give to someone hoping to follow in his footsteps.
"The inspiration for the project started with my career as a canvas painter. I had been creating wall art for years and had begun to run out of space for my art and the collection of art I had acquired from the many creators I’ve met along my path. During quarantine, I began to focus on the home space as many of us did and noticed that a lot of the pieces of furniture did not inspire and bring me joy in the same way that much of the wall art did," he shared with Bored Panda.
"Being that furniture is such an interactive piece of our lives, I saw an opportunity to deepen the artistic nature of the home through pieces of furniture, notably an old grandfather clock I had recently picked up. I began the process on this huge project after painting a few smaller objects such as jewelry boxes and shelves that I had. As always with my art, part of the intention has been to create relics that outlast me and become pieces of history, heirlooms that inform and inspire for many years to come."
1930’s Parquet Flooring Is Restored Today
It's really sharp, but I personally don't like parquet floors. They're too busy. Probably just me though.
I like this one, it looks like a woven basket. If you made it the focal point of the room, it would be awsome.
Load More Replies...Oh wow, if it wasnt for the walls being the same I wouldnt even believe that this is the same floor!
The house my grandad built in the 70s had parquet floors, which were maintained by oiling. In the late 2000s we pulled up the carpet that was in the other half of the house and wanted to have the same parquet put in there, but it had been made using old growth Tasmanian timber that is now illegal to fell for building materials. When mum sold the place a couple of years ago she took a lot of things, because they were going to pull it down anyway, but didn't manage to get the flooring as it would have taken a lot of time and skill to get up. I really hope the builders were able to rehouse it rather than just dispose of it.
I love parquet, but you don't see it much nowadays. Too time-consuming to lay, I suppose.
In 1916 My Great-Grandfather Built His House From A Sears Home Kit. 100 Years Later We've Restored It To Its Original Beauty
Some of the homes were really sweet. Different sizes, styles, layouts etc.
Wish the kit homes here were similar price and quality as they were
Load More Replies...You did a great job. On ours we found the kit number written on some of the boards and were able to locate the catalog page with that. Bricks, doors, hardware, windows, everything came. Ours had a craftsman style built in china cabinet with glass doors. They were sent by train to the destination.
A home kit. That is one of the coolest things I have heard you can buy. Do they still sell them. And how much was it when your grandfather bought it?
In Australia, in the very early days they did a similar thing. The governors or whoever had money, would order one from England and it would be transported by boat. It was then reassembled by local builders/convicts. One of my ancestors was the builder that put together governor Cook's cottage in Melbourne. It has since been moved to the Fitzroy Gardens and you can go and tour it. Also many Australian houses had wrought iron decorations on them, because that was what was used to weigh the ships that had transported animals etc to England down on their return journey.
Load More Replies...Not all the homes were so modest either. Some were quite grand. They sold over 70,000 kits. Perhaps there is one in your community. Here is a selection and images of the homes Sears sold. http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/1908-1914.htm
There was one on Main St in Dupont, PA (USA) up until about 2 months ago when the guy who bought the property tore it down. My friend owns the restaurant across the street from where it was.
Load More Replies...Our neighborhood is near a railroad line in town, my taxes actually specify we are in the belt railway addition. Lots of 1920s-1940's kit houses. Sears, Montgomery Ward, and others. Sometimes I'll notice that two adjacent houses are twins, builders probably ordered a couple of kits, picked them up off the railroad and put them together right next to each other.
There is one in St Augustine FL first time I had seen one. Small not as elaborate as this one. I'm old enough to remember Sears catalog as a child but I certainly wasn't looking for a house!
Load More Replies...You ordered them by catalog! (But you probably knew that!)
Load More Replies...My paternal grandpa did the same thing. He chose to do one story and full Basement. They ended up with 7 kids! They put all the boys in the basement! Girls in the second bedroom! My grandma lived there until she literally couldn't be alone anymore. We all loved that house, slept on the front screened porch, and the house is still standing and being loved today!
The entire restoration of the clock took a jaw-dropping 150 hours. "What a lot of people don’t think about with the process is the actual restoration stage. I have to sand down all of the wood, removing the varnish and creating a proper surface that the paint will adhere to and last for centuries to come. From here, I prime it with a base layer of black and begin to create my designs. These designs are based on a process of intuitive geometry," artist Gavin said.
He explained that he likes to pick an overall theme for the piece to work with. From there, he uses the furniture to inform the direction of the geometry, "breaking the 3D object down into a bunch of rectangles and circles. These rectangles and circles are then intuitively divided and activated by creating symmetries and then 'connecting the dots.'"
According to the artist, the most challenging part of painting the grandfather clock was reaching some of the nooks and crannies to adorn them with precise geometry. He had very limited hand movement in those tight spaces. "or a lot of the intricacies, I can take the piece of furniture apart, but for some, I just have to squeeze my hand as best as possible into the spaces and make it work."
Completed The Restoration Of My Dream Car
The restoration was done by myself and my father-in-law. He did most of the heavy lifting with the bodywork and paint and he had the knowledge. I learned a tremendous amount during the process and it was an awesome experience overall.
I started collecting parts and restoring smaller pieces in my basement starting about 3 years ago. Then a year and a half ago we pulled it into the shop to really start all the work.
I want that car it's a work of art. Congratulations on your achievement you must be very pleased to now own your dream car.
you don't tell us the year, make, and model of your dream car. we know it's a Mustang but...
Impressive Restoration Work
I'm bemused by the fact that someone thought there was enough here to restore. I restore old motorcycles and from the "before" shot I'd say the only parts that are original are the frame, gas tank, and seat. Maybe the back rack. The engine, wheels, suspension, controls, and everything else had to be sourced from a different bike. Also baffling that someone did this for an inexpensive two stroke, these don't sell for much, even if they are very rare.
Some people just do things for the satisfaction of doing them. lt would be nice to have the time, energy, and money to be able to do that.
Load More Replies...There’s a really interesting story about the two stroke motor used in this and many similar motorcycles from many other brands. check out, https://youtu.be/j3_ukeMkVrc
Yep, the DKW RT 125 engine design was one of the war reparations which really helped out the European post-war small-bike market. They were extremely simple and their power-to-weight ratio was amazing. The design was used in the BSA Bantam, the Harley Hummer, and Yamaha used a design based on the Deek to create a big lineup of fun little street bikes in the 1960s.
