Rusted top Kennedy
- Thread starter natas2000
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Mike'smeatshop
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No. Just get some WD-40 and some real light sandpaper and away you go. I do it all the time.
Mintgrun
Well-known member
Is this a smooth paint, or textured?
Have you tried soapy water yet? Sometimes what looks like surface rust is just dirty rust dust sitting on top of the paint.
Have you tried soapy water yet? Sometimes what looks like surface rust is just dirty rust dust sitting on top of the paint.
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
Dawn dish detergent scrub with a nylon bristle brush if textured. A
light scrub with a scotchbrite type dish scrub pad and WD40 if smooth. If the rust color is stubborn you could try a vinegar scrub, then a wet sponge blot or rub. Dry thoroughly.
light scrub with a scotchbrite type dish scrub pad and WD40 if smooth. If the rust color is stubborn you could try a vinegar scrub, then a wet sponge blot or rub. Dry thoroughly.
RTM
Well-known member
Don’t remove the paint if you can avoid it. Kennedy wants a first-born son for a single can of spray paint. Once you get it clean and dry, a clear spray top coat with a matte finish will slow the rust a bit.
Mike'smeatshop
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I have used WD-40 and fine steel wool on gun barrels all my life without losing very little bluing enough to notice. Now if you are going for show room look?
So I went and picked it up for $75 with some tools in it. Maybe you can see the finish, Yes its filthy.
It is the brown wrinkle finish, Also found a receipt from Home Depot from 1990.
It is the brown wrinkle finish, Also found a receipt from Home Depot from 1990.
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Mintgrun
Well-known member
Thanks for the photos. That looks like it will clean up nicely. The top is a little rusty, but once washed, it should look okay; since their paint is close to rust-brown. It's nice that it still has the front cover.
Simple green works well on some stains/old paint spots.
Simple green works well on some stains/old paint spots.
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
If you got both upper and lower for $75 you did ok. The 520 upper chest goes for around $75 and up around here, usually $100 or more. A good scrub cleaning will make a noticeable difference. Some of the stains look like soft drink splatter. I keep a spray bottle of Awesome cleaner for $1.25 from Dollar General near at all times in the shop to clean things with.
d42jeep
Well-known member
The lower box looks quite a bit like mine, which I like a lot. How about a few more pictures of it after cleaning?
-Don
-Don
Yep just like yours. It will take me awhile but I'll get it restored, Those look great.The lower box looks quite a bit like mine, which I like a lot. How about a few more pictures of it after cleaning?
-Don
d42jeep
Well-known member
Thanks. I have a Kennedy with plenty of finish issues as well. I’ve never figured out if I want to refinish it so I cleaned it up a little and left it alone. Maybe someday.
-Don
-DonOccupantRJ
Well-known member
I used my 520 at work for 30 years and retired. I built this layout bench that was longer so I gave it to my son and bought a larger one for $75 because it fit the length of the bench better and had a couple more drawers.
So I started cleaning it up. I removed all the excess parts and tools out of it and then vacuumed it. Vacuuming cleaned it up well.
Then I washed it and that didn't help much except on the aluminum handles on the roll cab.
So I tried Krud Kutter and that really helped.
But in the pictures there is a white shadow on the bottom that disappears when cleaned and comes back?
Also there's a few paint spots that wont clean off.
Not sure what to do about that?
WD-40? doesn't that evaporate or it doesn't matter because it will remove the stains?
Also there are chips of paint missing that have rust and some patches of rust. Do I clean it and do I need to put something on those spots?
First pictures shows the shadow. Second show fingerprints that don't disappear that seem to be paint maybe, There's few areas like that.
Then I washed it and that didn't help much except on the aluminum handles on the roll cab.
So I tried Krud Kutter and that really helped.
But in the pictures there is a white shadow on the bottom that disappears when cleaned and comes back?
Also there's a few paint spots that wont clean off.
Not sure what to do about that?
