I finally finished up my tool cart project!

After some minor bodywork, I sprayed it with some PPG DP50LF epoxy primer

Scuffed and masked for paint.  I decided not to re-paint the entire drawer, only the front and first 6" or so.

I had planned to spray this outside, but winter suddenly happened.  I ended up trading some work with Fort Pitt Classic Cars and they sprayed it for me!

Done!  It's not perfect, but certainly good enough for the bottom drawer on a Craigslist cart.

It's slightly too shiny to match the faded original paint

Done!   The paint isn't a 100% perfect color match, and actually all 3 sections of toolbox are slightly different from each other too, but close enough for this project.

I also whipped up this tray from the remains of the 4" drawer I cut up.

This wasn't ready in time to get painted, I'll spray it in the spring.

I filled it up, here are the contents.  In the really deep bottom drawer, I have my paint guns, cleaning solvents, and large boxes of abrasives.

Sanding rolls and masking tapes

Tools.  It seems silly keeping duplicates right next to my main box, but the point of this cart is to be mobile.  I have everything I need to change air fittings, adjust air hose plumbing, open paint cans, cut wire for hanging racks, pick masking tape, or any other random things.

This drawer is a bit of a mess, but I'll organize it soon.

I also spent some time mounting Bondhus t-handle racks to the side of my machinist box.  I previously had these sitting on the side shelf, but now that they're mounted I can fold up the shelf.

The toolbox project continues.

After welding, I checked the drawer front and it was visibly warped.

I decided to try a new technique.  This is a test piece using 20ga steel with really tight fits (zero gap), TIG fusion welded (no filler) with pulse.  The intention is to keep the heat to a minimum and therefore reduce welding.

I ended up forming a new drawer pull section, I had to sacrifice the one I had cut from the Snap-on drawer.

Fixtured up with better chill plates

... and I didn't take a picture, but it still warped!  I cut it off and tried again.

This time I decided to try a lap joint with MIG plug welds. I cut the front off of another drawer (I wanted to save one 4" drawer, but decided to use it).

This is the whole reason for all of this.  I can't form this tight bend in the brakes I have access to, but this channel is critical for the Snap-on Lock'N'Roll mechanism that keeps the drawers latched.

Success!! This kept it much more straight.  It's still not perfect (about 0.050" over 28") but close enough for this project.

After all of the plug welding, I ground the welds smooth and laid out some putty.  I wish I had taken a picture before, I probably could get away without putty and just sanding the primer layer.  These ground down really nice.  It also helped that I skipped weld-through primer, which I typically use when plug welding car projects.  Since this will live indoors and never get wet, I left bare steel in all of the lap joints.