Load More Replies...I Restored A Really Old Mausoleum Door
Great job! I wonder why the original lowest panel on the left had a perfect (semi)circle cut out of it.
Meanwhile, Gavin was happy to share some advice for his fellow upcyclers. "Be true to your creative vision and create what you want to see in the world. The more true to yourself the piece of artwork is, the better received and more authentic the work will be. This shines in the art world, having a unique perspective because no one thinks exactly like you do!"
Gavin also told us more about himself as an artist. "I roam the world as an artist performing at music and art festivals in addition to a studio practice newly enriched by the world of furniture painting. I believe there is a balance between the classic hermetic artist and going out into the world to gather inspiration and form your unique perspective. At events and in my travels, I can go out in the world, meet people, and see sights beyond my imagination before returning to the studio and integrating the life experience. My main drive as an artist is to widen perspective, increase humanity's collective limits of how wonderful the things in life we often see as mundane really are. I believe there is reverie in the everyday, as the Grateful Dead once put it, 'Once in a while, you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.'"
You can find more of Gavin's incredible art on his website, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Staring At My Recently Restored Tintin Childhood Collection
Spielberg’s Tintin film was so bad. Three books in one film, and the books he chose don’t relate to each other. That is why J K Rowling vetoed him as a possible director for the first Potter film. He wanted to combine the first three books into one film.
Nice to have, but the original state was more valuable for collectors.
My mother in law had my husband's collection of 1950s comics bound! Apparantly it was supposed to be a surprise for him....Destroyed them all.
Load More Replies...My Buddy Restored A 1955 Cushman Golf Cart. He Says There Are Only 2 Of These Models Left In Existence And The Other One Is In A Museum
It's called a yoke, seen on little delivery rigs like this, some golf carts, and some early cars. It allowed a driver to sit on either side.
Load More Replies...Nice restoration, but not a rare thing. Plenty of these Cushman Golfsters still around. Cute though.
The before colours and condition are what the pedal-car my uncle had in the 60s looked like when we had it in the 90s. He took it back with the intention or restoring, but then went overseas to live for 10 years, so it's still in storage.
Bicycle From 1969, I Got For Free From A Lady Wanting To Throw It To The Trash
Only if you live in a very level city. No gears at all.
Load More Replies...Projects like this are fun to see. I worked at a bike shop and people would bring in projects like this and then their countenance would drop when then realized how much time and $$$ it would take to pull something like this off.
Inside most of us, there are two wolves, constantly battling each other over what design philosophy is best. One of them is a minimalist that likes order, cleanliness, and simplicity. The other is a maximalist that enjoys hoarding things ‘just in case they’re useful’ and embraces chaos.
Restoring old things, we feel, keeps both sides of you happy: you take something tired and dreary, and, with enough persistence, you turn it into a better, upgraded version of itself. It’s no longer clutter—it’s useful, beautiful, and proof that you’re far more skilled than you might’ve thought at the start of the project.
Before you rush headlong into any project (or you buy out half the local secondhand goods store’s supply of grandfather clocks), it’s a pretty smart move to think about what you’re trying to accomplish. Do you think this will be a one-off thing or do you think that restoration will become a large part of your life?
Before & After Of The Raritan Inn Bed & Breakfast In Califon, New Jersey
Exactly. I’d say half a mil minimum to restore?
Load More Replies...Wow that looked like it would never come back to life. It would have been condemned and knocked down here in the UK
If the "bones" of the structure are solid the rest is just cosmetics.
Load More Replies...Did they replace every single piece of wood? That original look rotted through to its core.
I expect it was razed and then rebuilt from historical records in a modified configuration that would adhere to current building and fire codes. That was not a restoration as such.
Load More Replies...Whenever I pass by a house in the condition of the before picture, it makes me sad. Like the house is sad that it’s being neglected and left for dead. I try to imagine what it was like when it had life in it. When it was in good repair and had a family living in it. Back when it was alive and happy. I know I’m anthropomorphizing an object, but those are the thoughts that come to my mind. I’ve done stuff like that my whole life. I do something similar when I go to a historic site. I try to picture it in my mind the way it was back during the time of the event that happened there or the notable person who lived there. A couple of my quirks, I guess.
I do the same thing, but I always imagine all the Christmases past.
Load More Replies...I'm guessing it must have done historical significance for someone to have invested that much in restoring it
that was a huge financial gamble, I'll say. Must have had some very stable foundations to make it worth the money and effort
I Restored This Antique Lamp And Made A Bohemian Crescent Moon Mica Shade With Antique Chandelier Crystal Pendants
This lamp features silent film actress Billi Dove sitting on a paper moon in a cosmic rhinestone sky. I wanted to do something different, by mixing Victorian/Edwardian style with art deco. I also wanted to do something I think has never been done before by making a Crescent Moon shade which is normally made of embroidered silk with a beaded fringe out of mica and replacing the fringe with antique chandelier crystal pendants.
Beautiful piece of restoration! Billie was 94 when she died in 1997. Billie Holiday took her professional name from her as an admirer of the actress.
Viking Axe Before And After Restoration (10th–11th Century)
“It was found in the spring 2013 in the locality of Gromovo (Громово) 2, situated in the Priozersk district of the Leningrad Oblast, Russian Federation.”; https://sagy.vikingove.cz/en/the-axe-from-gromovo-karelia/
Load More Replies...I would love to know how to remove rust like this. I have 150 year old cast iron pans that the rust is so intense it's flaking off in chunks. No amount of steel wool is going to fix it, and I'm not sure what else to do.
Try putting them in an oven and running the self-cleaning cycle.
Load More Replies...Still needs a bit of extra sharpening to do its job correctly though.
Are you trying to create a massive social media presence by showing off your awesome restoration skills? Do you plan on building an actual business with restored items? Do you want to try and learn some new skills that sound like a lot of fun? Do you want to restore an item that has sentimental value to you but has seen better days? (Or… maybe a bit of all of the above?) First and foremost, be honest with yourself about what you want from these projects.
