# Winter 2014 - Project 1 - Retro Slot Car Box!



## slotcar58 (Jun 21, 2007)

I picked up a Hoffman Model 1100 tackle box off of Ebay last week. I am in the process of rebuilding it and plan to use it to house my T-Dashes, Gravity, BRASCAR, and 70's Magnet cars. The box was in fair condition. I will have to strip, sand, and stain the exterior. I started by cutting rubber liners for the tray I will be using to house the retro cars. It will hold 16! Below the tray I will house the parts. The bottom portion will be used for controllers, a soldering iron, and misc. tools. I will post pictures as the rebuild progresses. I dis-assembled the box tonight and will be hunting for new brass screws tomorrow and possibly having the hinges and closures re-plated brass, depending on the price. The hinges are brass plated, not solid brass and quite rusted. If I do not have them plated, I will paint them black, gold, or gun metal. Stain, I'm debating on golden oak or a more traditional darker color. See the pictures below. I rebuilt a Hoffman slot car box in the 70's and I could kick myself for selling it!


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## gonegonzo (Jan 18, 2006)

That's a great project slotcar . I remember those old boxes and the ones that were home made as well .

Gonzo


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## K.L. VanAtta (Mar 23, 2009)

Leo,

Hoffmans are really cool, I remember A.J, Raisin, and McGee had one each. I have a ******'s for my 1/24th stuff but it doubles for HO too; must build a new one this summer.

Good luck on the rebuild, keep us posted.


klv


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

I like this project. :thumbsup:
Please _*do*_ show us the progress. 
(I vote for golden oak.)
-- D


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I agree 100% with slot!! Progress pix please, and any warm yellow for the varnish / stain will look awesome!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## blue55conv (May 23, 2007)

Be careful with rubber liners. I bought some from Harbor Freight that reacted to clear plastic boxes. They all stuck to it. You might want to use felt or cork.


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## Bubba 123 (Sep 10, 2010)

blue55conv said:


> Be careful with rubber liners. I bought some from Harbor Freight that reacted to clear plastic boxes. They all stuck to it. You might want to use felt or cork.


*** Use Felt 4 lining :thumbsup: ***

Bubba 123 :wave:


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## slotcar58 (Jun 21, 2007)

Update - Striped the box today. I have bought replacement hardware, since re-plating was way too expensive. The latches and luggage handle are the same size, but I will have to re-drill the holes for the hinges and the corner protectors. The color of the box may be determined by how much of the green stain I can get off with sanding. The luggage handle was purchased off Ebay, the latches from Home Depot, and the corner protectors and hinges from a local hardware store. I also purchased some screw mounted rubber feet for the bottom, since the screws were worn out from touching surfaces and did not want the box to scratch whatever it sits on. Happy Wife, happy life! So far, I have about $80.00 into the project.


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

blue55conv said:


> Be careful with rubber liners. I bought some from Harbor Freight that reacted to clear plastic boxes. They all stuck to it. You might want to use felt or cork.


I worry about rubber liners, too, since I've had the same experience with the ones that resemble lumpy netting. I'm not too keen on cork either - I once used cork pads under the feet of a typewriter (this was a while ago, obviously). When I moved the typewriter and took the pads off, the desktop finish came with them. :freak:

I don't know if the tiny weight of a slot car would press the cork or rubber hard enough to cause it to mar the tires or chassis, but I'm just passing the experience along for whatever it's worth.

-- D


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## GT40 (Jan 18, 2014)

slotcar58 said:


> Update - Striped the box today. I have bought replacement hardware, since re-plating was way too expensive. The latches and luggage handle are the same size, but I will have to re-drill the holes for the hinges and the corner protectors. The color of the box may be determined by how much of the green stain I can get off with sanding. The luggage handle was purchased off Ebay, the latches from Home Depot, and the corner protectors and hinges from a local hardware store. I also purchased some screw mounted rubber feet for the bottom, since the screws were worn out from touching surfaces and did not want the box to scratch whatever it sits on. Happy Wife, happy life! So far, I have about $80.00 into the project.


