Restoring my dad's Mac Tools' boxes

[sabasigh]

Hey, found this site about a week ago and was immediately hooked.

My father was a mechanic for all of the 70's into the mid 80's before his health prevented him from continuing. He built up quite a collection of tools that have unfortunately been mostly lost over the years.

However, I still have his Mac Tools chests that I've decided to dig out of the corner of my garage and pay both him and them the proper respect they deserve by cleaning and repainting them.

The bottom chest is an 8 drawer MB920 I3 and the top chest is a 10 drawer MB9100 J3. There is also a side hanging box, a 5 drawer MB5050 J4.

All items need some serious TLC. I'm notorious for never finishing any project, but hopefully with some guidance from this board, I can see this thing thru till the end.

I've got zero experience prepping and painting items, but my gameplan is to take each box to a "dip & strip" shop, then sand off any remaining rough/rust spots, primer, then paint with MAC Firebrick Red paint out of their catalog. Am I better off trying to find an auto body shop to paint my items?

The drawers are decent, so I'll probably just give them a good cleaning and put them back in.

Any suggestions or things to watch out for would be greatly appreciated.

 

[lbgradwell]

Well, I have no practical advice to offer here, but just wanted to say that is a very cool and worthwhile project & something you will always treasure.

 

[billymade]

You might just buff them out first (cut, buff, wax) and see how they look; you would be surprised how the original paint on many boxes come back to life! If you repaint them correctly, it isn't cheap period; materials and labour are expensive. Powder coating would seem be the ultimate choice but traditional auto paint would be great too; power coating would be more durable. I am in the same boat as you right now; I have a 80's vintage Snap-On service cart; I have sandblasted it (waste of money IMHO, my sandblasting guy was worthless) and sanded it down to the metal; now I am researching paint costs. I have a feeling I may end up spending quite a bit if I do it correctly: metal prep material, sealer and then paint. It is a older really heavy gage cart so in the end it will probably be worth it. If money is no object; having it done professionally is easy, drop it off and pick it up when its done!

 

[justinmc]

My best advice would be to post pics.. let us take a look at the damage you are trying to undo. If they are just faded I'd look at buffing them first.. keep in mind its a single stage paint so if its thin burning through could be an issue. However, you mentioned rust. My suggestion would be to have them soda blasted (someone reputable that won't damage/warp them). Then have someone paint them. Mixing the paint is easy. No reason to buy it from Mac. Any real body shop or body shop supply place can probably match it dead on. Honestly depending on the condition of the box a little cleanup and elbow grease might make them look nicer and more "correct" than a respray. Just something to consider. Its like an old car.. unless its perfect if you respray it you'll just end up with an old car that's got fresh paint and everyone will know it.

Post some pics.. I'm certainly curious to see how they look. Do these have the older style "pulls" in the middle of each drawer with the MAC logo on them? Those should be SS or possibly chrome.. look for pitting/damage to those as well. They can be cleaned/polished or stripped and re-plated. Drawer slides might be worn and need replacing or at least maintence (lube/grease) to get the drawers back to moving nicely.

Should be a fun project... see it through!

 

[billymade]

Here is a link to a sister site that has a cool thread about restoring old toolboxes for inspiration: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=146631&showall=1
You have to register to see the pictures! Really neat stuff in that thread!

 

[stricht8]

If you are notorious for not finishing projects then try by tackling one box at a time and see it to completion. If you want to do it yourself you might even find some rattle can colors that match or are close enough. I have an old cheapo craftsman tool chest where the bottom draw corner rusted away. I cut out the section, fabricated a patch and welded it in. I then painted the whole draw with some red acrylic lacquer rattle can paint from Autozone. It looks just fine and the match to the other draws is close enough.

I've also been working on repainting some vintage 50's steel kitchen cabinets which will end up in my garage. They were white and had a good amout of grime and surface rust on them. The areas where the paint was too dirty or in poor shape I chemically stripped. The rusty areas where treated with naval jelly. I them primed with Rust Oleum white rusty metal primer and top coated with Rust Oleum navy blue spray paint. I applied several coats, wet dry sanded, applied some more and it looks really good.