The next step is to envision what you’re actually aiming for. Ideally, what will the end result look like? It’s perfectly fine to adapt to changing circumstances as you start working (no plan survives first contact, after all), but you need a roadmap to help guide you. Having a bunch of references can help you with that. Meanwhile, do some sketching and model some preliminary designs. Try to see what the biggest pitfalls can be.
Restored My Grandfather's Carpenter's Hatchet Last Year (It's Between 75-100 Years Old). Not Too Bad For A High Schooler If I Do Say So Myself
You need to tell this person, not the Bored Panda post. Bored Panda gets 99% of its articles from Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/comments/ymij1p/restored_my_grandfathers_75100_year_old/
Load More Replies...You're a talented young person. Good for you for caring about legacy!
Excellent work! And don’t belittle your “HS” education. It’s waaay more than most college grads get today!!
I Restored My Grandma's 65-Year-Old Kitchen Step-Stool
I still remember walking up the steps of my Grandmothers step stool, just like this but yellow. To a kid it was such a fun piece of crazy furniture, couldn’t help but pull out the steps and climb it.
I remember sitting in my grandma's red one in her kitchen, good memories!
Load More Replies...That brings back some memories for me! Sitting on my grandma's stool and watching her cook!
Refinished And Reupholstered Vintage Mid-Century Lounge Chair
If it’s a real Herman Miller Eames Lounger and not a knock off pay attention to the bushings between where the metal attaches to the wood. Apparently the older ones would wear out and the wood could be damaged. The newer ones have a different material so it’s supposedly better. I have one with ivory colored leather and I absolutely love it. So comfortable and the design a timeless classic.
From what I've read, the old ones (in good condition) are more valuable than the new ones.
Load More Replies...Eames chairs are the "Flowers? For spring?" of the interior design world.
I bought a knock off for my home library (I always envied my Dad's REAL one). Looks just like this one. While it's not an original, it certainly wasn't cheap either!
Next, be realistic about your skills, resources, and capabilities. How many hours each week do you think you’ll be able to spend on restoring that vintage car or old fridge? What’s your budget for this actually like? Do you have the necessary skills or will you have to learn a bunch of them just for this project? Do you genuinely have the patience to see things through or would starting with a smaller, simpler restoration be a better fit?
These questions aren’t all that fun to think about, but they’ll help you gauge whether or not you’ll quit a few days in when you might not see enough progress. Now, this shouldn’t dissuade you from actually getting to grips with DIY restoration, however, probably all of us have a list of projects and new hobbies we’ve given up on at the first sign of trouble.
Sometimes, it’s best to jump straight in and see if the hobby interests you. Other times, you might need to slow down, take a step back, and think things through before you dump a bunch of money on something you might quit very soon.
I Can’t Draw But I Consider This My Art. I Restored A Classic Stingray In My Garage
Art isn't about drawing. It's about making something pleasing to the eye. Excellent work.
I Wanted To Share Some Pics Of This Authentic Mid-1920s Art Deco Maiden Figurine Lamp Base I Restored
With a custom leaping gazelle alternating Amber, silver mica shade that I made...
You can just barely see the design under the dirt in the before picture. Amazing restoration.
This is the same person who did the crescent moon lampshade, currently a few posts higher.
My Family Heirloom Restoration Complete
The 150-year-old safe restoration project is DONE! Here it is back in all of its glory - gold leaf and all (yes, REAL 23k gold). Swipe to the last picture to see what it looked like when I first picked it up. If you're interested in more of the story, keep reading below. In 1871, Ulysses S. Grant was president and Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated only 6 years earlier. And this safe rolled off the factory floor at the Detroit Safe Company, in Detroit Michigan. In the 1890s it found its way to Bay City, MI in the back of a new meat market founded by Max T. Malleck. Decades passed and the market eventually closed nearly 100 years later, but this safe was saved from the market and moved to Grandson Mike Malleck's house in the 1980s, and there it sat for over 40 years!
If I owned that safe, it would be worth more than all of its contents combined.
The materials you’ll need will entirely depend on your plans! If you’re restoring a vintage car or camper, you’ll need actual vehicle parts to make sure everything’s running smoothly. Meanwhile, if you’re restoring a grandfather clock, you may need to fix the mechanism as well, not just paint the exterior. Similarly, are you actually hoping to fix a fridge or vending machine, or are you focusing on the aesthetics alone, to turn it into a setpiece?
Painted Antique Mantle Restoration Transformation
We've worked our restoration magic on this antique solid walnut mantle.
This stunning piece came to us in dire need of help, coated in layers of white paint and falling apart. Now she's all fixed up and shining just as lovely as she did 100+ years ago.
The final result of this project was the most rewarding.
I can only imagine how much work went into that. It's really beautiful.
For the love of all that is good in this world, THANK YOU!!! I cannot stand when people "laze out" and paint over wood or brick or stone so they "don't have to deal with it" or whatever. WELL DONE!!!
Who tf would paint this masterpiece?! I’m glad it’s restored to its original beauty.
Restoring Great Grandfather's Trunk (From 1911)
One Bottomless trunk before heading of to Hogwarts e laddie?
Load More Replies...Got A 100-Year-Old Painting Cleaned Earlier This Year
Bet a good but if it is tar residue from cigarette and cigar smoke. That’s what decades of smoking indoors can do to everything inside a building, walls, floors, paintings, windows, upholstery, etc. F*****g gross.
Load More Replies...Always wondered how much a change it would be when a painting is cleaned. Often recommended on Antique Road show.
The internet is chock full of free and paid resources to help you improve your skills. You can find a ton of great advice on YouTube or just by googling things. Meanwhile, don’t be shy and visit your local library for some books and guides. If you happen to have any relatives or neighbors who are into DIY, crafting, and restoration, have a chat with them about what you’re trying to accomplish. Odds are that they’ll be glad to help you and walk you through some of the most common ups and downs that you can expect.
Last Summer Me And My Sister Secretly Restored Our Father's 64 Beetle. Results:
My father bought the beetle in the early 80s for about 20 dollars. in the 90's he got kids and the car was left to rot away in our backyard. Last winter I started working as a car painter assistant in hopes of becoming a car painter. Around the same time, my father started talking about the beetle! Witch he wanted to fix up but he felt that he needed to wait for retirement about 15 years away. So me and my sister thought maybe we should give it a shot and quickly try to fix it up for him so we did.
