Old box part 1 DONE.

[T56 Impala]

Well, I'm done with part one of Dad's old box.

I'm sorry I don't have photos of the before. As some may know, my GPS was stolen from my car a few weeks ago. It had an SD card in it with all the picture and pictures of ALL of my tools. (I was going to take the pictures to the insurance company the next day.) I'm hoping the local PD can catch the guys and get my pictures back as well as the GPS.

Anyway, Below you will see the results of my work. I know some of you would have done a lot more metal work. I though about it and decided I actually like the used look of it. The dents and dings give it character IMO.

This was all the inside of the box. It was all disassembled, cleaned, blasted, primed, massaged, primed, sanded and painted. All of the lids close tightly and latch. Probably the first time in 50 years! I would like to replace the pop rivets with some other kind, but I have a lot to learn before that happens!

All colours are as close to the original as I could get. The black rails (which were found to be black during blasting) were painted with Rustoleum flat black. The rest of the box was painted with Testors Drab Olive Green. It remains to be seen if the model paint from Testors will hold up for any length of time. After speaking to them, they "claim" it will, but they do not guarantee it will. (They want pictures of the completed box too!)

So, here are the pictures...... (3)

The "white" areas are simply dust from my rubber gloves.

This is really the only other picture I have of the box prior to starting the rework. Sorry it doesn't show the insides.

 

[Paladin]

Looks good! It looks like you took your time and did it right!

 

[T56 Impala]

Thanks. I tried. Being that this is my first try at it, I'm learning as I go. Now, if I can just find someone to blast the main box, I'll be good to go! (Yes, its too big for my little bench top blaster.)

 

[Tlag]

nice job. cool box and it looks like a useful design.

I'm no paint expert, but what I think I know is that one of the big differences between rattle can paint and the automotive mix and spray type is how much faster the mix type cures. You can get a very good finish with rattle can but it can take days, even weeks to truly cure. The mix and spray cures in about a day at most. If you're not adding a clearcoat, its probably not a big deal.

 

[Merkava_4]

Nice work!!

Is the box supposed to be olive drab green?

You're still working on the bottom half huh?

 

[zuspiel]

Great job! Can't wait to see the rest. Didn't you post other "before" shots in some thread here?

 

[stricht8]

Beautious.

 

[nordstar]

Nice work on the box, I have almost the same type of box. I plan on someday doing the same thing you have here. Cant wait to see more.

 

[fatfillup]

Cool, cool, cool. Now does that section set in the top of the bigger box you have pictured last?

 

[T56 Impala]

Yes, it mounts in the top of the big box and cantilevers out with the lid as you open it.

The colour is or should I say, was "Army Green". This was a military issue box during WWII and may have been pre war military issue.

 

[Wiggawam]

You can try come flat clear over the modelers paint, might make it last a bit longer.

 

[lbgradwell]

Looks fantastic! Looking forward to shots of the finished project...

 

[T56 Impala]

Well, I can't find a "pro" to take on my small project and finish the sand blasting. SO....will this work?

I have pulled the gun and existing fittings from my small blasting cabinet. I purchased a longer feed hose and attached the pickup from the cabinet to the new hose.

Now, if I simply put the pickup into the bag of media I have..... and run my air line outside..... will I be able to blast the rest of the box? I really see no reason it can't. I will, of course, were proper safety equipment like a respirator, gloves and eye protection.

 

[john w]

Looks great! I'm glad you were able to find the green that you wanted.

 

[Canadian Charlie]

Nice job looks great

 

[T56 Impala]

You know, I never thought about if I was east or west of 400! We are west of it. Near the Cobb county line.

Thanks for the compliments guys. I'm hoping to have it done by next weekend. I'll "toss" in some of my old tools and snap a few pictures.

On a good note, the local PD caught the guys that stole my Garmin!!!!! They have also recovered my unit!!!! They are not sure if the SD card is still in it or not, but I will be getting the unit back on Monday. My kudos to the Cobb county sheriff's department and the Roswell PD.

 

[Paladin]

T56- Glad to hear your local law enforcement caught the a-hole(s) that stole your Garmin! Good deal!

 

[T56 Impala]

OUCH!!!! Well, I guess I should really pay better attention to suggestions and warnings posted up by forum members!

I hooked up the gun and started to work on the box today. I had my safety glasses on, I checked the area, made sure fittings were tight and I could move around as needed. I forgot one small item though....... GLOVES!

I pulled the trigger and the stuff was bouncing back and hitting my hands. No big deal. It didn't hurt too much so I kept going. Then it happened..... ZAAAAAAPPPPPP! I forgot about the static! Man did that hurt! I don't know how much voltage that built up, but it was MUCH worse than any coil or spark plug I EVER grabbed ahold of! I would say even worse than a 110v jolt.

So, I put everything away and am going to build a temporary box large enough to hold the box. Looks like I'll have to put off working on it for a week or so.

Anyway, pay attention to what other people post. I was warned about static. I didn't listen. I hope YOU listen better than I did.

 

[T56 Impala]

Well, after some creative fabrication, (Cardboard blast "cabinet")and some delays, I have finally finished blasting and priming the main section of the box. I'm hoping to post up some pictures later.

I'm not real sure how it is going to turn out in the long run. I will appreciate it for what it is and what it was. I hope my Dad likes the finished product. Its been interesting for sure. A real learning experience. I guess that is what matters in the end. Enjoying what you are doing. Right?

I've accumulated some period correct tools to go into the box. Not complete by any means, but along with what he gave me, its a pretty good selection. A lot of old, no longer in existence, tool manufactures will be in this box. A few still manufacturing companies are also represented. At least one company I can find no history of at all.

I'll post up the pictures once I get them on Photobucket if anyone is interested.

 

[zuspiel]

Sorry to hear about your "electrifying" experience... I'm glad you enjoyed working on it.

And, yes, I'd love to see pics!