Cleaning musty smell

[Gerald]

The library card file which I had posted came from a deceased woodturners shop. It was full of screws, bolts and assorted other metals including planer blades from 4 to 12 inch, Some brand new. Anyone interested in planer blades let me know.

 

The case has been subjected to water or damp and has a musty smell and some black spots. Going to try Clorox today. Is there something to remove the musty smell?

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

I've not tried this, but I've read Febreze will do a good job.

[Gunny]

After you are done with the cleaning let it air dry.  Then take couple pieces of charcoal and break into smaller pieces. Let them sit in sun for an hour.  Put them inside box.  Mother nature will do the rest. May take 10 days.

[Artie]

I rather suspect that Gunny’s solution will work. What I did with a cribbage board that had been in a smokers home (odor coming off it was brutal), I sprayed Febreze on some paper towels, wrapped the cribbage board in them, and then sealed them in a plastic baggie for 3 days. No more smoke smell. 

[Gerald]

thanks I had not thought of activated charcoal. May try both.

[Gerald]

Cleaned it today with Clorox and Dawn. Will do the Febreeze and charcoal tomorrow. This is probably made up of three sets because there are at least that many different styles in the drawers. 

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

Those things are so cool. To me, the mixed drawers just add to the charm.

[JimM]

I can just imagine what Gunny would do with that!

[Gunny]

1 hour ago, JimM said:

I can just imagine what Gunny would do with that!

Ahh the possibilities.

[PeteM]

This might be a good place for a stick-up?  A deodorant would offset a lot of the smell, eventually doing the job permanenetly if you have eliminated the mold.  I did some research on deodorants (as an alternative to mechanical fresh air) and it turns out the chemical compound(s) will break the odor molecules so the nose no longer detects them as "bad".  Until then, I'd always assumed deod's just replaced one odor with another.

[Marv Rall]

Mistakenly replied on personal profile----use shellac ----I have found that it will even eliminate cat urine od

[John Morris]

I remember those in libraries not too long ago, back in the day when you had to use your brain and look up a book title and or author then relate the card to the aisle and shelf the books were on. I remember in elementary school every Wednesday was library day, we'd line up and walk across the street to the public library and check out books and there was a story time too. All us kids were hitting the card files craning our little necks up and heads into the upper drawers of the files, they even had a little stool for us to stand on to reach the upper drawers.

 

I just did a search on that very library and it's still live today. It looks exactly like it did through the early to mid 70's during my K-6 time in the school across the street.

 

It looks like they are still doing story time for the students.

 

And the old card files look like they have been retired and repurposed for seeds!

 

Here is my old elementary school. The library is directly across the street from the front of the building. The school has not changed either, still the same as it was when I was there, except that big logo was not painted on the side of the building.

 

Thanks Gerald for triggering these memories

 

[Gerald]

 

Well today resulted in a change of plans. Was just going to test a small area and then decided to remove finish on sides and front, then maybe the front and drawer fronts. Well this is a thick and hard lacquer finish so sanding was slow. Then the light went on and scraped it off not easy but good results. 
 

Yes @Marv Rallnot only will shellac seal out odor but is universal primer . And it can be used between oil and water based finish. So I decided to seal inside and out and maybe drawers. Then lacquer on outside.       
 

 

Had to make a support for the end of counter so did this little diddy. May get drawers later and maybe a door or two. 
 

Edited April 9, 2021 by Gerald

[forty_caliber]

Good old fashioned sunlight will do wonders.

 

.40

[Larry Buskirk]

Neighbor gets quite a few pieces that have that "Musty" smell, we use Murphy's Oil Soap, followed buy setting outside to dry out.

He had a dresser that Mice had "Stunk Up" rather well, got rid of that "Stink" as well. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by Larry Buskirk

[Gerald]

I applied shellac to inside and started applying General Finishes Arm R Seal to top sides and front. 

 

and working on platform to mount wheels to so will not add holes to the case. 
 

[Gunny]

Some beautiful work on that, looks spectacular!!!

 

[HandyDan]

It will look new by the time you're done with it.  Looking great!

[FlGatorwood]

Gerald, that is some fiiiiine work.  Looking really good.  I never thought of using one of them as a tool storage cabinet. 

[DuckSoup]

Great save on a vintage piece!