And to add insult to injury we totally trashed it as children. Plus he is a huge car guy and he goes to shows and always feelt like he wanted something to "show".
I owned a '68 Beetle as a poor 20-year-old. Bought it for $1000 in 1981. The interior was totally trashed, but, man, I loved that car. Ran great, and I loved the old-style bumper like the one shown here. I wish I'd had the money back then to restore it to its old glory. I loved that car.
My mom used to have a '67 VW beetle. In dark blue. It used to be her exes, but my mom got it in the "divorce" (they were never married, she just called the breakup a divorce) because she needed a car and my moms ex had another car. It fell apart. The floor was at least half missing on the front passernger side by the end of our time with the car. As in, you could see the road underneath the car because it had rusted through that badly. If it was raining, you had to lift your feet up so they didn't get soaked. I miss the novelty of a vintage beetle, but not having to push start it or how decrepit it was near the end of our time with it. Also, obligatory "Blue punch buggy!" quote from Lilo and Stitch!
But don't drive it anywhere. It had the impact resistance of a lasagne noodle.
My grandpa restored bugs...he had two complete and nine other titles when he passed away. I have one, a 1972, currently rotting in ny backyard, but am no good at that kind of thing. I hope to have the money to pay somebody to restore it someday. And my dad's 1975 Corvette T-Top, too.
Although It Was In Bad Shape, I Happily Paid The $4 Sticker Price Because I Knew I Could Spruce It Up
I guess it was originally yellow... that's just a much better yellow.
Load More Replies...OMG this takes me back, we had one just like this when I was a kid.
Restored A Family Heirloom
Nobody’s perfect and none of us are fantasy book protagonists, so more likely than not, you’re bound to mess up and make some major or minor mistakes while restoring whatever it is you chose to restore. Dealing with failure is a part of the process. It’s unavoidable because you’re learning new things and even if you’re a seasoned DIY veteran, you’re not somehow immune to messing up.
Instead Of Buying A $300 New Chandelier, I Bought This Antique One For $40 And Spent A Few Hours Buffing It Clean, And Also Glued A Few Loose Pieces
Good luck that the glass was intact, replacement of the brown glass would be near impossible, I would have thought.
Restored My Dad's 50-Year-Old Hammer As A Christmas Present
In this example and the one above, did they shorten the handles?
It's beautiful. Shame that the handle is shorter & fatter than the original. Add to that it doesn't have any curve to it, it won't be comfortable to use.
Vintage Shenanigans Camper Restoration
I bought this 1973 Prowler camper in Springfield, MO for $1000 on Craigslist. I had been looking for a small single-axle vintage camper for a while. These vintage campers are getting hard to find, and those that aren't completely rotted beyond repair sell for a premium. I guess something is only worth what people will pay for it. I was one of six people to answer the ad that was posted early in the morning. I showed up with the cash first, and it was sold before noon. Although it had been sitting outside for a few years, it was the size I was looking for and was repairable.
In the end, I invested about three months and about $4,000 in total. It has been on several float trips on the Huzzah River, Table Rock Lake, and a motorcycle rally.
My mum had to get rid of the caravan that had been my grandfather's when she moved recently and the damage to the roof was so bad it was basically just sold for scrap. The guy that bought it was determined to get as much as he could for his effort of picking it up (he had travelled a couple of hours I think) that my stepdad let him take a heap of other metal etc that my mum probably would have liked to hang on to. It was a shame to see it in the state it was in, as it was a big part of my childhood and it had a huge map of Australia my grandad hand painted on the side to document his travels.
So it’s essential that you deal with any frustration that might come by embracing those mistakes that may or may not pop up. It’s all right if you nailed a board crookedly, messed up a detail while painting, or put the varnish on waaaay too thick: you can start fixing these things or, in the worst-case scenario, start over. They’re not mistakes, they’re learning opportunities! And just wait, you’ll be incredibly proud of yourself once you finish everything.
We'd love to hear which of these pics you enjoyed the most and if you've ever done anything similar, dear Pandas. Meanwhile, for some more restoration awesomeness, take a peek at Bored Panda's earlier list right over here.
Revere Ware Pan I Got From The Flea Market Today
Someone didn’t know what they had; that the right cleaning products and a little TLC could restore the original beauty. Revere Ware is copper-bottomed, or all copper, cookware. Not cheap to buy new, and will last you forever if you take good care of it. Also pretty enough to display when not in use.
Here's a trick I learned by accident to clean the copper bottoms of my Revere Ware. Coat the outside with undiluted dish soap like Dawn. Place over open fire like a camp fire or BBQ. Do this outside please! Once the dish soap has blackened all over it will easily wash off leaving gleaming copper. Learned this while tripping on a camping trip. Totally by accident. No need to remove layers of the copper by scrubbing the heck out of it.
My Father Unexpectedly Passed Away In October Of A Heart Attack. As A Tribute To Him, I Decided To Restore His Workbench And Learn How To Become As Handy As He Was
Here’s the workbench now. I’m pretty proud of myself overall. I look forward to improving myself and working on future projects!
I think I would have kept the bench as it was and given it a coat of some to protect it.
I Bought This Coffee Table In 2018 For $15 At A Flea Market Because It Was Cheap And I Needed Something For My Living Room. Finally Got Around To Stripping It This Weekend
The wood is so much nicer. My mom is always painting her wooden furniture and it drives me crazy. But I suppose sanding and staining old wood is a bit of a pain.
It is indeed a pain. Worth it if you are willing to put in the sweat equity though. Painting is a lot of work too, depending on the object being painted.
Load More Replies...I Restored A Beat-To-Hell Old Pair Of Doc Martens I Found Lying Around My Neighborhood
Honestly, I didn’t use any hard chemicals or anything I just cleaned them using paper towels and water. I own a basic shoe shine kit that has a standard black shoeshine, a microfiber cloth, and a horsehair brush. After getting all the dirt off I spent like an hour or so applying and reapplying the shoeshiner to get to the point where the gloss was restored. You mostly have to focus on shining the toe and the heel because that’s where most of the damage will be. It’s a super simple process.