 

[edl]

 

[Iron-Iceberg]

I have my grandfathers old tool boxes and I wouldn't repaint them for the world. They are all faded and banged up. And every dent and scratch was caused by him. Wear and tear by his hands.
IMHO if you want a new box, get a new box and keep the memories safe.

 

[glenni]

If you are going to repaint/restore this is the process I am currently following:

1) Completly remove all grease and dirt from the paint. Use a good degreaser (better than blasting IMHO) to get as much of the crud off as possible.

2) If rust sports and/or paint in no longer "acceptable" (different view for different folks) then choose a metalic color paint. I went to a body shop and had them custom mix to the color I wanted (helps my neighbor works there).

3) Sand out any rust

4) Carefully tape all non painted surface items. Including handles, crome/aluminum trim,etc. Remove all name plates, badges etc.

5) Only if really bad do you need primer. I was going to be happy with "orange peel" as most toolboxes have that appearence anyway.

6) Dilute the paint with paint thinner to the correct consistency. One quart diluted down was enough to paint bottom cabinet and top chest of 32" wide snap-on chests over 5'5" high with enough leftover for touch-up.

7) Use a 1.4 spray nossle and apply 2 or three paint coats. Mine looked fine after 2 coats. Apply 2 or 3 coats of clear lacquer. We found that to be the right amount for the look we were seeking. Any more and you are prone to spotting etc.

8) Once dry then remove all drawers and clean the glides.

Consider having a shop do the painting if you can afford it. I found it better use of my time to focus on cleaning the inside, but it all depends on your budget. They can tape much better and faster than I can.

Congrats on you diamond in the rough.

As others have said -- post pictures!

-Glenn

 

[chad s]

5) Only if really bad do you need primer. I was going to be happy with "orange peel" as most toolboxes have that appearence anyway.

7) Use a 1.4 spray nossle and apply 2 or three paint coats. Mine looked fine after 2 coats. Apply 2 or 3 coats of clear lacquer. We found that to be the right amount for the look we were seeking. Any more and you are prone to spotting etc.

It is best to always take metal down to bare steel, follow by sanding (I'd use 80 grit, then 180), wax and grease remover, and then prime (not the next day, not next week, right after the metal is sanded and cleaned).

Just because the old paint looks OK, doesnt mean that there isnt currosion under it, with the beginnings of rust underneath. Furthermore, it would be in your best interest to use all of the products from one automotive paint system.

This means that the primer you use is made by the same company as the top coat, and the primer is listed on the P-sheet for the topcoat as an accepted substrate.

You have no idea what the old paint is, or if a current primer is 100% compatible with the old remaining paint. Best thing to do is get the box down to bare clean steel, your paint system will have a primer thats made to go on top of bare steel.

Also, I would NOT use lacquer. Most old tools boxes were painted with a baked on enamel anyway. Lacquer is not nearly as robust and chemical resistant as the current automotive urethanes are.

Todays automotive finishes are very long lasting, have very good hold, and wont crack, peel, or chip as easily as old technology. The only catch is that these paints are formulated with fairly advanced chemistry, and if you want a successful, long lasting finish, you MUST follow the manufactures directions, and (in most applications)you shouldt not mix product with chemicals from another paint line.

Finally, to achieve the most original look, I would use single stage gloss urethane, and not 2 stage bb/cc (base coat and clear coat on top).

 

[billymade]

If you are going to all the effort of going down to the metal; use a "metal prep" product that prepares the bare metal for the next coats; most "systems" have a primer/sealer as the next step and then the top coats. Most failures in painting are due to the preparation steps not being done correctly; your paint jobber should be able to provide the products you need to follow the step by step process the system/brand you choose recommends. Doing things "right" is time consuming and materials are expensive; why do you think the body shops charge so much for their work; its the labour it takes to get the object to the point it is ready for spraying. As my body shop mentor told me 75% of a paint job is prep; no matter how expensive the paint is you use, if the body work underneath is ****, thats exactly how the end result will be. The top most coats "reveal" the body work underneath and it isn't always pretty; take your time do they work correctly in prep and you can have amazing results!

