11/26/2025
A mid 1800's icebox (the early refrigerator) refinish, which had an entire front leg nearly chewed away by dogs, was given a new life. Top lid opens to a galvanized steel lined compartment with holes on each of the sides where the cold from the ice block would be placed by the ice delivery man. He would chip a block of ice, wrap it in burlap & carry it into the homes & place them in these ice boxes for families. The liner up top had a drain hole at its base, which a galvanized steel tube would carry the melted ice down below the lower refrigerated storage area to a drain pan, which would get emptied daily. The front door with lever handle opens to another galvanized steel lined box, which had a single wired rack & the drain tube along it's back wall. The caster wheels really stood out to me, because they were solid oak wheels. Initially I refused to apply any paint on it, but after my client revealed the front leg, I was then better able to accept the challenge she posed me with by taking a 160 year old piece of oak furniture & make it appear as if it was a white powder coated refrigerator from the 1960's. Challenge accepted!! I had to thoroughly clean it removing all the oils, then rebuild the front leg, remove all of the hardware (let me tell you I know where the term hardware came from) which featured all flathead screws, seeing their 1st time out of their seated wood. Getting a flathead screw out of oak wood that was installed 160 years ago without scratching it damaging anything is a feat in itself, but accomplishing it successfully, priceless!! Did I mention applying primer coats? I hope so, because this received 3 & some areas 4 coats of primer with sanding between every coat. I finished with a product the public generally is unable to acquire because of the dangers of handling or working with this product. It is not even classified as a paint, but rather a coating. Mandatory personal protection required, respirator, gloves, skin protection, eye protection yeah everything protection. The product is an industrial coating called Sher Kem a high gloss metal finishing enamel. Yeah metal coating & I am about to apply it to 160 year old oak wood. Let's do it!! After the first coating, within the first 2 hours I sanded it's surface lightly, then the 3nd coat, more sanding, & finished with it's 4th coating to complete. Melted butter look, perfect!! I reassembled it's doors, & it's hinges with the original screws. The results were amazing!! This was a fun project!!
