allinon72
Well-known member
That looks excellent!
Harbor freight tool box repaint
- Thread starter cdan03
- Start date
That looks excellent!
Talk about being oversensitive. 
Pro-Painter
Well-known member
Their are other cost effective, DIY coatings that are as strong and durable as powder coat.
Automotive grade 2k Urethane such as DuPont Nason or Imron,PPG omni or even TCPglobal Restoration-shop are very durable single stage/two component paints that most anyone with an air compressor and spray gun can spray with a little practice.
Ive sprayed a few tool boxes, wheels, heavy equipment, brake & chassis parts and other parts where durability and high gloss is a must.
Ive had nothing but great results, Even aluminum wheels that see years of abuse from road debris and tire changers hold up just fine.
Urethane paints are high gloss, single stage paints that require the use of a catalyst to harden and cure. They come in almost any color and can be ordered in low cost factory pre-packaged colors, or custom mixed in
solid colors, metallics, pearls, and even low gloss or flat colors.
They are solvent & UV resistant and have a high D.O.I (Depth of image).
With any finish, prep is the key to success. And as long as you don't want to paint the HF box white, the red powder coat will work very well as a primer. It will sand flat with a orbital sander and fine grit disc's rather quickly and will be a great foundation for paint to stick. Since tool boxes see a lot of grease, every area to be painted need to be clean very well with A strong
degreaser such as purple power, and then cleaned with acetone OR a paint prep. DON'T use Lacquer thinner or MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) because they are semi oil based and will leave a film behind that can cause the paint not to stick well.
For older boxes, with chipped or peeling coatings it would be best to remove the original coating and start from the bare metal. You can do this either by sanding, sand blasting, or chemical strippers.
Bare metal needs to be primed before paint. Epoxy primers or self etch primers work best for bare metal.
The cost can range from $60 to $500 depending on size and the shape of the original box.
If you decide to paint the box yourself, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or need advice.
Automotive grade 2k Urethane such as DuPont Nason or Imron,PPG omni or even TCPglobal Restoration-shop are very durable single stage/two component paints that most anyone with an air compressor and spray gun can spray with a little practice.
Ive sprayed a few tool boxes, wheels, heavy equipment, brake & chassis parts and other parts where durability and high gloss is a must.
Ive had nothing but great results, Even aluminum wheels that see years of abuse from road debris and tire changers hold up just fine.
Urethane paints are high gloss, single stage paints that require the use of a catalyst to harden and cure. They come in almost any color and can be ordered in low cost factory pre-packaged colors, or custom mixed in
solid colors, metallics, pearls, and even low gloss or flat colors.
They are solvent & UV resistant and have a high D.O.I (Depth of image).
With any finish, prep is the key to success. And as long as you don't want to paint the HF box white, the red powder coat will work very well as a primer. It will sand flat with a orbital sander and fine grit disc's rather quickly and will be a great foundation for paint to stick. Since tool boxes see a lot of grease, every area to be painted need to be clean very well with A strong
degreaser such as purple power, and then cleaned with acetone OR a paint prep. DON'T use Lacquer thinner or MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) because they are semi oil based and will leave a film behind that can cause the paint not to stick well.
For older boxes, with chipped or peeling coatings it would be best to remove the original coating and start from the bare metal. You can do this either by sanding, sand blasting, or chemical strippers.
Bare metal needs to be primed before paint. Epoxy primers or self etch primers work best for bare metal.
The cost can range from $60 to $500 depending on size and the shape of the original box.
If you decide to paint the box yourself, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or need advice.