How do y'all paint your cabinets and boxes

[BuickFarmer]

The last tool box I painted, an old Mac, I spent no less than a week stripping, cleaning, priming and painting. I have a couple of military surplus file cabinets, two flat file cabinets, an old tanker bookcase, and a wall of old lab cabinets I need to start working on. While I love the way the old Mac came out, I do not wish to spend the time on these cabinets as I did on the Mac.

I am thinking along the lines of lightly sanding the outsides and just shooting the drawers on the inside and maybe only to the extent of what can be seen while they are closed.

Would like to hear you all's thoughts on this as well as how you sand, what grit etc., do you use a primer over existing paint or ?, do you use rattle cans or roll it on or combination roll and brush or? What type of paint, primer etc.

here's some pictures of the old Mac, in rattle can Buick Engine Green...

I mean I really don't have time to go to this extent of prep and paint for what all I have to do, all whilst building the garage. So, any short cuts and suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[JMLangford]

NICE!!!!.....love the color

You did a great job

 

[nine4gmc]

That box looks pretty amazing, like you mentioned though it's a lot of work. For the other cabinets you mentioned, I would just thoroughly wash them, then scuff and shoot what you can see with the drawers closed. Make sure that you want them painted though, I have a couple cabinets that I regretted painting afterwards. Some vintage appeal is pleasing and a nice mix of new paint and old patina in the shop won't hurt. jmo...

 

[stikman56]

Never done one, but if I was going to and I left the paint on, I would finish sanding it with 400 grit, apply a primer sealer and paint it with acrylic enamel, because I like the shine and would have some concern of bleed-through from the existing paint. Sealer should take care of that issue. If it was bare metal, I'd use a lacquer primer surfacer sand with 400 and paint. I'm kinda old school when it comes to painting. Everyone has their preferred ways when it comes to the topic of painting.

 

[creativecars]

I kinda agree with Stikman. Sand, seal and shoot. To save some money on some things I have been using some of the Rustoleum with acrylic enamel hardener. I used the black on a trailer and tinted some red to match a cabinet, both came out nice and should be pretty durable. Have also used their rusty metal primer and clean metal primer with good success. It is all about the preparation, and from the looks of that MAC, you understand that. I wire brushed, wiped with thinner, primed, scotch brited and painted.

 

[BearsFan315]

Wow, that turned OUT NICE !!

 

[meier motor sports]

that looks great. i bought a dinged up mastercraft box on craigslist for $150. added wheels removed the handles scuffed it up with a green scotch bright and the wiped it all down with brake clean and a towel and then just rattle can painted it flat black.

 

[arz71]

The last tool box I painted, an old Mac, I spent no less than a week stripping, cleaning, priming and painting. I have a couple of military surplus file cabinets, two flat file cabinets, an old tanker bookcase, and a wall of old lab cabinets I need to start working on. While I love the way the old Mac came out, I do not wish to spend the time on these cabinets as I did on the Mac.

I am thinking along the lines of lightly sanding the outsides and just shooting the drawers on the inside and maybe only to the extent of what can be seen while they are closed.

Would like to hear you all's thoughts on this as well as how you sand, what grit etc., do you use a primer over existing paint or ?, do you use rattle cans or roll it on or combination roll and brush or? What type of paint, primer etc.

here's some pictures of the old Mac, in rattle can Buick Engine Green...

I mean I really don't have time to go to this extent of prep and paint for what all I have to do, all whilst building the garage. So, any short cuts and suggestions will be appreciated.

Looks AWESOME love MAC tools!!!

 

[C96]

Nice job, but I’m liking the sad looking Buick in the back round

 

[stikman56]

BTW,hell of a nice job on that. Looks fantastic.

 

[ryanm]

wow! that MAC box turned out nice. thanks for sharing

 

[countryroad82]

That MAC box turned out beautiful!!! As for the cabinets and such, in my shop I wanted all my cabinets one color but I wasn't going to go through the trouble of doing them right. So I wiped them down with laquer thinner after they were cleaned off and painted them. 7 years later they still look pretty good for no prep work!!

 

[taumac]

WOW, great job. I never when to the lengths you went to paint a box. I usually done just the outside, drawer fronts and just inside the jams.

 

[Eriehunter]

I take the drawers out and remove the handles, I use a DA air sander on the flat areas, quick hand sand the areas I can't get with the DA. Prime, scuff and spray with my $10 HF LV spray gun.

I used the rustoleum safety red paint, things look good but that stuff is super sticky, everything in my shop is red

 

[VCaddy]

Wow, nice paint job. I'm feeling kinda lazy for the quick job I did on my box now.

 

[Hammer1963]

The finished product looks great! Love the color!

 

[killahog]

Buicks the Mac Box looks great, I have a Mac that needs the same attention and I was wondering if one could use a sandblaster to remove the paint. Im asking you because I noticed one in your garage. I know the parts wouldent fit inside but there is a guy down the road from me who is advertising sandblasting . I dont have any experiance with one and would like to know if the procedure pits or leaves the surface with any noticeable damage. Thanks

 

[jon72vega]

Really fine job!

 

[cbacres]

Great job on the MAC, I could strip any down to steel like that without it rusting before I primered. That is one quality paint job you did.

I've just been sanding with a DA, up to 320 I think, feather in any scraps and gouges, wipe down with acetone or lacquer thinner and spray with Rust Oleum direct to metal. I've had good luck like this.

I also just do the faces and edges of the drawers, the jamb and of course the cabinet itself.

Here is a Vidmar I did a couple of years ago.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Wow, that is one pretty box - nice work, too, the color reminds me of that "aquamarine blue" that Ford optioned in the mid to late 60's... I think I would have media blasted it (lightly) as that's a **lot** of work sanding it down, but gosh, the result was WAY worth it!

 

[csp]

Buicks the Mac Box looks great, I have a Mac that needs the same attention and I was wondering if one could use a sandblaster to remove the paint. Im asking you because I noticed one in your garage. I know the parts wouldent fit inside but there is a guy down the road from me who is advertising sandblasting . I dont have any experiance with one and would like to know if the procedure pits or leaves the surface with any noticeable damage. Thanks

Sandblasting has the potential to heat and warp sheetmetal. Most sheetmetal blasting is done with a less aggressive media other than sand. Plastic, baking soda, walnut shells, etc. is much safer.