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1986 Snap-on tool cart Refurbishment

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50of4064

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Mar 24, 2019
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72
Location
Whittier, CA.
Just finished a 1986 Snap-on tool cart refurbishment.
The cart was very rusted and bent up. The caster keeps were worn out and had to buy them after market. The chrome handles were very rusted. They cleaned up nicely with steelwool, liquid silver polish and aluminum foil.
The metal was worked back into shape with hammer and dolly. The trays had very little powder coating left, so it was a lot of sanding, self etching primer and rattle can "Sunrise Red". Vinyl chrome Snap-on stickers.
It even has dimond plate foam liners.
It was a friend's brother's, he was a mechanic. It has a personal connection, making it nicer.
All in all, it was saved from a fate it was not deserving of.
 

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50of4064

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Mar 24, 2019
Messages
72
Location
Whittier, CA.
Here is a before photo.
The wife was using it as a garden cart.
You may be able to see some of the rust in the tray...
 

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Wubicon

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This looks remarkably like a Blue-Point cart I inherited from my dad. The only major difference is the chrome end handles on mine are a single piece and curved rather than right angles.

Cart looks great!
 
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50of4064

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Messages
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Location
Whittier, CA.
Machinehead said:
"Diamond plate foam liners" where did you get those from?
Click to expand...
Your friendly neighborhood Harbor Freight, after shopping many stores, both in store and on-line, looking at thin tool drawer liners, ribbed and non-ribbed, yoga mats, floor mats....all very expensive...it was the last place we looked and there it was...go figure.
 
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5

50of4064

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Messages
72
Location
Whittier, CA.
50of4064 said:
Just finished a 1986 Snap-on tool cart refurbishment.
The cart was very rusted and bent up. The caster keeps were worn out and had to buy them after market. The chrome handles were very rusted. They cleaned up nicely with steelwool, liquid silver polish and aluminum foil.
The metal was worked back into shape with hammer and dolly. The trays had very little powder coating left, so it was a lot of sanding, self etching primer and rattle can "Sunrise Red". Vinyl chrome Snap-on stickers.
It even has dimond plate foam liners.
It was a friend's brother's, he was a mechanic. It has a personal connection, making it nicer.
All in all, it was saved from a fate it was not deserving of.
Click to expand...
 

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Fretters

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South Yorkshire, England
50of4064 said:
I was not thinking to document this project when I started. It just unfolded from, let's knock off the rust and kinda preserve it, and then grew into, well as long as we are here...one area would scream why does he get sanded and not me? So one thing led to another...
Click to expand...

We've probably all been there, at some point. That quick fettle, which turns into a project.

You've made a nice job of that. :thumbup:
 
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Machinehead

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50of4064 said:
Your friendly neighborhood Harbor Freight, after shopping many stores, both in store and on-line, looking at thin tool drawer liners, ribbed and non-ribbed, yoga mats, floor mats....all very expensive...it was the last place we looked and there it was...go figure.
Click to expand...
i know what you mean about those ribbed/non-ribbed ones
 
M

Machinehead

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Jan 10, 2025
Messages
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I think I see them on Harbor Freight, they look like small sizes though. My computer at work wont search on Harbor Freight this week because the IT guy has like all pop ups blocked, except for the ones that cause problems. The security is set too high, again. Anyway I really didnt see it on my phone.
But that restoration looks incredible.
 
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50of4064

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Messages
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Location
Whittier, CA.
Lowes has rubber ribbed matt/runner material back in their flooring section, you can buy it by the running foot off a wide roll for a few dollars a foot....it's about 1/8" thick or so, maybe a little thinner. Home Depot did not have much to offer as far as lining. So there is that.
 
OP
5

50of4064

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Messages
72
Location
Whittier, CA.
50of4064 said:
Lowes has rubber ribbed matt/runner material back in their flooring section, you can buy it by the running foot off a wide roll for a few dollars a foot....it's about 1/8" thick or so, maybe a little thinner. Home Depot did not have much to offer as far as lining. So there is that.
Click to expand...
The dimond matt was not easly located, had to be shown where the three rolls were....under the cement mixer.
 
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50of4064

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Mar 24, 2019
Messages
72
Location
Whittier, CA.
Will check it out, now that this project is finished, I try my hand at replacing the old liners in my boxes..my 20 yr. old thin foam liners are shot...
 
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Wubicon

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Jan 10, 2025
Messages
368
Wubicon said:
This looks remarkably like a Blue-Point cart I inherited from my dad. The only major difference is the chrome end handles on mine are a single piece and curved rather than right angles.

Cart looks great!
Click to expand...
It looks more like the before pics...But still, probably very similar vintage.

IMG_3271.jpg
 
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