Another trick for shining leather is pantyhose. I learned it from a military person and use the technique on my riding show boots. I keep a shoe brush covered with the cut off foot of the pantyhose over it. Works amazingly.
Before And After Of My 8-Year Project (1972 Datsun 240z Restomod)
Upvote for the Datsun!!!! Wish it was more original tho. *tried to edit my comment bc my phone is being a turd, and accidentally reported myself for "inappropriate content "... thanks phone! Hope everyone else is having a better BP day 🤦🏻♀️
I had a 1983 Datsun 280zx I was going to restore but ended up having to sell it.
Vintage Radio Restoration. This Is A Canadian Made Northern Electric Baby Champ 5400 Tube Radio I Just Finished Restoring
It was made approximately between 1948 - 1950ish.
Beautiful work! But seeing it on that handrail is making me nervous.
Wood Plane Restoration
So I borrowed a long-forgotten Stanley wood plane from my father-in-law... He told me it had been a wedding gift during the pre-power tool era, over 50 years ago. I wondered how many miles of wood this thing had peeled over time? It was seized up and practically unusable, so I pulled it apart.
This is the most satisfying on this list so far, it’s so shiny and glossy 😍😍😍😍
My mum has a few of these in her garage, originally my grandad's. Would love to see them restored.
Teak Table Restoration
I Heard Y’all Like Cauldron Restorations (Circa 1840)
"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurly-burly's done. When the battle's lost and won."
Double Double Toil and Trouble', Meaning. 'Double double toil and trouble/Fire burn and cauldron bubble'
Anna, Savery & Co., Philadelphia, according to the OP. I assume that’s who made it.
Load More Replies...Restoration Of A 1950s Dixie Stove
This came out of a 1953 Silver Streak (camper trailer) that had been left sitting in a field for decades. The trailer was filled with rodent droppings and carcasses. I found multiple nests inside this stove.
It took days to fully clean this piece, but it was so worthwhile!
I ran new wiring and changed out the clock mechanism so everything is fully functional. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of it illuminated, but the name "Dixie Wanderer" also lights up.
Me And My Dad Restored This Yamaha Rajdoot 1979 Bike
My dad loves these bikes, he had one of them when he was young but he had to sell it because of money problems. My dad is happy after a long time.
People Thought I Was Crazy... 04 SVT Cobra Resurrection
A lot of people thought I was crazy when I bought this car in the state it was in. But where they all saw a hopeless wreck of a car, I saw something with huge potential! I couldn't let this amazing car just return to the dust from whence it came!
If there's one thing I lack, it's actual talent. I have exactly zero. The work you've done here is mind-blowing!
Aren't you just basically building a new car at that point? Like do you even need the original? Just start buying pieces and put one together.
Fully Restored Papa Bear Chair - Before And After Photos
Very cool looking chair. I am showing my age when I say it looks like it would be so hard to get out of.
Thrifted And Refinished A Set Of Teak Lounge Chairs
There's just something so sad about neglected patio furniture. You did a great job.
And everything today is plastic, resin or anything but wood! Beautiful!
Load More Replies...While it looks really great, it's also pretty easy to "restore" teak wood. Just take sandpaper and some teak-oil and voila. No need to throw them away!
Those are not Adirondack style chairs. More like deck chairs. I tried to paste a pic of Adirondacks but failed. They look nothing like these
Load More Replies...Restoration Complete
I have a garden bench in the same state as the "before" and I have zero idea/talent/funds to repair it :(
The funds part I can't help with, but you can search things up pretty easy. A lot of times if you look closely you can see where the screws go in and stuff like that. Most people aren't born with talent, they learn it. It doesn't look too difficult for a first project, but is probably time consuming.
Load More Replies...Restored An Iron Bench, Replaced The Wood With Mahogany
I love restoring old benches, I have a rainbow restored bench outside right now. @rae_reimagined
I Detailed A 1968 Torino. Couldn't Believe I Was Able To Get The Seats This Clean
I'm always curious what these restorers use to accomplish these amazing results.
As an upholsterer I can say you, that the foam and leather seem to be completely new in this picture. Usually you use the old leather as a pattern and sew a new one. This is a bit tricky because used fabric is a little deformed
Load More Replies...Coke Machine We Finished Up A Couple Of Months Ago For A Client
I would have had it commissioned as a Nuka cola machine. Awesome work
The Fallout vibes are strong in the first image. :]
Load More Replies...I remember these well. 10¢ for a 7 1/2 oz bottle of Coke. Our church had one.
I took one look and instantly wanted to check it for bottlecaps. XD
Nib Restoration
I Restored A $5 Kitchen-Aid Mixer I Found At The Thrift Store
You were brilliant to do this. The older models are much higher quality. I lost my mixer in the divorce bc it was my MiLs originally. My ex doesn't cook or bake. Sadface!
I have a Sunbeam like this. I paid $30 for it & it cleaned up beautifully. It's mint green enamel & was made in the early 1950s. It is so incredibly quiet too. The good thing is it was put away filthy which helped protect the metal. It took lots of elbow grease, trying different cleaners, & using toothpicks to get every nook & cranny cleaned out.
Update On My $5 Thrift Store Allen Edmond Shoes. Spent The Afternoon Focusing On The Right Shoe Just To Get This Picture
They had some deep discoloration so I decided to re-dye them since I don’t have any dark brown shoes.
1995 Zippo, Before And After. One Day It Will Look Like It Did Before The Sanding And Polish
I started with 400, then 600, then 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500. I made sure everything stayed rinsed off and wet the entire time. After that, I used "mothers mag & aluminum polish" for about 30 minutes. It was very nice when I got done, hairline scratches show up the second you put it in your pocket though and fingerprints are insane. That's the only downside to it. That, and it took me 5-6 hours to finish it.
My mother did something similar to my brother's zippo. He was pretty upset about it because he said it was supposed to look used and scratched. Oh, well. He bought her her own zippo so she could polish that as much as she likes ;-)
I sometimes wonder if things are more beautiful when they show the journey they’ve been on? Wholeheartedly agree with returning items to functionality but maybe sometimes things can work and show their age? Regardless, GORGEOUS polishing work.
