
It’s best to begin with a rust preventing primer as a base coat. Once the surface has been thoroughly cleaned and the old paint and rust stripped off you are ready to repaint your old safe. Luckily, old safes are going to be a bit simpler than their modern counterpartsso simple repairs are more feasible for the average handyman. Some simple repairs that you can do on your own including banging out small dents or repairing the hinges on the door. If you are set on making an old non working safe functional this would be the time to take it to a professional. Once your safe has been cleaned and stripped of paint and rust you can make some minor repairs if needed. Be careful to work in a well ventilated environment in case your old safe has a lead based paint. These options, however, require a bit more preparation and some additional safety precautions. Other options for stripping the paint and rust include sand blasting or chemical solvents. Working your way from a rough steel wool to a very fine steel wool is a fairly basic approach that will work for most surfaces and only requires a bit of elbow grease. There are numerous methods that you can use depending on how delicate or rough the surface is. Unfortunately there is no super easy way to strip away the old rust and paint from an antique safe. You can make a simple homemade degreasing agent from ammonia, hot water, and dish soap or, for an especially dirty safe you can use small quantities of baking soda, dish soap, and vinegar.

The best way to go about this is to use an old rough rag and thoroughly scrub the safe with the degreasing agent. Be sure to wear rubber or latex gloves while you work and cover the floor or work in the garage or outside. The first step to cleaning up and refurbishing your antique safe is to thoroughly clean it with a degreasing agent. If it’s not in working condition it could still make a nice aesthetic addition to your home or yard. If the safe is still in working condition, and depending on the locking mechanism, it may still be suitable for storing valuables.

Should you come across an old safe at a yard sale or flea market you can make an awesome project out of restoring it and even have some fun in the process.
