Found out something about my festool tool box

[KGB pilot125]

[sad]
Dont carry brake fluid in it if there is any chance of it spilling.

Here is what it did to my box.  It was cracked pretty good and when I tried wiping it out it it would just crumble away.
[attachimg=1]

Back story:  We restored a 1961 Corvair rampside and then drove it from Denver to the Redwood national forest and back.  The tool box was the perfect size to hold some chemicals, rubber gloves and fluids we might need for our trip.  When I say perfect size its like it was made to hold quart containers of oil, atf and brake fluid!  here you can see it in the lower right corner of the bed.  Rode there for almost 3500 miles, didnt notice the cracks until we got back and I started cleaning everything up.  Noticed the spill and started wiping it out and it started disintegrating. 
DSC01106 by Josh Hammett, on Flickr

 

[Cheese]

Ya, brake fluid is pretty nasty stuff...it will destroy just about everything, that's the reason that DuPont came up with Imron for painting fuel dragsters and airplanes. It's one of the few paints that's impervious to nitromethane and brake fluid.
I think current prices are in the $300-$400 dollar range for 1 gallon.

The entire frame of the avatar of the 1973 Norton that you're looking at is painted in Imron....$40 per gallon, 1974 pricing. She's sweet...the Imron is in the same condition as when I squirted her over 40 years ago. You get what you pay for...

I love the Rampside though with the American style mag wheels...so sixties! [thumbs up] [thumbs up]

 

[Kev]

Ya, brake fluid is pretty nasty stuff...it will destroy just about everything, that's the reason that DuPont came up with Imron for painting fuel dragsters and airplanes. It's one of the few paints that's impervious to nitromethane.
I think current prices are in the $300-$400 dollar range for 1 gallon.

The entire frame of the avatar of the 1973 Norton that you're looking at is painted in Imron....$40 per gallon, 1974 pricing. She's sweet...the Imron is in the same condition as when I squirted her over 40 years ago. You get what you pay for...

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] wouldn't hate it if you showed us a few more pics [smile]

 

[mike_aa]

Wow!
Sorry about your tool box!  That's probably something I would do, so it's good to know.  Thanks for sharing.

One of my hobbies is model trains and dipping in brake fluid is often mentioned as a way to strip paint from old locomotives and cars in preparation for restoration.  Some are made of die-cast metal, but it's amazing that damage like this has not been reported on the ones that are some type of plastic.  I guess most people don't leave them in the bath for too long of a time, although I wonder what the long term effects will be on some of those restorations.

Mike A.

 

[kevin clifford]

Spray it with flex seal. On the commercial they turned a screen into the bottom of an airboat with it, so it should hold up, and if not, you are out only the cost of a can of Flex seal which is less than the toolbox!

 

[ear3]

Duly noted.  Thanks.

 

[semenza]

Hi,

    Another repair possibility ............  After it is thoroughly cleaned, fill the cracked seems with super glue. Then find a piece of sheet plastic, plastic laminate, or even 1/4" ply and super glue it to the inside bottom.

Seth

 

[bdiemer]

Too bad about the box but congrats on that beautiful truck,

 

[mike_aa]

It wasn't clear that the OP was looking for repair advice, but FWIW, I believe the plastic used in systainers is ABS.  I regularly use a product called Plastruct Plastic Weld and have had great success with it (there are other brands).  It actually dissolves the plastic to join the pieces.  A thin sheet or angle shaped ABS (Hobby Shop or Plastics Supply House) can be used to reinforce the joint and the areas of loss.  Another way is to fill in those areas using a plastic welder or paddle tip on a soldering gun and a plastic welding rod (Harbor Freight carries some).

 

[rst]

The systainers are made from an ABS composition.  You can use modeling cement, plumbing cement, or best... to fuse the plastics.  ABS is readily  available in thin sheets probably on EBay.    0.12-0.27

 

[mike_aa]

The systainers are made from an ABS composition.  You can use modeling cement, plumbing cement, or best... to fuse the plastics....

If you are looking for model cement, you should look for a solvent one like the Plastruct that works with ABS, not the stuff that comes in tubes which isn't as strong.  Plumbing cement is a good suggestion as long as it's the kind that will work with ABS.

 

[Cheese]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] wouldn't hate it if you showed us a few more pics [smile]

[member=13058]Kev[/member] these are for you, taken over 10 years ago with my first "good" digital camera at a whopping 1.9MP...quite the upgrade from the .3MP before it. [eek]

 

[Kev]

Thanks [member=44099]Cheese[/member] she's beautiful.

I'll promise the OP I'm not going to hijack the thread [wink]

I've promised myself a project bike or two when I've got some space .. I'd tackle something like a Bonnie for starters though and work my way up.

 

[Cochese]

When I had a Jeep, I would keep quart containers in a .50 cal ammo box. Perfect use for it.

 

[KGB pilot125]

Dont worry about hijacking, love bikes, trucks, sidecars, even old planes and trains.  I kept the  box of course and will try to fix it.  I'll start by drilling tiny holes at the end of the cracks for relief.  I'll try the glue and thin ply in the bottom.

 

[Acrobat]

Cheese, great pics and I love your bike.
I had a friend way back who had a Norton 500, damn thing was so loud everyone could here him coming and could tell what corners he was on around the neighbourhood. Man he could ride, put me to shame, I could never keep up, he was fearless. Your bike brings back some happy memories for me. [smile]

 

[Cheese]

[member=4404]Acrobat[/member]  & [member=13058]Kev[/member]

Thanks for the kind words,  [smile] the thing I like about the bike is that it's like a mini time capsule. All mods, parts, paint, bolts, everything was completed for a 1976 motorcycle show in which I placed 3rd. The only items that have been changed out over the years are, to use Festool jargon, consumables...tires, tubes, gas lines et al. However, I am in the process of reinstalling the original rear drum brake and removing the rear disc I adapted for the bike show.  [cool]