A Wrench I Restored
Wow! A tool company named after a city that was actually located in that city!
Restored My Stairs. Totally Did It Myself
So you came here to say it's not this it's that. The OP said restored my stairs, totally did it myself. Sounds like the OP is really proud of themselves as it's not the kind of thing they are used to. However they have been fixed up, full restoration or something else. We should be cheering this person on as they have done a beautiful job and should be proud. I think the stairs look beautiful. The point of this thread is really about the end results and can you say that it is not a job well done?
"You can be the sweetest peach on the tree, and there will always be someone who doesn't like peaches."
Load More Replies...The 1st landing does indeed look like a laminate, but the stair treads look like they are made with plywood then the edges capped with molding. Very nice esthetic though.
Bought This Dinghy For $20 And Restored It. Taking It Out This Weekend
I bought this 8-foot pram a few weeks ago and restored it, all the wood was completely rotted except for the mahogany seats. The fiberglass shell was in great condition but it need some compound to smooth it out before a fresh coat of paint and some new gel coat on the outside. Pretty excited it take it out this weekend!
My Wife Cleaned The Knobs Off Of The Old Cabinets In Our Basement
Quick! Everyone close your eyes! BP Censors missed *knobs* in the title! MY EYES AND MY DELICATE SENSIBILITIES!!!! 😱👀😖
I have some very similar ones from my mum's childhood home. I never liked them that much, as they were off-white with only outlines of gold. If I could get them looking like this they would be so much nicer!
Been Using My Great-Grandfather's Razor For A While Now. Decided To Clean And Polish It This Morning. Most Frugal Way To Shave. Blades Are Dirt Cheap! Before/After
Restored This Mid-Century Modern Dresser I Found For Free On Craigslist
Ex-Wife Was Gonna Throw This Out So I Refinished It. Happy With The Results
Some folks just don't understand the value of what they have. Glad he saved it.
My First Cast Iron Restoration
I think they probably sandblasted it; maybe they polished it as well but not 100% sure.
Load More Replies...Some Photos Of My First Restoration. I Love Old Fans And I Think This Came Out Decent
It's stunning but all I can think is how you could be maimed because of how minimal the cage is. I have a morbid imagination. OP did an amazing restoration though; this thing should be in a museum!
I use things like this regularly and so far have my fingers. This is awesome btw!
Load More Replies...I love them too so when I found one at our farm, I fixed it. It was a Busy Bee
Before And After Of Some Corcoran Jump Boots That I Refurbished
And this is why I prefer leather over fake leather. Less pollution and more durable
But…but…I thought real leather was bad because reasons. It’s true, the fake leather used nowadays causes lots of pollution in the manufacturing process, and doesn’t last long at all.
Load More Replies...Hol;y Cow! Got a pair of these at a thrift store for a buck recently. They are nearly a hundred years old and I never expected they could look so good again. Thank you, OP, for inspiration.
1968 Omega Constellation Auto Chronograph Of My Late Father's Before And After Service And Dial Restoration
Some say that the dial should have been left as was, but I don't agree. Dial is now back to its original condition.
I prefer the colour of the strap in the before photo. I think it's been over-restored and has lost some of its character.
Drill Press I Finished Restoring Recently
I realize that this is off-topic, but the head on that drill press reminds me of a xenomorph from the "Alien" movie series.
It looks more like a type of robot I'd find on Wall-E.
Load More Replies...After Years Of Watching Restoration Videos On Youtube, I Decided To Try To Restore Something Myself! I Think It Turned Out Okay. 1950s Wonder Lamp
I Restored A 1920's "Chicago" Automatic Pencil Sharpener Co (APSCO) Pencil Sharpener
YES!!! I love these sharpeners, but found out most classrooms don’t have them anymore, because kids are using mechanical pencils instead of Ticonderogas.
Load More Replies...I Restored A Vintage, Wall-Mounted Coffee Grinder
They are hungry and they feed on their own interpretations of what a stranger means in a written comment on the internet :D
Load More Replies...the coffee ends up in de little glas box which can be taken out by the slides on top ;)
Load More Replies...1968 Fiberglass Boler
Picked up a 1968 Flat Top Boler a half-day trip away from our city. No leaks, great guts, working appliances & new tires!
Greenmantle, tap the name, sososteph, on the lower left side of the above picture. OP shows a lot of the restoration pictures which sometimes include their Great Dane !
Load More Replies...Restored This See-Saw For My Kids
This style looks a lot safer actually, because you can’t hit the ground hard.
Load More Replies...Bosch PB360 Radio I Found Thrown Away On The Site I Work At
60's Armchair Restoration
I really like the restoration, but I love the old apholstery pattern.
I'm Over Halfway Done Restoring This Leather Sofa, The Before And After Is Pretty Dramatic
All-Clad Restoration Project
I found a 12-inch All-Clad stainless steel frying pan in the garbage. Apparently, someone gave up on it, but I was up to the challenge. A few years ago I had a nice chat with an All-Clad rep at Macy's. She told me that the secret to cleaning their stainless steel pans was to use the Barkeeper's Friend. Not steel wool. Now I could put this knowledge to the test.
Yes Bar Keepers Friend is awesome especially for keeping stainless steel shiny. If you do need to get hard to reach or tough spots I use a brass brush which you can find in the welding section at Home Depot. It won’t scratch the stainless steel but will remove burnt on grease. Lastly if you want remove Scorch marks or bluing from too high of heat can be removed with diluted vinegar. I love my All-Clad pans. I first was introduced to them in Culinary Institute of America. There we used the less expensive LTD versions but my collection is D3 and D5 stainless models. They heat evenly and quickly. The shape of the sides make it easy to flip and remove items. Just a really great all-round set of pans.
I envy you for having gone to CIA. Some of my best friends are working in Michelin restaurants as result. I ended up being a graphic designer and musician. "Yes, Chef!"
Load More Replies...I LOVE Barkeeper's Friend products. They keep my semi-vintage Revere pots looking wonderful.
Big Beautiful Bearded Hewing Axe Brought Back To Life
This is a really interesting design, never seen a blade quite like this.
