Vintage Craftsman Tool Chest Restoration

[demiandvm]

Picked up a 1950's series 2 draw chest at a yard sale. Sheet metal was very straight and the drawers functioned fine. Soaked the hardware in vinegar and finished them on a wire wheel. Applied phosphoric acid with a brush to the sheet metal rust and used a wire wheel on my drill to remove all rust quite well after loosened by the acid. My understanding is that the phosphoric acid also etches the metal, so I just primed with Rustoleum Rusty metal Primer. Finished with rattle can Hammered Gray from Rustoleum. Now I will wait 2-3 weeks before I finish with 2 coats of clear gloss lacquer.
A BIG Thank You to MShaw for sharing not only his experience , but also some of his stainless Button Head metal screws with me that I used for reattaching the hardware. I feel they look much better than regular pop rivets.

 

[The Cobbler]

nice

 

[bonneyman]

Nice restore!

I, too, use the button head screws in stainless to replace the rivets.

 

[ZRX61]

Got the specs on the screws... or a link?

 

[Farmer J.]

Smart looking box, well done.
I normally get Stainless fasteners from a mail order chap called 'Stig'.. 16 pages of button head screws on his website:

You searched for Button head screw - Stig Fasteners Ltd

a2stainless.co.uk

 

[Farmer J.]

Nice restore!

I, too, use the button head screws in stainless to replace the rivets.

I know someone who rebuilt a Land Rover Defender, and replaced all the 3/16" rivets with stainless 5mm thread Torx head button screws, because "he likes them better"!

 

[RTM]

Smart looking box, well done.
I normally get Stainless fasteners from a mail order chap called 'Stig'.. 16 pages of button head screws on his website:

You searched for Button head screw - Stig Fasteners Ltd

a2stainless.co.uk

Oooh, like those mushroom socket heads for rivet replacements.

Looks like other people call them umbrella head, or furniture connectors.

 

[MovingAlong]

Gorgeous! Real nice work..

 

[bonneyman]

I know someone who rebuilt a Land Rover Defender, and replaced all the 3/16" rivets with stainless 5mm thread Torx head button screws, because "he likes them better"!

Yep, it's all in the "presentation", man! lol

ZRX, here's the kind of screws I use. I get them at Ace Hardware, but they're on-line, too.

Bolt Depot - Socket button head

www.boltdepot.com

 

[joel63]

Picked up a 1950's series 2 draw chest at a yard sale. Sheet metal was very straight and the drawers functioned fine. Soaked the hardware in vinegar and finished them on a wire wheel. Applied phosphoric acid with a brush to the sheet metal rust and used a wire wheel on my drill to remove all rust quite well after loosened by the acid. My understanding is that the phosphoric acid also etches the metal, so I just primed with Rustoleum Rusty metal Primer. Finished with rattle can Hammered Gray from Rustoleum. Now I will wait 2-3 weeks before I finish with 2 coats of clear gloss lacquer.
A BIG Thank You to MShaw for sharing not only his experience , but also some of his stainless Button Head metal screws with me that I used for reattaching the hardware. I feel they look much better than regular pop rivets.

Nice box, nice restore.
I always wonder how boxes get to that condition.

 

[RTM]

I always wonder how boxes get to that condition.

It's easy, unfortunately. I live near a farming community near the great Pacific rust generator. Tool box left in a barn, garage, bed of a truck can look like that in 2-3 years. Farming communities either baby their stuff, or ignore it, new box every 10 yrs is cheaper than the time to clean it weekly