Reconditioning and Repair Services
See pictures
at the bottom of this page of a reconditioning project currently in process.
More before
and after pictures will be posted as they become
available!
New Section at the bottom of
this page
"Tips for the Do-it-Yourselfers"
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H. Gerstner & Sons offers reconditioning and repair service for almost every product that we have manufactured over our more than one hundred-year history.
The most frequently asked question is “how much does it cost?” The answer to that question cannot be determined until the item is sent in for an inspection. Typically, a full recondition for a chest will cost $1000.00 to $1500.00 or more. While not inexpensive, a chest may only come in for repair or reconditioning once every 40 to 60 years. This is a testament to the durability of a Gerstner chest. The chests being returned for reconditioning are usually being passed down to the next generation, and have become cherished family heirlooms.
You may choose to do the refinishing yourself, in that case please see our Replacement Hardware list for any hardware or parts you may need to replace during your project.
A full recondition includes removal of all hardware, sanding off the old finish, putting new finish on, refelting the interior, and installing new hardware. This does not include any repair work that may need to be done to the chest. We provide a free Age of Chest certificate upon request with any full recondition.
There are some options for keeping your chest in near original condition, such as re-plating the existing hardware. This is frequently done due to our inability to get any of the older styles of hardware used in previous years. The usage of current hardware on these older chests often results in the older holes for the hardware having to be plugged and new holes drilled in the chest to accept the new hardware. We can help you determine the best options for your chest.
Some additional options include:
| Refelting - different colors available | Install new hardware |
| Complete or partial refinishing of chest | Replate original hardware |
| Replacing leatherette on covered chests | Upgrade to brass hardware |
| Change to a different interior - i.e. jewelry chest instead of felt | Add dividers to create storage compartments |
There are many instances where reconditioning and repair may exceed the cost of a new chest. This is due to the lengthy procedure of carefully removing the existing hardware and stripping off the old finish, both of which must be accomplished before we begin the repair and/or refinish process. It often takes more time to repair an older chest than it does to build a new one.
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O30 1920's chest pictured below was in daily use in the
Gerstner factory. After some water damage to the chest in 1998, we decided to
refinish 1/2 of the chest to demonstrate the reconditioning before and after
condition. The original hardware was replated, which brought the nickel finish
back to life. We re-wrapped the leather handle on top of the chest as well. Note
the stamp "G", someone over the years had branded the chest - we were unable to
remove this (only other option would be to replace the drawer). |
 O30 1920's 1/2 original condition & 1/2 refinished |
 O30 front lid closed position |
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All repairs are
performed strictly on a quote basis after the item is sent in and inspected. We
are not able to give quotes from pictures, the item has to be inspected at
Gerstner. We
are able to accomplish most repairs, but there are cases where it has been
impossible to repair the item (such as fire damaged items). Repairs are
scheduled to be completed on a first come, first served basis after
receipt of payment for the quoted work. All repairs are strictly pre-paid – no
exceptions. Repairs typically take 60 - 90 days to be completed - it
depends on the number of items in process and the nature of the work to be done.
There is a quote fee of $50.00 to estimate the cost, plus return shipping due at the time we receive the chest. For those of you who wish to bring in a chest - be prepared to leave the chest with us and we will contact you at a later date with the quote. Since many people are involved with the evaluation of the chest it is not possible to provide a quote on a same day basis - we are sorry for any inconvenience. Chests received without payment will not be processed until payment is received. Please see our additional information below – “Instructions for returning Gerstner Tool Chests for repair or refinishing” for more information.
We can only
repair and recondition chests that were manufactured by H. Gerstner & Sons. If a
chest not manufactured by us is sent in, you will still be responsible for the
quote fee plus the return shipping. The quote fee will cover our processing costs.
Any questions please feel free to contact Kim Campbell at (937) 228-1662 – or you may email me at kim@gerstnerusa.com.
Instructions for returning Gerstner Tool Chests for
repair or refinishing
The carton* you ship the chest in must be a minimum of 2" larger from each side
the chest currently measures. (i.e. a chest 26" W x 15" H x 9" D must have a
carton no smaller than 30" W x 19" H x 13" D)
The front lid of the chest must have some form of padding placed inside. When
the lid is closed this will help keep the drawers from hitting the lid in
shipment - which can cause the lid to break if not properly padded. Usually a
few pages of a newspaper section will do the trick.
The packing material used around the chest must be packed snugly - if peanuts
are used make sure the surrounding areas of the chest are firmly packed - if
loose the chest could shift in shipment and result in damage.
We suggest that the chest be shipped via UPS ground.
When shipping the chests to Gerstner make sure that you have properly insured
the chest. We suggest insuring the chest for a minimum of $1000.00. Any chest received damaged and/or not insured will be returned to the
shipper - we cannot help with any claims processing.
The quote fee of $50.00 must accompany the chest, along with the return shipping
and handling fee. Contact Gerstner to see what your proper return shipping
charges are. Chests received without payment will not be processed until payment
is received. Included in with payment please indicate specifically what you would like done
to the chest, along with your return shipping address and a daytime phone number
where we may contact you with questions if needed.
*If you do not have access to proper packaging materials, Gerstner can send them
to you for $30.00 to $50.00 depending on the chest size and state you are in.
Return Shipping Address:
H. Gerstner & Sons
Attn: Repair Dept.
20 Gerstner Way
Dayton, OH 45402
There are times each year that we do not accept or process repairs and refinishing. At the time you call for your correct shipping charge, we will let you know if we are accepting items or not. Typically no items are accepted from May - June (warehouse sale planning and preparation) as well as the end of September until late January - this allows us to concentrate on production for Christmas orders.
Refinishing Photo Gallery
Below are some pictures of an extensive reconditioning project currently being processed in the factory, we will update pictures as they become available. This is a 1948 style O42 chest. You can see the finish, when the chest arrived was in fairly worn condition. See the change in the pictures with the new finish below. This customer has chosen to have the original hardware replated and will be changing the interior of the chest to convert it into a jewelry chest complete with divided sections. Keep checking to see the progress of this chest as it progresses through the factory.
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Project finished! |
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Here are some more photos of chests before and after repair and refinishing.
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Tips for the Do-it-Yourselfers Q. How do I remove the old felt from my chest? A. The glue that holds the felt in the chests is an animal hide glue. Hide glue can be removed with hot water or a steam iron. You can heat up some water and pour a small amount on the felt to be removed. Let it sit for a few minutes to react with the glue. The hot water or steam will turn the glue from a solid back into a liquid. Then you can take a scraper, like a putty knife or a paint scraper and peel up an edge of the felt. When the glue has released you can peel up the felt like taking off a sticker. Sometime, like a sticker, the felt will tear and you can repeat the water process with the knife / scraper and get the rest of the felt up.
Q. How does one remove an old style riveted lock for
replacement?
A. The rivets are split rivets, and you need to access them from behind the felt. If you are not removing all the felt in the top of the chest, you can make a cut in the middle of the back side of the lock area in the top well of the chest and peel the felt back from each side. Use a small steam iron to loosen the glue (it's a water soluble glue we use). Once you have exposed the rivets, pinch them back together and tap them back through.
We will continue to add questions and
answers as they become available. |
Click Here for a listing of Replacement Hardware available.
Copyright © 2008
H. Gerstner & Sons, Inc.
20 Gerstner Way
Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 228-1662
Site designed by: Scott Campbell
Last modified:
January 10, 2008
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