Stanley Box Customization

[VulpX[TK]]

Inspired by some posts in this topic, I decided to take my own shot at customizing my new Stanley 190L transport box. This is a WIP, so I'll update the thread as I move along with the project.

 

The Box:

 

 

I started with some internal padding. I had a troop yesterday that I wanted to attend with the box. But I got the box last Tuesday which meant there was no time to so the painting, but I did want to transport my new armor in a secure way. So I did the padding first, painting second. 

 

For padding I used sound insulation sheets. 

 

 

Really nice stuff. I trust it will protect the contents of the box very well.

 

I glued this stuff with expanded polystyrene glue. I got it from Bison. Great stuff. You apply it with a spatula.

 

 

And this is the result:

 

 

 

Now it's onto the nice exterior customization part.

 

First I sanded down all the surfaces that I want to paint. I started with 80 grit, and followed that up with a 240 grit sanding. 

 

 

After this follows a very thorough wash of the box. I used water mixed with ammonia, followed by clean water. 

 

Right now the box is drying. Next up: masking and priming! I'll keep you guys posted on how it goes

Edited November 8, 2015 by VulpX

[TKedt[TK]]

And so it begins. Good luck!

 

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[Daetrin[Admin]]

Nice! Please keep the posts & photos going - I hope to do the same again some day. Rubbermain bins are hard on armor.

[Feedback[TK]]

Flattered to be an inspiration !! lol

[VulpX[TK]]

Update time.

 

Masking the box took more time than I anticipated. So I spend some time yesterday afternoon and this evening tackling that job. 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately it's raining here today, so no painting can be done. Hope the weather clears up tomorrow so I can start with priming.

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

WOW, Richard, outstanding job on the masking and sanding!  If I may make a small suggestion, I would recommend masking off the areas above and below the clamps that hold the bin closed, (see photo), and here is why... 

The act of constantly opening and closing the clamps will scratch the heck out of the paint if you cover those areas, and not only look bad, but may cause the paint to peel in the surrounding areas.  Can't wait to see photos of the finished product!

[VulpX[TK]]

Thanks Joseph, that's a really useful tip! I'll be sure to mask off some additional areas.

[VulpX[TK]]

So, first part of priming is done!

 

Here the box is waiting on its first coat in the attic in front of the elevator of my apartment complex. The only place outdoors which is dry and big enough for spraying all this stuff. The neighbors are gonna love me.

 

 

First 2 coats done!

 

 

And after 3 coats, safely inside the apartment again, drying overnight. 

 

 

 

I noticed the whole surface of the box is now covered by some fine hair/crystal like structures. I don't know if the picture is showing it all too well. Is this normal with primer paint?

 

 

I don't have much experience with this. Also, should I do another coat or two tomorrow to be sure, or does this look good? I know I'll need to sand the box again with like 600 grit before applying the paint.

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

I'm thinking it is probably pretty cold in the area you primed this, Richard, and what you are seeing is more than likely dust that was drawn to it from excess static.  When you sand it, do it lightly, and be sure to wipe it down again with a slightly damp cloth to keep the static down before painting it.  I think you have plenty of primer on there, and it looks great so far!

[VulpX[TK]]

Ok, slightly damp cloth it will be, thanks for the advice.

 

Will it be okay to actually paint this in the same spot, or should I look for someplace else? I don't want the same dust baked into the paint layers.

Edited November 10, 2015 by VulpX

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Just be sure to let it dry on it's own after using the damp cloth, again, to keep the static down.  I would try a small area with a thin coat of paint to see what kind of results you get, but you should be fine.  Worse case scenario you would need to bring a small heater (electric) into the area for a bit to warm it up.  Just turn the heater OFF before painting, as the fumes can be flammable as well as toxic in a small space. 

[wingnut65[Staff]]

It almost looks like the primer may have been drying before it hit the bin. That should be able to be knocked off with a scotch-brite scrubber pad to minimize the effects of sanding. JJ63 is right on trying a small area first to see how it takes to the top coat.

 

BTW, I love your Lego Westy. I have a '65 11-window split in my garage right now! Same color, too!

[VulpX[TK]]

Hahaha, very cool Jeff!

