WilliamT081423
Member
Hello everyone,
My younger brother died a couple of years ago, and I found this Craftsman 65336 date stamped 11/79 toolbox in his garage. I don't recall him ever talking about it or receiving it as a gift, and while his garage had a concrete floor, it wasn't sealed in any way, so moisture was able to intrude and caused rusting to begin. Before I gave the box a washing with car wash soap and a sponge, the paint appeared to have been damaged by brake fluid.
In case anyone wonders, I removed the drawers so I could clean them separately and did not put them back on so everyone could see the inner chamber of the box. Also, I have ordered what appears to be the correct red inner tray from a seller on eBay.
Now, I'm not interested in restoring the box to like-new or showroom condition, but would like to stop as much of the rust as possible, improve its appearance, and allow it to be used and appreciated. My brother would have wanted it that way.
I'm thinking about sanding the rust off the bottom and painting it with truck bed paint to make it tougher. As far as the rest of the box goes, I know the exact color and texture of paint isn't available, but something similar might be nice.
Any thoughts? Working on a toolbox is pretty new to me, so any help would be appreciated.
Thank you,
-William
My younger brother died a couple of years ago, and I found this Craftsman 65336 date stamped 11/79 toolbox in his garage. I don't recall him ever talking about it or receiving it as a gift, and while his garage had a concrete floor, it wasn't sealed in any way, so moisture was able to intrude and caused rusting to begin. Before I gave the box a washing with car wash soap and a sponge, the paint appeared to have been damaged by brake fluid.
In case anyone wonders, I removed the drawers so I could clean them separately and did not put them back on so everyone could see the inner chamber of the box. Also, I have ordered what appears to be the correct red inner tray from a seller on eBay.
Now, I'm not interested in restoring the box to like-new or showroom condition, but would like to stop as much of the rust as possible, improve its appearance, and allow it to be used and appreciated. My brother would have wanted it that way.
I'm thinking about sanding the rust off the bottom and painting it with truck bed paint to make it tougher. As far as the rest of the box goes, I know the exact color and texture of paint isn't available, but something similar might be nice.
Any thoughts? Working on a toolbox is pretty new to me, so any help would be appreciated.
Thank you,
-William
