Updated 11-14-2005

Tool Box Repair

Fig. 1

De-Rusting the Tool Box

Fig. 2

Bit-o-rust?

Fig. 3

Top of Tool Box

Fig. 4

Bottom of Tool Box

After getting the drivers side floor finished I started repairing the Tool Box. I started by putting it in the de-rust tank for 2 days. See Fig. 1. I was hoping this would loosen up the rust and 3 layers of paint. The rust was gone and two layers of the paint softened up but that last factory applied Sea Foam green layer had to be wire wheeled off! See Fig. 2-4 to see the box after most of the rust and paint were removed.

Fig. 5

Cut Line

Fig. 6

Making a patch panel the hard way

Fig. 7

Tacked in place

Fig. 8.

Finished

Fig. 2 shows where the worst of the rust was. I cut this section out (See Fig. 5) then attempted to make a repair panel with a simple 90 degree bend in a piece of 14.5" x 1.5" 16ga sheet. Sounds simple enough, right? I tried the old 2x4 trick (clamp the metal between two pieces of 2x4 then bend) but that did not work at all. I finally clamped the piece to a section of C channel and just hammered it over. See Fig. 6. Of course I then had to use the anvil and shop press to straighten it out... I really need a sheet metal brake for this kind of work!

Fig. 7 shows the piece tacked in place, ready to be ground down. I next made up several small patch pieces for the bottom flanges of the box and welded those on. Fig 8 shows the repaired box.

11-13-2005

Fig. 9

Getting ready to weld back in

Fig. 10

Getting ready to weld back in

Fig. 11

Welded in!

After much work on the rest of the truck (center channel, passenger floor, and mid bed) I could finally put the tool box back into place. I primed the bottom lip of the box and the floor pan, primed the inside of the box with self etching primer, drilled some plug weld holes, lined it up, clamped it down and welded in in place. See Figs. 9-11.

Next up: Knuckle Rebuilding

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