older Cman top chest

[vette-kid]

I bought a Craftsman top chest off a guy for what seemed like a good deal at the time. Well I get it home and pulled the drawers out to find all sorts of crap hiding back there! There was even a few credit card offers, a socket, tire repair tool, utility knife, and it looks like something had started a nest back there! And it smells!:wtf: Anyway I want to take it all apart and clean it up. Anyone know how to remove these ball bearing slides? They dont appear to be riveted in or anything, but I cant seem to find the release on them?:headscrat The slides themselves seem OK, but are a little gritty when opening. Can they be cleaned and regreased or should they just be replaced?

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[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

I'd imagine they can be cleaned and reused just fine. All mine are friction slides, which are very simple to take off so I can't give you a procedure. I'm sure some guys on here can tell you what to do. Billymade?

That's the fun part of buying a well used toolbox...the treasure hunt inside the box! :bounce:

[Rickster]

That's the best thing about bringing home a new old tool box. It's like Christmas morning all over again.

[Chris Adams]

You probably have them out by now, but if not, look at the back of the slide. There is a spring clip there. If they haven’t been modified, you can pick it up with a very small flat blade screwdriver, then the slide pops back and out.
Really very easy.
That little clip can break pretty easy though, so lots have been modified to take a pop rivet or small screw.
The little clip gets broken usually when you go to slide and pop the slide back in.

From your pictures it looks like friction on the top, ball bearing on the bottoms.
I seem to remember Craftsman or Waterloo playing around with that, but didn't think the boxes were that model.
Found the date code?

By the way, I bought a Husky box a few months ago, needed slides, but otherwise was new. I pulled the drawers from it and found a brand new Craftsman 1/2 ratchet, a brand new pair of cheap dikes and another couple of small items.
Husky gave me the replacement slides (Stanley) for free.
Looking through used bargain boxes is fun.

[vette-kid]

Actually I havnt got them out yet. Had to work today...go figure:mad: I see the clip..I was pulling out before...Ill give it a try again. The date code on the box is 93. This thing is HEAVY for only a 26" wide box (it is a full 18" deep though:bounce:). I didnt take pictures with the drawer in, but yes the bottom four are BB slides and then the top to spaces hold four half width drawers with friction slides.

Sounds like you did better than me on your treasure hunt. The only thing worth keeping in mine was a 5/8 deep well Cman socket. The tire repair tool, and utility knife were junk, as well as the rotten soggy sand paper sheets:wtf:

[Chris Adams]

Well, can't be lucky all the time. I have found lots of strange and fun things in tool boxes, usually under the bottom drawer.
18 inch deep means that is their best top box. 93 that thing was the 'cat's pajamas'. LOL.

Very good boxes though. I have 3 of the 16 deep Griplatch top chests and a couple 18 inch deep intermediates and all of them are well made, really good boxes. And like you say, heavy.

Stack that on a chest with an 18 intermediate and you have as much storage as can be packed into that small a square foot.

Whoops, forgot to add, You gently pry the clip to the center of the box. It's a nub/lever/stop to keep the slide from moving backwards. With it gently raised about a 1/4-1/3 inch you push the slide backwards, unhooking the two hooks that hold the slide to the box. Some models the slide goes back and up, but I think yours just goes back.
To put it back in you ignore the clip and slide it forward into position and the clip 'snaps' into place. Be sure the clip is snapped or when you push in the drawer the rail pops off, breaks the dang clip and falls into the box. Then you scrap the paint on the box and curse.

[vette-kid]

Got em all out and cleaned. Pretty easy once I knew to push instead of pull. I had it in my head it needed to pull and I would have yanked on it til it broke if you hadnt pointed me in the right direction.:thumbup:

If I was better with a paint can I might paint it...but I think Ill just polish it up a bit and call it good. I need to start putting stuff in it!:bounce: