Painting a Mac toolbox, need their red color matched in oil-based paint

I have a small, older Mac hand-carry toolbox that is in great physical shape but needs a repaint. I wanted to do a rustoleum "$50 paint job" that some car guys have done (see: http://www.rickwrench.com/index79.htm) on their vehicles, but I've been told from a couple of places that they can't custom match rustoleum colors.

So I guess that brings up a question-- does anyone know of an oil-based paint like rustoleum that I can color match? I need something that's pretty tough, obviously, since it's going on a tool box. I can bring the box to, say, Sherwin Williams and have them color match it there using their scanner. Only need about a quart.

Not really interested in a rattle can paint job; not that it's necessarily bad, but I'd like to experiment with the roller method. Thanks for the help.

If you have a smaller paint store around you they usually have a house brand. I went to Sherwin Williams and used their house brand oil based enamel. I was looking to do the same thing, based off the "$50 paint job" I ended up using a custom color that I found on of their spray cans, had them match the can and rolled away on my boxes. 6 of them. I used about a quart and half for all. Let me say this, be prepared to spend a lot of time wet sanding if that's your plan. 3 of my boxes are from the 60's and early 70's. I took them down to metal and used Rustoleum primer. I ended up wetsanding on of them. I can't really say that there is a big enough difference to warrant doing that to all of them. I did spray with drawers because wetsanding them was a major pain. Here's a tip. For the drawer fronts I wanted a nice thick coat but didn't want runs. So stand them upright and lay it on. Other than that, just great prep work and you will be quit happy. I'm proud of mine and the difference is night and day. Good luck to ya

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to this

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Here's the drawer fronts [/URL] Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/IMG]
And the tops

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Jeepfan, thanks for the advice. Love what you've done with your boxes. Can I ask what mixture of paint to mineral spirits you found that worked best for you?

pretty .....paint ..............you lost the patina

Well actually that patina was driving me nuts. I do like the patina'd look for some things, but not so much for the boxes. If it was just peeling paint, or faded i could have lived with it, but the whole rust thing was making me angry. Especially in the drawers. My Dad gave me the top center box 20 years ago, and the last time he painted was in 1964. I know alot of people are into the patina thing, we restore and build furniture sometimes, we leave that old stuff patina'd if we can, or outdoor ornaments.

Larry, to be honest, that is straight up with the SW paint. Dries in about 5 hours, after priming, 3 coats gives excellent coverage. But I did use white primer, so red black, or crazy enough, gray, you should be able to do it in 2. Use the fine 4" rollers
and clean clean clean. When you think it's clean enough, clean it again. Then roll it. I may wait 30 days to wetsand them, but being these are used on a daily basis. I'll probably leave them alone

Larry, did you end up completing this project? I just tried to have a gallon of Rustoleum color matched for me at the local HD. It was a total failure, but I am not sure how skilled the help was. She could not get the color even close. Might have been using water based tints in oil based paint for all I know.