Tool box paint?

Mr.GhettoRig

Mr.GhettoRig

Active Member
#1
#1
I got a cool little crafstman tool box for my birthday.. Not sure how old it is buts it's defiantly got more than a couple years on it. Well since it's built durable and it may be vintage I figured I would give it a slight restore. Looks like it came grey on the outside and red inside, I was just gonna do a bright "snap-on" red on the whole thing.

Got it all sanded down this afternoon, thing is a bucket of rust. The bottom is a little mishapen too.. But anyway on with the question..

How should I paint it? I've never been able to get a nice durable coat from rattle can.. If it takes a lot of cans and time maybe I'm better off takin it to a paint shop??
 
mmisterbungl

mmisterbungl

New Member
#2
#2
Think about the abuse it will forego if you're going to use it as a true tool box:confused:
Every time you toss a wrench/screwdriver, etc... in it it's going to chip and scratch like a mofo. I can't justify taking a toolbox to a paint shop unless I was going to use it as a convo piece or something like that. How does it look in it's current sanded shape? any pictures? maybe just clear coat it and leave that unfinsihed look. Have you seen Jeff Clark's Hood Rat Bonanzee??
 
Mr.GhettoRig

Mr.GhettoRig

Active Member
#3
#3
Yeah I new the wrenches and stuff were going to be an issue.. it needs at least one coat of something though, especially the bottom, it's so rusty im surprised there's no holes. I do have some satin clear coat so maybe I'll just use that. I can take a picture when I get home. And no I don't think I did, I someones bike that was sanded down and clear coated but infant remember who it was. Maybe I did see it.
 
zeeman

zeeman

Active Member
#4
#4
Try some Duplicolor caliper paint. It's about the most durable rattle can paint I have found. The silver/gray color is pretty close to the old Craftsman tool boxes. Let us know how it turns out.
 
hemigremmy

hemigremmy

New Member
#6
#6
After you get it all painted go to a dollar tree store or a cheap store that sells the rubberized drawer liner and buy a big roll of it cut to fit your drawers and it will protect the bottoms of the drawers and keep your tools from sliding around in there. Wipe the drawers out reall good with some thinner or brake cleaner and buy some of the rust conversion paint that kills the rust and nuetralizes it and dot the insides of the drawers. You can buy it as a spray bomb or a brush on, I always use the brush on because it makes for a thicker more durable coating.
Hope this helps you out some.
 
B

Bill Ellerby

New Member
#7
#7
If you are really worried about ruining the paint job from normal use/abuse, try a quality bedliner coating. Exterior also could be done with bedliner. Get one that can be painted over? Good Luck
 
125ccCrazy

125ccCrazy

Well-Known Member
#10
#10
get some chip guard from a automotive paint store, it's used on rocker panels and lower areas of cars to keep stones and road debree from chipping the paint... You can paint it on first and then spray your color or get a clear can of it to go over the paint... It gives it an orange peel effect but thats about as durable as your gonna get in a spray can....You can use the Hammer paint as mentioned above over the chip guard and it will hide some of the peel effect....
 
Mr.GhettoRig

Mr.GhettoRig

Active Member
#11
#11
wow a lot of replies... havent REALLY been on in awhile because of my computer's heat issue... mobile only lets me go so far..

alright for the pic.



(I have the craftsman logo, I just took it off for sanding)

thanks for the advice guys, ill certainly try one of those eventually.. either that or ill just get a brand new snap on tool box :shrug: im in an automotive class and they've got a great deal on snap on tools. 50% off on all snap on products, free shipping. :bowdown:

oh yeah and does anyone know where I can find one of those craftsman drawer clips, im missing one on the bottom drawer and its annoying to have to keep sliding it back on its track.
 
KustomKartKid

KustomKartKid

Administrator
#12
#12
I would save that box...those old Craftsman gray & red boxes are classics....I will post a pic of one we still use for the karts....I was missing a drawer clip too...I just took a piece of spring steel and bent one up to match the others....

you can still get the new Snap-on box...if you're going to be a mechanic your gonna need a WAY bigger box than that....it's always good to have a 2nd "beater" box for the garage, truck etc...............
 
Mr.GhettoRig

Mr.GhettoRig

Active Member
#13
#13
KustomKartKid said:
I would save that box...those old Craftsman gray & red boxes are classics....I will post a pic of one we still use for the karts....I was missing a drawer clip too...I just took a piece of spring steel and bent one up to match the others....

you can still get the new Snap-on box...if you're going to be a mechanic your gonna need a WAY bigger box than that....it's always good to have a 2nd "beater" box for the garage, truck etc...............
Click to expand...
yeah that was the plan, I wouldnt scrap this ol' thing.. did some minor research and I'm guessing its from somewhere around the 70's.. and since its vintage then if I do any paint at all it will be original colors.. the snap-on tool box would be for home and like you said the little craftsman toolbox would probably sit in the trunk of my car (when I someday far away am able to afford one)
 
Mr.GhettoRig

Mr.GhettoRig

Active Member
#15
#15
KustomKartKid said:
go get yourself some "Hammertone" gray spray paint....it will look very close to the original Sears paint........
Click to expand...
wow, that stuff looks really cool... im assuming I could pick some up at lowes :shrug:

then Ill probably just use some red engine enamel for the drawers and use the stuff that hemigremmy recommended on the inside..

does the silver lining on the drawers slide off? it looks like it does but its stuck real good.. either its rust or it was built to be stuck... if I cant get it off ill just tape it.
 
KustomKartKid

KustomKartKid

Administrator
#16
#16
to do a good job you should pull the box all the way down....all the hardware off it...scuff it down real good and shoot it.

We just cleaned ours up with some polishing coumpound as best we could, put new rubber liners in the drawers..and covered it with a bunch of 1960's vintage decals....looks awesome!!!! You might want to try that first unless it's really rusty doesn't look too bad in the pics.....
 
Mr.GhettoRig

Mr.GhettoRig

Active Member
#17
#17
i sanded down all the REALLY bad rust spots.. the inside of the bottom has some seriously thick rust on it.. im surprized it didnt eat through.. I still need to take the tracks out of it, but after that I just wonder if those silver lining on the drawers come off
 
KustomKartKid

KustomKartKid

Administrator
#18
#18
I'll take a look at mine tomorrow....if anything it looks like they might slide off if you tap them on the end with a rubber mallet....but I'm not sure without looking....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top