Do you have any updated pictures while you are saving this fine pit box.
I always like saving the old to make it look better then new.
It's that old saying they don't make them like that anymore
Thanks for sharing your project with all of us.:thumbsup:

gt40


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## jobobvideo (Jan 8, 2010)

wouldn't felt absorb water????


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## slotcar58 (Jun 21, 2007)

An hours worth of stripping and 3 hours worth of sanding. I hate that green stain. I will try to post pictures of my progress in the next day or two. Pretty good since I did not get the box in the mail until 3:00 pm on Monday! Thanks for the info on rubber. I will be changing it to felt!


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## slotcar58 (Jun 21, 2007)

*Update with Photos*

Here's what it looks like after sanding. I also put in a picture of my regular box. I bought back in 1994, Plano Phantom Pro. This box could hold the kitchen sink and does, but lacks charm and character. The lower part of the tackle box shows some minor damage under the hardware, since the hardware held moisture. I'm still debating whether the lighter Golden Oak stain will work or not.


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## gonegonzo (Jan 18, 2006)

Nice progress . On the steep side of character , I would use the word "charm" to describe this project .

Gonzo


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

> _joebobvideo sez_ - wouldn't felt absorb water????


I doubt it would absorb enough moisture from the air to damage cars or equipment. If sc58 wants to be extra careful, he could throw in a pack of silica gel. Of course, if you carelessly let a faucet drip into it, you'd need to dry it out thoroughly.

I think the main drawback to the felt would be the little fiber bits that some felt can shed - more of a nuisance than a danger.

-- D


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## gonegonzo (Jan 18, 2006)

Would the felt have enough padding to eliminate the flat spot left on tires from sitting ? That would be my concern .

If you your favorite tool dealer, he probably sells that black drawer lining that mechanics line their tool box drawers with .

I've also had the problem of rubber drawer lining material attacking my plastic bodies .

Gonzo


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## LDThomas (Nov 30, 1999)

For lining - Walmart has 1/16" thick foam rubber sheets with adhesive back. They come in several colors. Works great!


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## blue55conv (May 23, 2007)

I purchased a bunch of white foam rubber from a fabric store years ago. I lined all my plastic boxes and drawers with it. It has given me no problems. Then I bought some flat file cabinets. The plastic boxes scooted around. Someone suggested that I line the drawers with the rubber mesh from Harbor Freight. It was on sale. I lined three drawers. Within a couple of months the rubber had done its damage. It reacted with the clear boxes. The boxes were stuck to it. I was able to peal them apart, but the clear boxes are permanently etched. I am so glad that I didn't line my T-Jet drawers with it. Now I am not sure if I want to use the mesh it on my tool box drawers. I wonder if the screwdriver handles will react. I have cork in there now, but it is getting brittle.


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## slotcar58 (Jun 21, 2007)

*Staining done!*

I decided to use Minwax Cherry, even though I had Golden Oak laying around. I did this for 2 reasons. One: with the new larger hardware and the darker stain, the black staining will not be visible. Two: I did not have to sand the top quite as hard. I did not want to sand through the exterior plywood layer. Tomorrow the poly and this weekend the hardware. It should be done for the arrival of my Dash Jets!


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Huh... I was expecting shiny like a poly urethane. Not that it doesn't look good.. She looks sweet! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

slotcarman12078 said:


> Huh... I was expecting shiny like a poly urethane...


Psssst, SCM, I think that might have been what SC58 was referring to when he said "Tomorrow the poly ..." The shiny's still in the can, bubba.  We're gonna need shades by the weekend, I bet.

-- D


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Ah... This is what happens when the TM wakes me up 3 hours early yelling the a thick headed15 year old. The pain pill I took only made my lack of sleep more noticeable. Thanks for pointing that out!


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## slotcar58 (Jun 21, 2007)

I had three choices on the poly urethane: gloss, semi-gloss, or satin. I went with the semi-gloss so it would not be too shiny and so it would look more natural. I'm using the spray so there will not be any brush marks. Final tally on costs is right around $95.00. The only hardware I do not have yet is the handle. It was an Ebay purchase and should be here Saturday, if the weather up north does not slow down shipment to Orlando. Finding a luggage handle with a brass mount was hard.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I regret not snagging a machinist tool box from Harbor Freight when I could afford it. On sale I think they were about 79.00 (+ shipping). I don't see one in my near future, but hopefully down the road I can think about one again.


