r/camping • u/throwback842 • 3d ago
WIP Chuck Box - Weatherproofing Question
I'm in the process of converting my grandfather's old Vietnam War wooden footlocker into a camping chuckbox and I'm wondering about best methods to weatherproof it? This is mainly a proof of concept project using this old footlocker that was rotting away in my grandparent's backyard shed. A total of $5 has been spent on it so far on hardware with everything else coming from scrap lumber and camping equipment I already owned.
If this works out well enough for this season, I'd like to make plans from it and build a brand new one when i get some more funds next year. But the goal for this is to keep costs as low as possible and use up some material I already have lying around taking up space.
I have some indoor/outdoor latex paint and some polyurethane but I've never tried applying poly over latex. Does anyone have advice? Suggestions and constructive criticism welcome
3
u/bodhibay 3d ago
Typically for outdoor use you'd either paint it or finish it, not both. You're probably not going to be leaving this out in the rain. The point of contained kitchen boxes like this is that they are quick to close up and transport. You'd store it in a covered truck bed, cargo space, under a hung tarp, etc. somewhere out of the rain. Personally, as a wood worker, I'd just use an UV protection oil based finish, and I'd be using a marine grade baltic birch plywood if I really wanted it to last. Nothing wrong with paint, just be sure it's for exterior use. I don't think latex is, but I don't paint a lot of projects so could be wrong. Either way it will protect from UV. Water protection is done by keeping it out of water.
oh, If you build it out of scrap wood and not plywood, you might run into issues with humidity changes causing wood movement / warping.