555
Well-known member
Great job!!! Sorry you didn't get the CL box, it would have been a nice addition. But, in the long run, your box has a better story.
Regards,
John
Regards,
John
Saving a Craftsman Tool Chest
- Thread starter Zeeman
- Start date
damnesia
Well-known member
Nice work. I like threads were people constantly get their projects done You've done a nice job of that and making that box usable again. That is a cool box, first one I've seen in that style.
rickhigginshtbr
Well-known member
Nice work! Mine has a few dings / drill holes that I'm going to have to fill eventually too!
laser3kw
Well-known member
cool stuff.
I get what you did and why.
kind of the "I didn't do it because it's easy - I did it because it was hard"
Farmer J.
Well-known member
Brilliant Job, well done. After the work and skills you have put in, your going to love that box for ever! I look forward to see the drawers done and fitted. Hope you enjoy many years of pleasure using it.
I degreased first, sandblasted, sanded with 100 grit paper, filled the bad places with body filler, primed with Rustoleum rattle can thickness primer, then used body putty on a few places. Next, I sanded with 400 grit, then 600 grit paper. Opps, I actually used the putty, then the primer. The final coats are with rattle can Rustoleum Hammered Gray. That's pretty much it-shortest version I can break it down to. I believe the directions say to put two medium coats on, several minutes apart. I agree that the hammered can be a problem. Here is what I did: One light tack coat, which is just a misting over the whole thing. One medium coat, then another medium coat. It always works best for me if I can get the side I'm painting into the light, so I can actually see the difference in where the wet is going on. If I miss a spot while going across it, I come back right then and try to even it up. I try to make it all the same wet, shiny look all the way across, and keep moving. I let that dry about 5 minutes, and do the same thing all over again. I hope that makes sense. I bet other guys have done this in different ways that works well for them too. This is just how I do it.
Dennis Leigh Henry
Well-known member
Coming together nicely.....
thehorse13
Well-known member
Be especially careful blasting the drawers. Any warpage will significantly impact their operation, and not in a good way.
Walnuts are a great blasting medium for a project like a toolbox. Soda blasting is also excellent but I would stick with walnuts because it's easy to source.
Walnuts are a great blasting medium for a project like a toolbox. Soda blasting is also excellent but I would stick with walnuts because it's easy to source.
Tynee
Well-known member
http://m.harborfreight.com/25-lbs-fine-grade-walnut-shell-blast-media-92155.html
According to the customer reviews, the 24 grit will flow through their 20lb blast Pot, the 12 grit plugs consistently. I have purchased, but haven't gotten to use yet.
According to the customer reviews, the 24 grit will flow through their 20lb blast Pot, the 12 grit plugs consistently. I have purchased, but haven't gotten to use yet.
Toothaker
Well-known member
I've seen the walnut media at HF and HD
http://www.harborfreight.com/25-lbs-fine-grade-walnut-shell-blast-media-92155.html
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Agra-Gri...gclid=CJGgja3Oj9ECFQyHaQodX3sGdA&gclsrc=aw.ds
Make sure the media blaster you are using and the media size are matched, or you'll spend a lot of time unclogging things.
Sorry Tynee, I duplicated your post.
http://www.harborfreight.com/25-lbs-fine-grade-walnut-shell-blast-media-92155.html
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Agra-Gri...gclid=CJGgja3Oj9ECFQyHaQodX3sGdA&gclsrc=aw.ds
Make sure the media blaster you are using and the media size are matched, or you'll spend a lot of time unclogging things.
Sorry Tynee, I duplicated your post.
Mintgrun
Well-known member
... and make sure everything is dry dry dry.
Not much progress to report because I have not been able to sand blast the drawers. I did find one that was not too bad, and I sanded it, primed and painted part of it. I was just itching to see what it would look like. I fixed up the other handle and put on a lock from an old filing cabinet I had. I put some of my sockets in the top to see what all I could get in there comfortably, but I might have to take some out. It's a little crowded for me. First picture is the box I have been working out of.
Oh, I forgot. I cleaned up and polished a a couple of trim pieces.
