Famous Tool Guy
Member
What is the best way to go about painting my tool box? It is currently red, however I would like to go jet black, like a gloss
Wanting to paint my tool box
- Thread starter Famous Tool Guy
- Start date
ZRX61
Well-known member
Best? Have it powder coated.
454ragtop
Well-known member
The best way would be to spray it with a gun. If you don't want to do that, I just had excellent results painting a box with a foam roller. Pics here http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=241168 I used Rustoleum Professional grade enamel, and mixed in some Penetrol. Very happy with the results.
Jim
Jim
OP
Famous Tool Guy
Member
I would like to have it powder coated but don't want to spend that kind of money. 454 your box looks really nice!! Did you just sand it down to metal and primer?
ZRX61
Well-known member
How big is the box?
brit road garage
Banned
remove draws sand blast, gun it or powder coat it and remember to remove the slides before sand blasting
You asked for the best? Good fast cheap, pick two.
I've had good luck shooting rustoleum quarts out of a spray gun. Like most painting jobs it is all in the prep work.
OP
Famous Tool Guy
Member
The box is only 26" wide & 43" Tall
454ragtop
Well-known member
I only painted the outside, and that was because someone before did a really poor paint job. I used a DA to sand down to the original paint, then just painted over that. The bottom drawer had a couple spot welds that had failed, so I rewelded it, and then primed just those spots.
Jim
chipper
Well-known member
Did you thin it? What tip did you use? I wanted to try this on a sewing machine cabinet....to the op I painted a HF cart using painters touch spray cans and then shot it with chromaclear and it held up great..then I sold it
Deskmechanic
Well-known member
I sprayed the frame of my truck when I restored it with rustoleum. Thinned about 20% with laquer thinner. It still looks good 2 years later. Used the smaller tip with my finish line HVLP gun (1.2 I think?)
Yes I thin with acetone ~25% just enough so it will flow smooth. I use the "better" HF gun which IIRC is a 1.4 tip. It is much more economical than using a bunch of rattle cans. Downside is if you keep changing colors. I know others use different things to thin with or even add hardener, but since I spray outside with just a basic respirator the acetone and no hardener probably adds a few years to my life.
famous tool guy- everyone so far has given some solid advice, but....
can you show a pic of your box?
you have a 26" box. that's a normal size box.
is it new(ish)?
is it old? is it very old?
is it a base/top combo?
is it a hand me down from dad/grand-dad/uncle?
is it a high $ box or a cheap(subjective)box?
I aint being a **** or judgemental i'm just trying to get a grip on what you want to end up with.
do you just want to customize/personalize yer box?
powder coat is great, but it's silly to spend a couple hundred bucks on a hundred dollar box.
I've been drinking
so I hope this post made sense and didn't make me appear a jerk.
show a pic and we'll give even better advise.
were all whores for tool box pix.
can you show a pic of your box?
you have a 26" box. that's a normal size box.
is it new(ish)?
is it old? is it very old?
is it a base/top combo?
is it a hand me down from dad/grand-dad/uncle?
is it a high $ box or a cheap(subjective)box?
I aint being a **** or judgemental i'm just trying to get a grip on what you want to end up with.
do you just want to customize/personalize yer box?
powder coat is great, but it's silly to spend a couple hundred bucks on a hundred dollar box.
I've been drinking
so I hope this post made sense and didn't make me appear a jerk.show a pic and we'll give even better advise.
were all whores for tool box pix.
OP
Famous Tool Guy
Member
famous tool guy- everyone so far has given some solid advice, but....
can you show a pic of your box?
you have a 26" box. that's a normal size box.
is it new(ish)?
is it old? is it very old?
is it a base/top combo?
is it a hand me down from dad/grand-dad/uncle?
is it a high $ box or a cheap(subjective)box?
I aint being a **** or judgemental i'm just trying to get a grip on what you want to end up with.
do you just want to customize/personalize yer box?
powder coat is great, but it's silly to spend a couple hundred bucks on a hundred dollar box.
I've been drinking
show a pic and we'll give even better advise.
were all whores for tool box pix.
Hahah you didn't seem like a jerk at all!
No worries. I only paid about $150 for the box new..
Its a Waterloo Shop Series. So yes, its a cheapy!
I'm more or less just wanting to do this project for fun and I do not like the Red.
I would like to primarily cover the box in black, with an accent color.
Box is brand new.
<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=1042gkz" target="_blank"><img src="http://i61.tinypic.com/1042gkz.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
Steinmetz
Well-known member
Agree.
Good tips here (and 454's box looks amazing, even more so given he did it so quickly) but I'd recommend a single stage urethane if you want near powercoat toughness and good gloss. Pro-Painter gave me that advice and it's some of the best I ever received here.
Summit Racing sells fairly inexpensive stuff that's good-- $25 per quart or thereabouts, plus $20 for activator.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-up600/overview/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-up101/overview/
SSU is a different beast from rustoleum so if you go that route spray in a well ventilated area and absolutely use a respirator. One advantage: urethane cures much faster than oil-based paint.
If you really want to do it right a good primer will help too-- check Summit for that, or go with Southern Polyurethane if you don't mind spending a few bucks. Good luck.
Summit Racing sells fairly inexpensive stuff that's good-- $25 per quart or thereabouts, plus $20 for activator.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-up600/overview/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-up101/overview/
SSU is a different beast from rustoleum so if you go that route spray in a well ventilated area and absolutely use a respirator. One advantage: urethane cures much faster than oil-based paint.
If you really want to do it right a good primer will help too-- check Summit for that, or go with Southern Polyurethane if you don't mind spending a few bucks. Good luck.
Good luck on your box! That will be a fun project.
I'm getting ready to redo an antique box for the first time and I'm really glad I read this post. I was seriously looking at sandblasters, but I don't know how to take the slides out. Duh! Very good tip - that would have been bad!