 

Another small update. I  used a scotch-bite scrubber pad and 600 grit sandpaper to lightly sand the whole surface in an attempt to get rid of all the small dust trapped with the primer. And it worked!

 

 

The box looks way smoother now, but still feels rough when you run your finger along it. Nice! Thanks for those very useful tips guys! 

 

After the sanding I took a slightly damp cloth (  ) and went over the whole box one more time. I'm leaving it to dry now. 

 

 

 

Tomorrow is the first day of painting! I might do another pass with the slightly damp cloth in the morning to get all the dust that settles overnight of the box. I'll update again after the first coat 

Edited November 11, 2015 by VulpX

[68Brick[TK]]

Looking Good.

 

Wingnut ... I'm jealous!!

[Khazid[TK]]

The last pass of a damp cloth before painting can be done with rubbing alcohol instead of water. Will achieve the same results, but much faster drying time as the alcoh will evaporate faster than water.

[VulpX[TK]]

Okay, so I sprayed the first layer of paint... It did not go well.

 

 

 

The dust particles have returned again. This first layer is very thin, and the whole box is covered in the small structures again. The paint needs to dry for 24 hours, but when I feel the box it looks like it's almost dry already after an hour, and the whole surface feels very, very rough. I will need to sand again tomorrow to get rid of all the flakes, but if this continues with all the layers it's never going to be a smooth finish... Should I do another pass with ammonia before the next round?

 

Could it be the weather? Maybe the paint dries up in de air before it even hits the box? It's 15 degrees Celcius out here. 

 

-edit- I looked up some tips for spray painting plastic and the phenomenon I see on my box could be "orange peel", meaning my spray distance is too far from the box. I will sand the box down tomorrow and try again, this time closer to the surface. There is hope yet

Edited November 12, 2015 by VulpX

[Mcott65[TK]]

Hi Richard I'm not sure what you are experiencing is orange peel effect as that is where the surface is mostly flat apart from some dimples that look like the skin of an orange. Are you sure that it is not the box reacting tto the paint.

[VulpX[TK]]

Mmmmm, okay, than I misunderstood the orange peel effect. I will try to spray closer tomorrow anyway, I used up almost an entire can of paint for this very thin coat, so I suspect most of the paint is lost as vapor. I used the same brand for painting my E-11 and remembered today that I used that way closer to the objects.

[Sentry71[TK]]

A granular result from the paint can be caused by spraying too far away from the item, because the paint tends to dry before it hits the object. So, you are on target with your understanding there. Temperature/humidity also contributes to causing the same thing, so it may be a combination of the two. 

 

At least, that's my experience. 

 

I would try a small area, spraying a bit closer, and let that dry. See what results you get, then you can go for it with abandon. 

Good luck!

[LoveMonkey[501st]]

Where did you get the foam? I'm looking for some for my bin but haven't found anything yet. Yours looks really high quality.

 

 

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[VulpX[TK]]

I'm in the Netherlands, I got the foam at a local home depot, the Praxis. It was the only sound isolation foam they had. I can't imagine home depots in the US don't carry that stuff? 

[zv288bot[TK]]

Where did you get the foam? I'm looking for some for my bin but haven't found anything yet. Yours looks really high quality.

 

 

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You can always try your local music store as well. Not sure if you have a Guitar Center in your area but you can order some through them.

 

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[VulpX[TK]]

Well, over this weekend I gave the box its second, third and final paint coat... And it went well! At least, I think it did, tomorrow will be judgement day when I will try to remove all the masking tape.

 

Anyways, here is the box after its second coat:

 

 

Still quite rough and the black is still visible. I used the scotch-brite scrubber pad after each coat to smoothen the surface a little bit, and then cleaned it again with water before I put on the next coat.

 

Third coat:

 

 

 

It might look well covered now, but in daylight there are clearly some spots left where the paint is thinner. There are still some dark spots. So today I did a fourth and hopefully final coat:

 

 

 

 

The surface is way smoother than it was after the first coat. I think I'll still give it a very lights pass with the scotch-brite tomorrow, to make it super smooth

[Mcott65[TK]]

Glad to see that the paint is behaving for you now. Looking good

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Looks like all your hard work is going to be well worth it, Richard, can't wait to see the finished product!