redoing a hand box

[coonhunter]

I picked up a few (5) hand boxes from my granddad's shop this past week and I am going to redo them. I am going to start with the smallest one first. I could use some tips on how to go about reworking it. It has a fair amount of dents in the top, and I want to strip the paint and redo it in a light blue hammered finish. It is not in real bad shape, only some surface rust, dirt and grime as well as the dents.

I will post some pics of my progress, as well as my finds. I picked up a lot of old tools while I was there, I will also post those with some questions soon.

 

[Fretters]

Tips on which points specifically?

 

[My Junk is Stuff]

Strip it, weld up anything that needs it, straighten it out, clean it, prime it and paint it.. that's all I did to this old Huot top box. Go to it!!

I used a 4" and a 6" angle grinder with cupped wire wheel, hand wire brushes, scrappers, sand paper rustoleum auto primer, and the original color matching Hammered paint for this box. Polished the chrome stuff with Brasso.

 

[Zeke]

You're going to need to learn metal bumping, specifically shrinking techniques.

 

[coonhunter]

Well, I am working with a wire wheel right now to strip the paint off, so I have paint removal covered. I have got the dents to an acceptable level. This will be a working box and will ride in the car all the time, so perfection is not necessary. I am going to try and take all the paint off. Should I use primer on it before painting it? I would like to go back with the original light blue hammered finish, but looks like that color is not available. I will try the polish on the hardware, should this be done before or after painting? I really want the paint to last, so any tips on getting a long lasting paint job would be appreciated.

 

[My Junk is Stuff]

I seem to have better luck when using a primer underneath, doesn't have to be thick, just good coverage. Then you can go several coats if needed with the top coat.

Probably the most important thing is to make sure the metal surface is very clean. Use some mineral spirits or accetone, or some degreaser to make sure that every bit of that box is clean and then don't touch it before you paint it. If you go down to bare metal, clean it prime and paint several good even coats, you'll be just fine.

The hammertone finish is a bit tricky, at least for me. That blue on my Huot is hammered, I just didn't do a good enough job of getting it thick enough to hammer. Too thick and it freakin runs so it's a fine line. Also if you do a bunch of thin coats, it won't hammer either. The wire wheel gets the big areas fast, I used the sand paper and scraper for the inner corners and stuff. I didn't want to see layers of old paint under my new paint and figured if I am going to spend time feathering it, I might as well remove it.

It's not a five minute job, but it isn't really that bad. It was all the stinking drawers that took a lot of time.

I removed all the handles and drawer pulls and put em back on after painting the box. To me that was easier than taping off, but you have to judge when it might be just easier for you to tape a part off rather than remove it.

I guess I forgot a step in my description, if your box has drawers, you need to eyeball the tracks, runners and stuff and make sure they are all straight and aligned, but I guess that goes without saying. A lot of guys will get some green felt from the craft stores and use that on the bottom of the drawers after the paint is cured. I need to complete that step for several boxes.

 

[azhatchback]

Strip it, weld up anything that needs it, straighten it out, clean it, prime it and paint it.. that's all I did to this old Huot top box. Go to it!!

I used a 4" and a 6" angle grinder with cupped wire wheel, hand wire brushes, scrappers, sand paper rustoleum auto primer, and the original color matching Hammered paint for this box. Polished the chrome stuff with Brasso.

That is a awesome box!

 

[My Junk is Stuff]

That is a awesome box!

Thanks azhatchback! I must be a glutton since I am in the middle of doing another one right now

 

[zkling]

Strip it, weld up anything that needs it, straighten it out, clean it, prime it and paint it.. that's all I did to this old Huot top box. Go to it!!

I used a 4" and a 6" angle grinder with cupped wire wheel, hand wire brushes, scrappers, sand paper rustoleum auto primer, and the original color matching Hammered paint for this box. Polished the chrome stuff with Brasso.

You make it sound so easy.

 

[My Junk is Stuff]

You make it sound so easy.

Notice I did not mention a total time spent I probably putzed around on it for a couple of weeks an hour or two at a time... I remember sweating my a$$ off... Heck, with all the projects I start and then forget about for a year or two, I'm amazed it got this far done

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Thanks azhatchback! I must be a glutton since I am in the middle of doing another one right now

You're not the only one.

 

[uniballer]

Got any pics of what you found so far?