Help me preserve an ammo crate??

[louielouie]

I have a wood ammo crate that is green and has all kinds of Russian numbers, letters, dates, etc. all over it.

I want to preserve it and keep it in the back of my car to store ammo on the way to the range, or ahead of time.

What would be the easiest way to preserve it without getting into too much sanding or removing the "character" of the ammo crate.

I thought maybe a light wipedown with Simple Green or something like that and then spray it with a spray on varnish.

Any ideas?

louielouie

 

[Bunnykid68]

I have a wood ammo crate that is green and has all kinds of Russian numbers, letters, dates, etc. all over it.

I want to preserve it and keep it in the back of my car to store ammo on the way to the range, or ahead of time.

What would be the easiest way to preserve it without getting into too much sanding or removing the "character" of the ammo crate.

I thought maybe a light wipedown with Simple Green or something like that and then spray it with a spray on varnish.

Any ideas?

louielouie

Do not use simple green, it can remove old paint. If you must clean it just use a wet rag. Clear coat or varnish might do ok. Depends on how hot the car gets as for how long the coating would hold up.

 

[Mosinguy]

Well, what's wrong with it that needs preserving? These crates did sit in warehouses for quite some time already. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

Just use it. If its anything like the one I got 1k rounds of 7.62x39 in then its already pretty old and I doubt it would deteriorate in your trunk. If you want another one just buy some more ammo!

 

[Leo]

Brush it inside and out with Boiled Linseed oil. (or Neets foot oil) That is what protected wooden military stocks for the last century. Put it on thin, let it set several days and really dry. recoat. You can get it as shiney as you want over time.

 

[indyjohn]

I picked one of those up about 10 years ago. It has lived in my garage and looks the same as the day I took it home from Keislers.

Mosinguy is right, you don't need to treat the outside, that green paint will take care of it. Keeping it dry would be my concern; if it's in your trunk and you're not talking about your beater that's rusted out, it'll be fine.

Edit: Leo's suggestion would be a good idea...

 

[louielouie]

My thanks to everyone.

I want to put a finish on it so it doesn't flake off or rub off on my upholstery in the back of my SUV. When I said "back of my car", I know you think of the old days with the spare tire and how it rusted out under the tire.

Since it is in the back of my SUV I think I will go with BLO or something like it. I must make sure it will hold up to 130 degrees or so (black interior in the summer).

Thanks again, and keep the suggestions coming.

louielouie

 

[jim7310]

Consider applying several coats of spar varnish for a durable finish. Or you cover it in a light layer of fiberglass...

 

[Bunnykid68]

Brush it inside and out with Boiled Linseed oil. (or Neets foot oil) That is what protected wooden military stocks for the last century. Put it on thin, let it set several days and really dry. recoat. You can get it as shiney as you want over time.

Completely forgot about linseed oil.

 

[louielouie]

Consider applying several coats of spar varnish for a durable finish. Or you cover it in a light layer of fiberglass...

Jim,
I have worked with fiberglass some. Do you mean to brush on a layer of resin, or to lay down a layer of woven fiberglass cloth and then wet it with resin?

I hope my question makes sense.

My other question is; do you think the resin would adhere to the old paint without any problem (as long as the surface is clean and degreased)?

louielouie

 

[jim7310]

I was thinking of resin and thin woven fiberglass cloth. Depending on the amount of effort you want to put into the project, a couple of thin coats of resin ofer the cloth should give a pretty smooth finish and last longer than the car you put it in! If you are careful with the application, the box should be waterproof as well (not the lid seal of course).

As far as applying over paint, I have never tried it. I would think it would work, but a test patch would tell you for sure.

 

[louielouie]

I was thinking of resin and thin woven fiberglass cloth. Depending on the amount of effort you want to put into the project, a couple of thin coats of resin ofer the cloth should give a pretty smooth finish and last longer than the car you put it in! If you are careful with the application, the box should be waterproof as well (not the lid seal of course).

As far as applying over paint, I have never tried it. I would think it would work, but a test patch would tell you for sure.

Jim,
I found my fiberglass stuff in the garage and I have almost a full can of resin. I couldn't get the lid off, not even with a pipe wrench. Finally I tried drilling through the lid (I figured I would hit the yellow gold resin in a couple of inches.

Well, all the drill brought up was solid resin. I couldn't believe it. The whole can had turned to solid resin.

$12 later I had a new quart of resin. Fortunately I already had some fiberglass cloth, so I cut off a strip and worked it over the bad edge. It looks pretty good.

Thanks for the tip. I never would have thought of fiberglass, but as soon as you mentioned it, I knew it was the best way to go.

Thanks again,
louielouie

p.s. How can I keep my new can of resin from turning solid? Can I store it upside down or will that make any difference?

 

[ekg98]

be careful if you use blo. Make sure you dispose of all your rags properly or burn them.

Dispose of them in water or burn them.

Blo will spontaniously combust when it dries.

 

[louielouie]

be careful if you use blo. Make sure you dispose of all your rags properly or burn them.

Dispose of them in water or burn them.

Blo will spontaniously combust when it dries.

ekg98,

I keep a kitty litter bucket (plastic with snap down lid) filled about 1/3 of the way with water. As I use something (like foam brushes) for the last time I put them in the bucket, making sure they get covered by the water.
To dispose of it completely, our city has a policy of picking up flammable trash. They do require it to be dry, so I add enough kitty litter to soak up the water.

Before I get jumped for not being eco-friendly, I know our city disposes of the flammables in a "clean" way.

louielouie

 

[malern28us]

I would think the heat and humidity cycles from being in your SUV would be very detrimental to the ammunition.