I Restored A Neglected Old Wrench. It Wasn't Ready To Retire
The pits beg to differ, it's gonna crack on the first thing of any weight it tries
Most old pipe wrenches are cast from pot metal... it's not a hammer and it's not meant for yanking 2" bolts out of radio tower bases. For what it's designed for, that'll work for another hundred years. Source: I have some in my collection that go back over four generations of my family. Some in the condition of the one on the left, some like the after photo, all of which get used regularly.
Load More Replies...Someone Was Throwing Away These Old Salad Servers, So I Took Them Home And Restored Them
I Restored This Vintage Filipino Bolo Knife That I Bought On Ebay
Restored This Old Bench Grinder For A Customer That Inherited It From His Father, Who Inherited It From His Father. Now That It's Restored He's Going To Pass It On To His Son
Grundig Majestic Radio Restoration
I restored this 1955 Grundig Majestic 7061W to working condition. I discovered it broken in a secondhand furniture store for $75 and decided to accept the challenge, despite having no experience with restoration or antique radios. I realized the six-tube radio was beyond my skills for repair, so I hired a local enthusiast to fix it while I redid the cabinet.
No transistorized equipment will ever touch the warmth of tube amplifiers.
Upcycled Antique Boiler Door Turned Electric Fireplace/Liquor Cabinet
It was formerly used to heat the historic Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs NY. The hotel underwent a preservation restoration and an astute construction worker saved it from demolition. I live in Erie Pennsylvania where the boiler was originally made so I drove up there and hauled it back to Erie. My family has ties to the company that made the boilers.
This is incredible. Could you imagine having this whimsical of a house?
Before And After Of My Rusty Plate Restoration
Sandblasting looks so incredibly satisfying; I LOVE watching restoration vids on YouTube.
Load More Replies...Went For A Nautical “British Royal Navy Ship Captain” Kinda Look. Needs A Little More Patina On Some Places, But Pleased With It So Far
Yeah. Paint the cheap s**t that just looks unfinished before painting. But anything that’s made of really good beautiful wood should be restored to the original. Otherwise, it’s an insult to beautifully grained wood.
Load More Replies...You did a wonderful job. The detail is incredible. I know painting furniture makes some people gasp, but this is no ordinary paint job. Relish the result and enjoy it. The nice wood is still under there if you want to go back later.
Restoring Great-Grandfather's Estwing Hammer
I Won The Lottery And Then Turned This Into That. Silver-Plated Kettle Restoration, With Burner
I Was Given A Stanley Plane That Was Buried For 50 Years. Challenge Accepted
A friend of mine has a barn and recently started working on the floor. The barn is about 50 years old, and when pulling up the floor he found this buried below. Now he knows that I am a huge fan of hand-tool woodworking, as well as rat rods and Mad Max. So he figured I would enjoy the plane. He was right.
1940's Ladies' Boots Before And After Polishing And New Laces
I Restored This 1930's Smoking Stand I Found. The Only Thing I'm Still Working On Is The Electric Lighter
After 30 years I quit smoking in 2016 when I dropped my favorite Zippo in the toilet while cleaning one day. The Zippo (unsure of age, guess about 30-40 years) was my grandfather's and I got it along with his cigar stand he used for over 70 years and it was his mother's before that. Anyway, that began a love for cigar stands and I am in awe of this one!
If you ever think of selling it, let the cigar clubs in the cities know you have it. I have a feeling a few of them will cough up top dollar for it.
Oh, I have one of those lamps mine is missing the top of the globe and one ash tray. I too plan to restore mine eventually. Great job!
Garden Bench - We Just Purchased A Power Washer, And This Was Our First Project. We Were Pleasantly Surprised
Lovely. You could also sand all that old orange stain off and bring out the real color of the wood.
I Restored An Old Chair I Found In Our Basement
I recently bought a hanging chair for my room which came with a cotton bag. I was also in need of a chair for my desk so I searched the basement where I found this beautiful old chair whose cushion was totally ruined. So I took it off and cut the bag of my hanging chair into a piece that fits perfectly. I then nailed it with some antique nails onto my chair and I just love the way it turned out. It also fits to my hanging chair now which is awesome.
Some Cheap Rit Dye Made My Old Backpack Look New Again
I've used this bag for work for about 5 years now and it’s been stained and sun-damaged plenty. Instead of just throwing it away and spending money on a new bag, I got a ~$5 bottle of rit dye and made it look brand new again.
How: I filled a 5-gallon bucket with about 3.5 gallons of hot water, added a bottle of black Rit, dunked the backpack in there, and stirred occasionally for a little over an hour - then I cleaned it in my sink with mild detergent a million times until the excess ink was gone and the water was clear (others are recommending a vinegar bath to prevent bleeding, but I’ve never had issues just doing it my way). I repeated all of that the next day to get it darker. To make it look new I starched and ironed the bag to stiffen and form it, and give it that new sheen.
I'd say it's just happy to be handsome once again.
Load More Replies...This House Where Only One Half Has Been Restored
You often see houses with differing halves like this but the detail above the doors only half-done is very off putting.
Usually duplex-type townhouses. Many in large US cities are Victorian or even Georgian era (on the East Coast), and clean up just beautifully.
Load More Replies...My Husband And I Restored This Old Vice. He Made It Work And I Made It Pretty
Vise. Unless you have a pretty wild past, full of old vice.
Old Russian/Soviet Woodworking Machine Restored
A 36-Year-Old, Well-Loved, Stuffed Animal Restoration By Me
I've had Snuggles bear for over 36 years, he was a gift my Grammy got me and I took him everywhere. I found him in storage some months back, but even after washing him in bleach, he looked icky. I reached out to a stuffed animal restorer months ago, but the waiting list is years long. So, after watching some videos, I decided to do my best.
Restored A BurgerTime Arcade Game
I got the cabinet about 11 months ago and just finished.. but a lot of that time was spent looking for parts and waiting on my art order. The stencils took about 2 weeks straight but only took on average less than an hour a day. Maybe ballpark 40-50 total hours of working on it. As far as cost, these are approx. about what I paid for everything:
Whole Legend of the Kage game: $250
Bezel: $120 shipped
Stencils and control panel overlay: $250 shipped
Wiring harness: $50 shipped
Marquee: $50 shipped
Paint, Brushes, Bondo, Sandpaper, etc: $100
Locks, Leg Levelers, and new marquee light: $40
Coin Box: $40 shipped
Burgertime PCB: $200
Sold the Legend of Kage PCB: -$100
Total Cost: $1000
As you can probably tell, with my time, this is not a big money maker. But I like doing it and love when the game is done.