 

[chad s]

If you are going to all the effort of going down to the metal; use a "metal prep" product that prepares the bare metal for the next coats; most "systems" have a primer/sealer as the next step and then the top coats. Most failures in painting are due to the preparation steps not being done correctly; your paint jobber should be able to provide the products you need to follow the step by step process the system/brand you choose recommends. Doing things "right" is time consuming and materials are expensive; why do you think the body shops charge so much for their work; its the labour it takes to get the object to the point it is ready for spraying. As my body shop mentor told me 75% of a paint job is prep; no matter how expensive the paint is you use, if the body work underneath is ****, thats exactly how the end result will be. The top most coats "reveal" the body work underneath and it isn't always pretty; take your time do they work correctly in prep and you can have amazing results!

If you media blast, and be sure that ALL of the rust is gone, and prime immediately, metal prep isnt necessary. If your not sure the rust is totaly gone, metal prep is great, and provides a great tooth for an epoxy sealer or primer to go on.

Metal prep is kind of a pain in the ***, and I honestly would try to avoid it on a toolbox. There are a lot of areas where metal is overlapped and spot welded, it will be extremely hard to be sure all of the metal prep acid is washed off before priming, and that could come around and bite you in the near future.

 

[billymade]

The type of metal prep I used when I worked at a body shop (DuPont) was easy to use, you wiped the bare metal down, you could tell it was doing its job as the cloth you were using had all the impurities on it from the metal, it dried quickly and you went to the primer/sealer stage. I have been out of the biz for a long time so, I am just recalling the system/process/materials from that time (early to mid 90s); the system we used was all Dupont but we changed when we were forced to go water borne. I am not trying to be argumentative but just sharing my own experiences from that time. You local paint jobber would be the best person to tell you what materials, prep stages and which "system" to follow to get the best results.

 

[sabasigh]

Re: Restoring my dad's Mac Tools' boxes [with pix]

The dude abides...albeit with camera phone quality...sorry

Top Chest

The Bottom

The Side chest (drawers are out and I used paint stripper on all exterior sides. When I found some rust in the bottom of the interior, I decided to go ahead and take it to dip & strip, which will be tomorrow)

Some have suggested a good cleaning, however pops painted his boxes a couple times and he was probably more concerned with getting back to work than cleaning, prepping, taping, etc...There's cracked paint, overspray, rust, dings, etc.

I'm not expecting or striving for show quality...I've just neglected it for 15+ years now and am gonna put some shine back in it.

Hey, I can't find a distributor on Mac's website. Is there somewhere else I can look?

And thanks for everyone's suggestions!

 

[chad s]

The type of metal prep I used when I worked at a body shop (DuPont) was easy to use, you wiped the bare metal down, you could tell it was doing its job as the cloth you were using had all the impurities on it from the metal, it dried quickly and you went to the primer/sealer stage. I have been out of the biz for a long time so, I am just recalling the system/process/materials from that time (early to mid 90s); the system we used was all Dupont but we changed when we were forced to go water borne. I am not trying to be argumentative but just sharing my own experiences from that time. You local paint jobber would be the best person to tell you what materials, prep stages and which "system" to follow to get the best results.

I think your talking about "wax and grease remover" most likely. PPG part number DX330. You wipe on with one cloth, and then wipe off with a clean rag, until the clean rag doesnt show any discoloration after wiping.

Metal Prep is an acid treating solution. its a phosphoric acid based product that you spray on the metal, let set for 3-4 minutes, and then wash off with water. The PPG system is 2 products, the first one the metal turn an orange haze after the first acid treatment is washed off, the second you apply, let sit for 2-3 minutes, wash off with water, quickly dry it, and epoxy seal immediately.

Wax an grease remover is an easy step that cleans the metal, metal prep is a messy, pain in the **** step, with possible very bad reactions (down the road) if not performed 100% correctly.

 

[chad s]

Re: Restoring my dad's Mac Tools' boxes [with pix]

Some have suggested a good cleaning, however pops painted his boxes a couple times and he was probably more concerned with getting back to work than cleaning, prepping, taping, etc...There's cracked paint, overspray, rust, dings, etc.

I'm not expecting or striving for show quality...I've just neglected it for 15+ years now and am gonna put some shine back in it.

Hey, I can't find a distributor on Mac's website. Is there somewhere else I can look?

And thanks for everyone's suggestions!