Oh, I forgot. I cleaned up and polished a a couple of trim pieces.
Tynee
Well-known member
Man, that's gonna look awesome.
taumac
Well-known member
Wow, those side handles came out great. How you do it cause mine where pitied and chrome peeling.
Toothaker
Well-known member
Awe. Some. 
Maybe that's too crowded for you, but to me that looks perfect with that many tools.
Maybe that's too crowded for you, but to me that looks perfect with that many tools.
Mine were really pitted too. I'll try to find a picture of what they looked like to start with. I got pretty aggressive with them: 180 grit, then 220, 320, then 400. I might have even used some 150 to begin with. I finished up with just a little 600. I used a 1/4 sheet sander for some, and then just tore little pieces and sanded by hand. I polished it with some old Craftsman red, stick compound that came with an old tool box I bought. I don't have a dedicated polisher/buffer, so I just used a buffing wheel chucked up in my monster 1/2" drill clamped into my vise.
Some pitts remained, but I chose to stop sanding.
Here is the buffer setup.
Rileysan
Well-known member
Mine were really pitted too. I'll try to find a picture of what they looked like to start with. I got pretty aggressive with them: 180 grit, then 220, 320, then 400. I might have even used some 150 to begin with. I finished up with just a little 600. I used a 1/4 sheet sander for some, and then just tore little pieces and sanded by hand. I polished it with some old Craftsman red, stick compound that came with an old tool box I bought. I don't have a dedicated polisher/buffer, so I just used a buffing wheel chucked up in my monster 1/2" drill clamped into my vise.
Some pitts remained, but I chose to stop sanding.
Here is the buffer setup.
Using the vintage drill to buff the handles is the icing on the cake. Great work and thank you for the fun reading!
Brian
413dan
Well-known member
very nice job. well worth your efforts I'm sure.
Tynee
Well-known member
I don't know about anybody else, but I'm itching for an update.
In the mean time, I'll just leave this here...
http://knoxville.craigslist.org/tls/5915162522.html?lang=en
http://knoxville.craigslist.org/tls/5927000628.html?lang=en
In the mean time, I'll just leave this here...
http://knoxville.craigslist.org/tls/5915162522.html?lang=en
http://knoxville.craigslist.org/tls/5927000628.html?lang=en
Last edited:
Update: Yesterday I got the drawers blasted. I did not have much time, and did not want to wear out my welcome at my friend's shop. I got the small drawers pretty good, and just the fronts and other hard to sand places on the large drawers. The drawer fronts are pretty banged up, so they will need a lot of pounding and then filler. I'll post pictures when I get home from work today.
I got a lot of the rust and two layers of red paint off, but not all of it. I believe with a little more sanding, I can do the body work, prime and paint. Here are three pictures of my favorite drawer in the whole wide world.
And a few shots of what they look like in general. I used a large sandblasting cabinet with very fine media. Not sure what it was called. Then I sanded more with 100 grit paper using a random orbit sander.
And a few shots of what they look like in general. I used a large sandblasting cabinet with very fine media. Not sure what it was called. Then I sanded more with 100 grit paper using a random orbit sander.
INSP380
Well-known member
Oh those drawers are tedious! Been doing one myself, chest is done and started on the lower box. I was able to fit mine in the glass bead cabinet, still a PITA.
Great job, I can't wait to see it done. Watching yours makes me feel lazy about where mine is.
Steve
Great job, I can't wait to see it done. Watching yours makes me feel lazy about where mine is.
Steve
Lookin4'67Galaxieconv
Well-known member
Keep going, Z, you're getting there! 
555
Well-known member
That one drawer is a challenge. I'm sure you will knock it out in no time.
John
John
thehorse13
Well-known member
You've come a long way and thankfully you found yourself a media blasting cabinet. Sanding those drawers by hand would have been an unbelievably aggravating undertaking.
Your friend likely had black beauty extra fine media loaded up in that box. That's nice stuff to have around in cases like this.
Nice work!
Your friend likely had black beauty extra fine media loaded up in that box. That's nice stuff to have around in cases like this.
Nice work!