Teens, OP states on Reddit that they knew this cabinet was originally a Burgertime game. When arcade owners find that a game is not making much money, they switch out the original game and put in a new one to, hopefully, make more money.
Load More Replies...I Knew I Was Going To Have A Slow Day At Work So I Decided To Try To Restore My Dad’s Old Dress Shoes
At Some Point, Someone Has To Teach Us The Importance Of Applying White Leather Preservative To Our Investments
I’ve done this on old leather purses that had dirt and mildew on them, and antique leather topped furniture. A good leather cleaner, a clean cloth, a little elbow grease, and they all come up just beautiful.
Just Finished Restoring An Antique Micrometer Stand, Thought It Might Appreciated Here
I've got a collection of J.T. Slocomb micrometers in my home shop, and I recently acquired a Slocomb micrometer stand-off on eBay. It was in pretty sorry shape when I got it... Somewhere along its life, a previous owner remade the wooden slats out of cheap plywood and didn't see a need to disassemble anything before painting (including the rubber bumpers between the mics).
I re-remade the slats in oak, and the frames were stripped and repainted semi-gloss black. The bumpers were also replaced with short lengths of the rubber fuel hose.
The age of the stand is a rough guess... The nameplate dates this stand to sometime after the early 50s. J.T. Slocomb was located in Providence, RI until 1953, when the company relocated to Glastonbury, CT.
I've restored all the mics in this stand (plus many, many more). They all have Providence, RI stamped on the thimbles, which puts them between 70-120 years old.
Widths of things, usually small things (hence micro-metre). You put the thing you want to measure between the two ends of the micrometre, and then screw one end until the thing your measuring is held firm (in the above picture, the top parts of the micrometres contain the screw piece). There's a scale on the screw bit which you read to determine the measurement. In the picture, the ones on the left are massive, the right-most one is a more standard size. Haha...I just wrote all that and then saw your smiley face!! Feel silly now :D
Load More Replies...I Restored Another Vinyl Sleeve
The reddit post says they used ink & sealed it with varnish
Load More Replies...Green Gameboy Restoration
A Cleaned Silver Shot Glass Next To Its Tarnished Sibling
I Restored And Hand-Painted This Grandfather's Clock
It is not destroyed. Keep calm. You may like or like not the new colours but the clock itself is intact. And keep in mind if the person does like it this way, it will maybe last many longer than usually because not everybody likes the rustiy charm of old furniture and many people would rather throw furniture away if it doesn't fit in their style (which is sad but true). I like old furniture, I am an upholsterer and every piece we make a new suit is a gem. Some get a fabric which would not have been used to the time it was first made and not the original style. This way, they adapt modern time and I love that. It preserve them. Do you understand what I mean? ( Sorry, English is not my first language)
Load More Replies...the original was an ordinary piece of repro - nice but of no esthetic value - now, its unique - not my taste, but so well done and it will be loved - no one could actually love the original.
Electric grandfather clocks are NOT necessarily repro, some were built this way and are very rare now.
Load More Replies...Ignore any ignorant comments about "destroying" this clock, the amount of talent and skill that went into this intricate and absolutely stunning artistic detail is mindblowing. And this from someone who HATES when people paint over antiques. This however gets a free pass because of the sheer talent displayed. Well done!!
We need more pictures or perhaps a video via TikTok. I want to see more I just love it
Louisa, tap ggerundo and you’ll see on the Reddit site a lot of close up pictures.
Load More Replies...$5 Thrift Store Find Into Pet Bed For New Puppy
This will be featured again when someone rescues it from Pintrest hell and strips all the paint off.
Painting of this type of furniture is ok with me. From what I can tell of the pic, this is 70's ish end table. It has a Formica style top, not real wood. Most of the material is pine and does not stand the test of time in style or finish. I believe this is an excellent re-purpose for this type of cabinet.
We had two of these. One exactly like this and one that looked like an old treasure chest. Gave them away (unfortunately.) Now I see what they could have been....
Great to see these items being given a new life instead of being just thrown away.
This flood made me want to start restoring something. See you in a couple of months, guys!
This stuff is excellent. Not only is it "recycling" at it's very best it is done by real people using utilizing skill and craft_____ship.
I wish I could add my desk to this. I bought one from goodwill last summer and refurbished it. My first ever project and it turned out so pretty. I'm pretty sure someone made it in their garage, cause the way it's put together is pretty basic and I can't find any stamps anywhere to tell me if there was a manufacturer. Half the fun was guessing how the previous owner used it. I'm imagining an artist, cause there were paint stains in some of the drawers. Maybe used at a school or something based on the gym I found underneath the top drawer. And definitely someone who spent a lot of time at it based on all the coffee cup rings. An art teacher maybe? Or student. But it's a little big for a student desk.
Most of these are not restorations....a restoration is brought back to exactly what it was originally....most of these are refurbished to something it never was
Great to see these items being given a new life instead of being just thrown away.
This flood made me want to start restoring something. See you in a couple of months, guys!
This stuff is excellent. Not only is it "recycling" at it's very best it is done by real people using utilizing skill and craft_____ship.
I wish I could add my desk to this. I bought one from goodwill last summer and refurbished it. My first ever project and it turned out so pretty. I'm pretty sure someone made it in their garage, cause the way it's put together is pretty basic and I can't find any stamps anywhere to tell me if there was a manufacturer. Half the fun was guessing how the previous owner used it. I'm imagining an artist, cause there were paint stains in some of the drawers. Maybe used at a school or something based on the gym I found underneath the top drawer. And definitely someone who spent a lot of time at it based on all the coffee cup rings. An art teacher maybe? Or student. But it's a little big for a student desk.
Most of these are not restorations....a restoration is brought back to exactly what it was originally....most of these are refurbished to something it never was
