Cedar chest, beautiful wood, but broken legs

Question

I found this in the bedroom of the house we are moving into. It had been in the his family for a long time but the legs are in bad shape. Each one has cracks and/or extra screws or nails holding them on. But the one actually fell apart. The chest is laying up-side-down on the dining room floor and I need to take it out of there. What do I do about the legs? Do I buy new ones and put them on with screws from the inside? And what kind do I get? Thanks for you input.

Marion Nesbitt · Answer

The curv;y legs don't look like they belong to the chest. Maybe they were added at some point. My choices would be: just add felt tabs on the corners and don't worry about legs at all - or buy new legs which are plainer and straighter from the hardware store - or possibly bun feet would look nice.

Nikkea Masters · Answer

Buy new legs and paint them in a shiny silver finish or silver leaf. Clean and oil the wood. Use it as a bench at the end of the bed (shorter legs required), a drinks cabinet in the living room (have the top open from the front (top to bottom and make the legs taller), or put it in the entryway (very tall legs here) with art or a mirror above it and a lamp and other decorative goodies on top.

Linda Eskritt · Answer

My father made our cedar chest back when he was in high school, it looks like yours but no legs I would just take them off!

Hope Williams · Answer

You can buy furniture legs at big box store (expensive), or online (much cheaper).  But agree with above, they look to be added and not original.  These type chests didn't come with legs.  
Can also check second hand stores for a piece and just use the legs really reasonable too!

Mimi · Answer

Whatever you decide to do the damaged cedar can be filled in with wood putty then sanded smooth :)

Gayle · Answer

I agree that the legs look as if they were added. What do you plan to keep in this chest? I have one like it in storage and don't use it because the cedar odor permeates everything. We really don't have woolens, etc. to store, so I'm at a loss as to what to put in it.

117135 · Answer

Put on some casters and make it into an industrial coffee table.

Tris Smith · Answer

Whatever you want. Legs or no legs. Casters or wood or metal legs. Casters with locks and bench pillow and now it's storage and a bench seat easily moved. Many possibilities. Nice

Barbara Hall · Answer

I have two cedar chests and neither have legs. Why don't you just remove the legs and add a long foam pillow for sitting?

512181 · Answer

First thing you want to do is make sure the lock is safe for children. Many old cedar chests can lock from inside and if a child crawls in, they may not be able to get out. I know Lane offers a new lock. https://www.lanefurniture.com/about/product-safety You can just disable the lock too. The other thing is you want to replace the hinges with safe ones. You want ones where you have to push on the top to close it. The hinges prevent little fingers from getting smashed. Look for toy box hinges or soft close hinges. I think the legs might be original. They look like they are cedar that match the chest. You could try gluing the cracks and using a clamp to close up the cracks. Then use wood filler to fill the rest of the cracks. Lightly sand legs and chest and use a paste wax on the chest to provide a nice glow. I sometimes fill in cracks with paste wax too, and it looks fine. You could add casters, or use no legs. You might be able to find a 4 x 4 cedar post and make some square type of leg too.

Karen · Answer

I have my mother's like this.  Replaced the legs with ones from Home Depot or Lowe's.   Have extra sweatshirts and tshirts stored in it.

Katie · Answer

If you want to add new feet they can be attached using top plates. They will be sold near the furniture legs. I just added furniture feet to my box spring to do away with my metal bed frame and that's how I attached the feet.

Lisa B. · Answer

If you don't want to add new legs you could build a tray style base for it to rest on top of out of scrap lumber and stock molding stained to match.

Therese Ryan-Haas · Answer

I added bun feet to a dresser that had non. I bought bun feet from Menards. Just follow this tutorial on youtube.Installing a Bun Foot with Wood Screws https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLfZGAVKSAQ

Sue Peet · Answer

Can always add casters to the bottom to make it easier to move. My Mom gave me hers years ago and I use it for storing memories like love letters from my husband when we were dating, certain clothes from the past, etc. Cedar chests are wonderful to have in your home.

