I hereby reclaim this hideous enclosure

[EBK]

In the following image, the pedal on the left is red.  The enclosure on the right was advertised as red, but is actually a streaky mess that the drummer in my band dubbed "1980s prostitute pink." 

I was in a hurry to box up the prototype I was working on at the time, so I drilled it (rather sloppily), and it served its limited-to-testing purpose.

But now, I am building a pedal on a $0 budget, and I need an enclosure.  So, the time has come to make this thing usable and presentable.  I'm reporting here on my progress. This will either eventually be a success story or a cautionary tale of DIY gone wrong, but I'm up for an adventure.

Step 1: Undrilling those holes.
Since I'm constrained to using only what I already have, I feel blessed to have a small quantity of JB Weld available.  To prep the holes for filling, I've actually done more drilling . Following a tip from greaser_au (David T.) in another thread (http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=116645.msg1080927#msg1080927), I've added light countersinks to both sides of the holes.

Next, I coated the newly exposed metal with a bit of JB Weld before applying small pieces of parchment paper as backing.  I then filled the holes with more JB Weld.

After the JB Weld hardened, but before it fully cured, I used a razor blade to carefully clean up the excess to make sanding easier later.
This also let me see the areas where the holes were not quite filled flush to the surface, so I added an additional skim coat of JB Weld.

Then, my son woke up, which ended my progress for the day.  To be continued....

[Lizard King]

I've found I could fill small holes in the dried JB weld with super glue....gives a more level surface, less messy, and sands just as easily.

I don't go to all the trouble you do....I don't prep or paper or scrape before fully dry...I just plug the holes & sand off the excess...but then I have a belt sander stand left over from my woodworking days....I used to super glue a thin strip of aluminum inside the box behind the holes to serve as a base but determined that wasn't really necessary.

[EBK]

but then I have a belt sander stand left over from my woodworking days....

I have one of those Mouse sanders, which I will definitely use for sanding down the outside of the enclosure when the time comes.  One additional constraint I didn't mention (because it is only relevant to the particular pedal I'm planning to build) is that I need the inside of the enclosure to look good too.

Correction: I'll most likely end up sanding this thing entirely by hand.   

[Plexi]

"1980s prostitute pink."

Your drummer make my day 

[digi2t]

"1980s prostitute pink."

I think I had a tie that color back in 1983.

[anotherjim]

I'm sure you'll end up with a good looking pedal.
Junk projects are great to do every once in a while - uses up the odd parts lying around, gets you hunting them out of the stash (discover all kinds of forgotten stuff). The longer you do DIY, the more stuff you have to play with. What I happen to have had in stock for a while seems to have dictated almost everything I've made so far this year.

[thermionix]

"1980s prostitute pink."

Is it no longer pink?

[EBK]

"1980s prostitute pink."

Is it no longer pink?

Sanding off the pink paint comes next.  Hopefully, I'll find time tonight to get started on that step.

[thermionix]

"1980s prostitute pink."

Is it no longer pink?

Sanding off the pink paint comes next.  Hopefully, I'll find time tonight to get started on that step.

I wasn't talking about the box enclosure.

[EBK]

"1980s prostitute pink."

Is it no longer pink?

Sanding off the pink paint comes next.  Hopefully, I'll find time tonight to get started on that step.

I wasn't talking about the box enclosure.

Oh....
You missed your chance to also point out that I said,

so I drilled it (rather sloppily)....

[EBK]

Step 2: Remove the "Red" (part 1)
The drill holes have basically been filled, with some room for improvement.  It's now time to fix the biggest problem with this enclosure: the "1980s prostitute pink."
Sanding.  Lots of it.  By hand.  Started with 80 grit. Then 120 grit. Then, skipping a bunch of intermediary grits that might have made things look much smoother, 400 grit.

Not too shabby.  But, more difficulty lies ahead.

The screw countersinks are still "red".
But, that is not the worst part.

Seriously, WTF?! The entire inside (except for the lid -- thank goodness for small favors) is "1980s prostitute pink" too?!

To be continued....

[thermionix]

Is it too late to recommend a good stripper?

Might save a lot of

By hand.

[thermionix]

The...inside...is....pink...?!

Not even gonna.

[EBK]

Is it too late to recommend a good stripper?

Might save a lot of

By hand.

Yes, it seems this stuff nearly writes itself.   

[EBK]

Step 2: Remove the "Red" (part 2)
Using a razor blade and sandpaper, the countersinks are clear of the paint.

I'll work on the paint inside the box another evening.

thermionix, I'll leave you more material to work with next time. 

[Beo]

Acetone is your friend...

[EBK]

Acetone is your friend...

Acetone would be my friend if I had some.  I can't buy any on my $0 budget. 
I recognize that I am doing some things the hard way.  Heck, if I allowed myself an actual budget for this, I'd probably just chuck this ghastly enclosure into the recycle bin and buy a brand new unpainted one. 

This build is all about the journey, not the destination.
At least I'm not trying to do this on a $0 beer budget. 

[deadastronaut]

Use the bottom as the top....

e.g , use it upside down....voila, new top....

[EBK]

Use the bottom as the top....

e.g , use it upside down....voila, new top....

That's already the plan. 
I'm going to eventually cut the lid into 3 pieces, discard the middle piece, and replace it with a window made from cast acrylic sheet. 

I think when I get to that step, I might fill in the screw holes in the lid and add some hidden magnets in order to give it a more refined, clean look. 

[amptramp]

Acetone is your friend...

Acetone would be my friend if I had some.  I can't buy any on my $0 budget. 
I recognize that I am doing some things the hard way.  Heck, if I allowed myself an actual budget for this, I'd probably just chuck this ghastly enclosure into the recycle bin and buy a brand new unpainted one. 

This build is all about the journey, not the destination.
At least I'm not trying to do this on a $0 beer budget. 

Acetone is the main ingredient in nail polish remover.  You need to find a girl.  You're a guitarist, it can't be that hard to find a groupie.  Preferably one who can support you in the manner to which you would like to become accustomed so you get rid of that pesky zero budget problem.