WD-40? doesn't that evaporate or it doesn't matter because it will remove the stains?
Also there are chips of paint missing that have rust and some patches of rust. Do I clean it and do I need to put something on those spots?
First pictures shows the shadow. Second show fingerprints that don't disappear that seem to be paint maybe, There's few areas like that.
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driftpin
Well-known member
Looks like it's cleaning up OK. Others have better ideas than I do to help take care of the finish.
I found a Kennedy workbench I re-worked. It was set outside by the curb in an industrial warehouse district, so free. It was obviously assembled by an "I know what I'm doing, I don't need to read the instructions" person, I assume to be male, but I dunno, nor do I care. At least they didn't start cutting things "to make it fit."
I looked in CL & ebay to see if there was anything similar, and I found one for $500 asking price, not asn nice as mine after I added my mods. The 2" X 4" framing made it much-more sturdy.
I found a Kennedy workbench I re-worked. It was set outside by the curb in an industrial warehouse district, so free. It was obviously assembled by an "I know what I'm doing, I don't need to read the instructions" person, I assume to be male, but I dunno, nor do I care. At least they didn't start cutting things "to make it fit."
I looked in CL & ebay to see if there was anything similar, and I found one for $500 asking price, not asn nice as mine after I added my mods. The 2" X 4" framing made it much-more sturdy.
Nice find and for free, Looks in great shape.
I'm going to try the WD-40 route or I have a lot of left over Triflow that I could try.
But I may try Flood Penetrol. Just saw a few videos about that stuff. Looks like it can fix most anything?
I'm going to try the WD-40 route or I have a lot of left over Triflow that I could try.
But I may try Flood Penetrol. Just saw a few videos about that stuff. Looks like it can fix most anything?
fishwatcher
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Go for it either way. WD-40 js what Kennedy recommends. I used Krud Kutter for Rust as well on mine and I liked the results. I never did use touch up paint afterwards for the bare spots.. just some foaming cleaner, WD-40 at some point and Meguiar’s Cleaner Wax. 
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So I started to clean it up again.
Took all drawers out/all slides
-I washed it with soap and water, both boxes even the bottoms and wheels. Lots of dirt still but didn't make it look cleaner.
-I wiped it all down again with Krud Kutter. Again not much change in look.
-I tried Acetone on some mark that look like sharpie. That was a very bad idea! Took the hammer part of the finish off in that spot.
-I tried Goof Off at first it did nothing, then on a spot on the bottom it ate the paint off. It will be covered by a drawer liner but another bad idea!
-Covered everything and every drawer with lube. That seemed to help.
Well... then I get it in the sun, and the top box mainly looks like something dripped all over it. Maybe its a stain? The guy looked like he was doing some kind of picture developing in the 80's. Maybe some thing from that.
So it looks greasy a watery paint on the drawers. Whit dots here and there and a blob of grey paint on the top box.
Nothing changes this that I have done so far unless I want to damage the paint.
What could I try?
Could I use a polish compound?
I might just put it in a dark corner.
Took all drawers out/all slides
-I washed it with soap and water, both boxes even the bottoms and wheels. Lots of dirt still but didn't make it look cleaner.
-I wiped it all down again with Krud Kutter. Again not much change in look.
-I tried Acetone on some mark that look like sharpie. That was a very bad idea! Took the hammer part of the finish off in that spot.
-I tried Goof Off at first it did nothing, then on a spot on the bottom it ate the paint off. It will be covered by a drawer liner but another bad idea!
-Covered everything and every drawer with lube. That seemed to help.
Well... then I get it in the sun, and the top box mainly looks like something dripped all over it. Maybe its a stain? The guy looked like he was doing some kind of picture developing in the 80's. Maybe some thing from that.
So it looks greasy a watery paint on the drawers. Whit dots here and there and a blob of grey paint on the top box.
Nothing changes this that I have done so far unless I want to damage the paint.
What could I try?
Could I use a polish compound?
I might just put it in a dark corner.