7up cooler

[scalebowler]

I'd coat the inside with POR or a paintable spray-on truck-bed undercoat to protect it before re-assembly.

That's what I was thinking too. I know there is a auto paint supply place near my work that is a por-15 distributor so I'll have to see about picking some up on my way home one day.

[scalebowler]

would sticking it in a vise work and just work your way around?

I might give that a try on the cooler lid. I have a small bench vise that would work great for that. The entire cooler might be a little awkward to move around the vise though since it is a very small vise