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## gonegonzo (Jan 18, 2006)

Slotcar ,

The box is looking great . It's hard to imagine it's the same box . I can't wait to see it's final outcome.

Slotcarman ,

I wanted one of the H F boxes too but seen how heavy they were empty . I'm going to build my own (scaled down) version and save some weight . If you still want one , I've seen 20% off H F coupons in Hot Rod magazine .

Gonzo


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## Jisp (Oct 19, 2008)

slotcar58 said:


> I decided to use Minwax Cherry.....


What a great decision. I've used a deep cherry stain on a few non slot projects over the years and it always draws the eye for it's simple beauty. The case is looking amazing. Have you considered another coat or perhaps two of the cherry before sealing it just to give the colour more depth? If the stain and clear are compatible you can mix a small amount of stain with the clear to save a little time. Excellent job!

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


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## Ogre (Jan 31, 2007)

gonegonzo said:


> Slotcar ,
> 
> The box is looking great . It's hard to imagine it's the same box . I can't wait to see it's final outcome.
> 
> ...


In case you don't have a plan yet, this may work.
http://www.slotside.com/tt/box.html


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## slotcar58 (Jun 21, 2007)

Jisp said:


> What a great decision. I've used a deep cherry stain on a few non slot projects over the years and it always draws the eye for it's simple beauty. The case is looking amazing. Have you considered another coat or perhaps two of the cherry before sealing it just to give the colour more depth? If the stain and clear are compatible you can mix a small amount of stain with the clear to save a little time. Excellent job!
> 
> Cheers,
> Michael. :thumbsup:


I thought about another coat, but I wanted to keep the Cherry from getting too dark on me. The poly urethane will deepen the color and bring out a slight shine.


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

> *Slotcar58* sez:
> The poly urethane will deepen the color and bring out a slight shine.


Okay, matte, satin, gloss - it's all good. Just hurry up and get to the part where you cover it all up with Aurora and STP and Rat Fink and Russkit and NHRA and Revell and Esso and Strombecker and Mabuchi stickers. That's what I'm waiting for.:thumbsup:

-- D


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

... and Moon Eyes for Bobzilla.











... and maybe a Thrush woodpecker or two?


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## slotcar58 (Jun 21, 2007)

Dslot said:


> Okay, matte, satin, gloss - it's all good. Just hurry up and get to the part where you cover it all up with Aurora and STP and Rat Fink and Russkit and NHRA and Revell and Esso and Strombecker and Mabuchi stickers. That's what I'm waiting for.:thumbsup:
> 
> -- D


Sorry no stickers are planned. Too much work went into restoring the finish.


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

slotcar58 said:


> Sorry no stickers are planned. Too much work went into restoring the finish.


I figured. I was just joking around and nostalgia-cating. Got weird alien snow pellets all over the ground and not a lot else to do but sit with a warm blanket over my legs and a warm laptop over the blanket and a big furry dog on my feet, talking slot cars with folks far away. Me, not the dog. He seldom talks slot cars.

-- D


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## slotcar58 (Jun 21, 2007)

*All I need is the handle!*

The project is almost complete. I am waiting for handle to arrive by mail. The latches were the hardest part! Tweeking them so they would not come open when you carry it. The modern latches are slightly smaller so I had to drill all new holes. The hardware acquisition and mounting/aligning turned out to be the trickiest part! I have about 10 hours into the project. I had to return the decorative hinges that were closer to the originals since they were too weak to support the weight of the box. I went with heavy duty Home Depot hinges. These are nice and strong. I put 5 coats of poly urethane on the box before the hardware. I will post a final set of pictures once the new handle arrives.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

That came out really nice!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup: 

Sadly, the metal parts dropping in quality are a sad sign of the times, and it seems to be everywhere. What was probably considered standard stuff 30-40 years ago is now the heavy duty stuff, and the new standard stuff is flimsy and cheap disposable crap.


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