Rose · Answer

I would add bunn feet also.

Carol Whitehouse · Answer

I also added bun feet to a chest that had the same problem with the legs. Once I took off the old ones I was able to see where I could put them. If its like mine was there was good wood in the middle of the screw holes that was solid. If there isn't a solid area to work with you could put wood the dimensions of bottom into the chest and work with that. I was lucky that the top had a panel that we were able to take out and put glass in. I turned it into a coffee table that holds my GMIL hand made quilts. Thru the years we added a few things like the baby blankets my sister made for the kids and another blanket that my other sister made her favorite niece. It has been a show piece for many years.

Diane · Answer

Can the legs be removed and it sit flat on the floor? Mine does.

Sherrie · Answer

Wood glue and clamp it.  I have a old old side board where the legs were torn all apart.  I wood glued each one of them and clamped them.  Then reattached them back in.

Carolyn Morris · Answer

I think bun feet would look good. I have the one my Dad gave my Mom before they married. It was 'blonde' and had a box frame for the legs. I stripped it and stained it dark; took the frame (which was in bad shape) off, and added casters. It is easy to move to vacuum, etc.

Lynda Mitchell · Answer

What about taking legs of and adding wheels.

Bob Link · Answer

I found an old cedar chest in very poor condition also but was able to fabricate new legs and redo the outside

Bob Link · Answer

If I couldnt make new legs I would search and find som that look almost the same and remount them however you can GOOD LUCK

Pam Walker · Answer

If it was me, I'd remove the legs & take them to a carpenter & have new legs made to match (shape & staining). Then, I'd put a brace (a thick piece of wood which matches the stain of the trunk) glued to the bottom of the trunk. I'd then attach the legs to the brace instead of the trunk itself. This will give the trunk more support plus have something more substantial for the legs to fasten to. Hope this helps. :)

Tamara Wood · Answer

I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE ATTRACTIVE IF YOU HAD BIG ROUND FEET DIRECTLY ON THE BOTTOM. VERY RUSTIC LOOKING AND UTILITARIAN TO ME. THAT GIVES IT SO MUCH CHARACTER.

OhSally · Answer

I don't think the legs look right with the chest...might they have been added later? If it were me, I would remove the legs altogether, add those glider thingies to the bottom and use it without legs. You could enjoy the natural wood or paint it to match your decor.

Sandi Jones · Answer

Pre-fabricated furniture legs are readily available from Lowe's and Home Depot. Ebay is also another resource. These can be ordered finished or unfinished, in a variety of styles. Good luck! it's a beautiful piece.

Lynn Hood Knowles · Answer

The big box lumber stores also have wooden 'bun' feet that would raise the chest off the floor and allow the dust bunnies free range. I think you apply 'bun feet' from inside the chest. I have a fear of furniture on the floor and then having water damage.

Sherry Fram · Answer

I agree with the bun feet. You can get a variety of sizes so just go look & pick out the ones that appeal to you,

Comet · Answer

I have two cedar chests like this and they have very different style feet--I agree with the above poster--these are prob NOT the original ones! The ones I have use the same cedar wood and are like two small brackets; like small shelf brackets with the decorative edge; the straight 'back'{ edge is butted up to make a corner piece. I suspect if you google up CEDAR CHEST IMAGES you will find some ideas that are nicer than these! You can buy cedar wood or you could go for a different look and buy pine feet and paint them---if you use feet obviously you will keep it off the floor and away from water etc but you also can move it MUCH easier--I also have a LARGE campaign chest that rests on the floor and Whoa Nellie is THAT hard to move! You have quite a few options for this--most lumber stores sell feet that could be used as-is or finished as you like; or ebay and ETSY have options. The legs that are on there now look like they might have come off of a chair---

Cedar chest, beautiful wood, but broken legs

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Cedar chest, beautiful wood, but broken legs

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