If they arnt original paint anyway, and the paint wasnt well done, and is damaged, by all means, redo them.

But be prepared, this will not be a weekend project. Onve you strip these down to bare metal, and start to work, you have opened up a very big can of worms, that will be very labor intensive (and not cheap if you use good automotive urethanes), but in the end, the results will be very rewarding.

 

[LoneGunman]

No offense, they are YOUR boxes but judging by the pics the only thing I would do is take care of the rust and that's all, so what it has a few dings and runs in the paint, that's what happens when people actually use their boxes.

 

[billymade]

A quick "google" brings up the basic steps to the DuPont refinishing system and it doesn't seem to have changed that much from when I worked at a body shop in the mid 90s.

The DuPont Refinishing System
Refinishing your car is a multi-step process. Restoring your car to a “factory-new” appearance requires the application of quality refinishing systems by a skilled, professional technician.
1. Surface Preparation
After the damaged metal and plastic body areas are repaired, a variety of cleaners and etchers are applied to condition the surface and to ensure adhesion of the paint system.
2. Primers
This is followed by primers which fill crevices and protect against corrosion and rust.
3. Sealers
After sanding, another primer/sealer is applied to provide a uniform, satin-smooth surface.
4. Basecoats
The colorcoat is then applied. DuPont’s color technology and its OEM connection ensures that your car will be restored to its original condition.
5. Clearcoats
Clearcoats are a relatively recent development. The tough, transparent film acts like a magnifying glass to bring out the brilliance of the color, while protecting the pigments in the color coat from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun, from acid rain, and other contaminants. They provide a longer lasting, “mirror-like” finish and are now used on most new factory finishes.

Single stage systems would probably be a better choice for a tool box.

 

[Kevin54]

You could BC/CC (basecoat/clearcoat) the boxes which would look best, but be prepared. Red is the most expensive paint to buy. Next to it is any paint that has red in the formula. Why? No one can tell you. Even the paint jobbers can't fully explain it. But if you have the boxes totally stripped, I would look into powdercoating them. You may have a couple of bills into it, but they were your dads, they will be restored, and it's something that you can always hand down. Powdercoating will be way more durable than paint. You could go with a single stage paint as in DuPont Centari, but painting a main box with single stage might give you a little trouble. The outside won't be bad, but getting everything on the inside might be a little tricky with using a gun and trying to get coverage with paint blowing back. With Base/Clear, you can cut pressure back and not worry too much about runs.

 

[spencerian]

I have my grandfathers old tool boxes and I wouldn't repaint them for the world. They are all faded and banged up. And every dent and scratch was caused by him. Wear and tear by his hands.
IMHO if you want a new box, get a new box and keep the memories safe.

Here here!

 

[Uncle Buck]

No offense, they are YOUR boxes but judging by the pics the only thing I would do is take care of the rust and that's all, so what it has a few dings and runs in the paint, that's what happens when people actually use their boxes.

Very true!

 

[wrenchr]

Re: Restoring my dad's Mac Tools' boxes [with pix]

The dude abides...albeit with camera phone quality...sorry

Top Chest

The Bottom

The Side chest (drawers are out and I used paint stripper on all exterior sides. When I found some rust in the bottom of the interior, I decided to go ahead and take it to dip & strip, which will be tomorrow)

Some have suggested a good cleaning, however pops painted his boxes a couple times and he was probably more concerned with getting back to work than cleaning, prepping, taping, etc...There's cracked paint, overspray, rust, dings, etc.

I'm not expecting or striving for show quality...I've just neglected it for 15+ years now and am gonna put some shine back in it.

Hey, I can't find a distributor on Mac's website. Is there somewhere else I can look?

And thanks for everyone's suggestions!

Hey Dude,
Nice box!!!!

 

[glenni]

Basded on these pictures I would go the minimal route:
Clean/degrease
Sand off any rust sports
prime/paint rust areas with a color as close as possible
Clear coat to seal and protect

I would not go down to the bare metal unless you see big problem areas which are not in evidence in these pictures and not worth the effort (IMHO) based on the conditon I see.

Focus more on the sliders to make sure the drawers slide easily.

These chests look very nice!

-Glenn

 

[Canadian Charlie]

Nice box, looks great