Vegaman_Dan
Well-known member
So you brought home those nifty tool chests you got on sale and are happily staring at them in all their glossy beauty. Such wonderful paint, perfect condition, everything in place. It seems like such a waste to even USE them since you know the first time you put anything on top of that glossy top, you'll scratch the surface up.
But why do that? We use drawer liners in the drawers to protect the finish and dampen the sounds of tools rattling around. Why isn't there a similar liner on the top? Usually such a chest would have a top box on it covering it up, but in a case like mine, I've bolted two lower chests together to make a cart out of them, so no top chests are in the way. This needs to be a work surface and it will be exposed to automotive parts, cleaning chemicals, lubricants, and just overall nasty crud. It was time for a simple cleanable solution.
At the local box store I picked up a short roll of ribbed black vinyl carpet runner material. A six foot piece cost $12 precut, though it's about $2.25 a foot otherwise. It's very easy to cut with an utility knife and fits nicely in the recessed areas of the top. I used a heat gun to warm up the material to get rid of the curl it picks up from being rolled up, though you could do the same by putting it out in the sun for a short time. You just want to get it flexible enough to have it lay flat and take on the new shape of its home.
The advantage of this is being cheap, very quick, and easy. While you could glue it in place with contact adhesive, I prfer to leave them loose with the box's sides keeping it in place. This way you can easily pull it off for cleaning if you need to later.
I've done this in the past to other work surfaces and it really cleans up a space quick. I'm considering redoing my workbench top with this material since it's durable, cheap, and replaceable.
Original exposed tool box tops:
Covered with vinyl ribbed carpet runner:
Closeup of the top. Looks like something the OEM might have done- or should have!
But why do that? We use drawer liners in the drawers to protect the finish and dampen the sounds of tools rattling around. Why isn't there a similar liner on the top? Usually such a chest would have a top box on it covering it up, but in a case like mine, I've bolted two lower chests together to make a cart out of them, so no top chests are in the way. This needs to be a work surface and it will be exposed to automotive parts, cleaning chemicals, lubricants, and just overall nasty crud. It was time for a simple cleanable solution.
At the local box store I picked up a short roll of ribbed black vinyl carpet runner material. A six foot piece cost $12 precut, though it's about $2.25 a foot otherwise. It's very easy to cut with an utility knife and fits nicely in the recessed areas of the top. I used a heat gun to warm up the material to get rid of the curl it picks up from being rolled up, though you could do the same by putting it out in the sun for a short time. You just want to get it flexible enough to have it lay flat and take on the new shape of its home.
The advantage of this is being cheap, very quick, and easy. While you could glue it in place with contact adhesive, I prfer to leave them loose with the box's sides keeping it in place. This way you can easily pull it off for cleaning if you need to later.
I've done this in the past to other work surfaces and it really cleans up a space quick. I'm considering redoing my workbench top with this material since it's durable, cheap, and replaceable.
Original exposed tool box tops:
Covered with vinyl ribbed carpet runner:
Closeup of the top. Looks like something the OEM might have done- or should have!
