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The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

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four.cycle

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Oct 19, 2015
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Location
Tacoma, Washington
Could that silver box have held one of the military sets like these Thorsen’
It's not deep enough, and it has "Atlantic Container Corporation" embossed on the lid of the box, so no, I do not believe it's connected to Thorsen at all. Only reason I grabbed it was because it was dirt cheap - I have WAY too many empty socket set boxes here - three big cardboard boxes full of them. No.... FOUR big boxes full of empty socket set boxes.
@Outlawmws asked me about a couple of them.... and shipping is just nuts now! $25 -$30 bucks a pop for shipping on those boxes! Empty!

(I shipped a PROTO socket set out a couple days ago - wouldn't fit into a priority box - so about the same size as these boxes - 20 inches or so - FOUR POUNDS - $23 and change shipping on the slow boat from China.)
 

username2

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Aug 22, 2016
Messages
970
That Thorsen set is super cool. I never ever run into things like that.

OK. Quick question for the vintage toolbox mavens.

Ran into two tool boxes today for a lot more than I usually pay, being a cheap bastid.

1. One of those WWII-1950s flip top things with a socket tray, no manufacture markings, did have socket caddy still (amazing!). ($25)
2. Crowntop Craftsman bottom chest. 5 or so drawers, heinous paint job, very cool airline ephemera stickers (Pratt-Whitney, DC-something airplanes, etc.) flightline? ($125)

Left 'em both, but was wondering what those things are worth if anyone has an opinion.
 

FJ 432

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Aug 2, 2010
Messages
3,735
Location
Littleton Colorado
That Thorsen set is super cool. I never ever run into things like that.

OK. Quick question for the vintage toolbox mavens.

Ran into two tool boxes today for a lot more than I usually pay, being a cheap bastid.

1. One of those WWII-1950s flip top things with a socket tray, no manufacture markings, did have socket caddy still (amazing!). ($25)
2. Crowntop Craftsman bottom chest. 5 or so drawers, heinous paint job, very cool airline ephemera stickers (Pratt-Whitney, DC-something airplanes, etc.) flightline? ($125)

Left 'em both, but was wondering what those things are worth if anyone has an opinion.

I think the answer is in what you wrote.
 

username2

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Aug 22, 2016
Messages
970
I think the answer is in what you wrote.
That was my thinking.

I've got plenty of cool vintage tool boxes for upcoming art projects. $5-$6 is my limit, although I went $8 on my super cool cantilever box that is covered with old old school Lockheed stickers and asset tags.

I think at this point, all I'd pay any money for is either a Plomb Tool Mobile or a Stahlwille Roll master...and it's not like the ReStore is going to be stocking up on those.
 

skullhead

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Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
115
Location
Franklin, TN
I bought this Simonsen Tool Caddy today. These are the photos from the ad on FB Marketplace. I'll post more as I clean it up. I'll be skipping the dish soap and going straight for the rubbing compound on this one. (I will be using a some soap on the cat pee).

1752978437460.png
Contents not included, which was fine with me. I have several small Simonsen boxes but this is the first roller.
1752978476431.png

I have no idea where I'll park it or what will go in it, but I bought it anyway. I offered a little over half their six-day-old asking price and they accepted. I don't normally haggle, but simply said, "before you sell it for less than $**.** please keep my offer in mind." It was one of her dad's boxes, but she had more than enough and was keeping the shiny Craftsman boxes. This one's more my style.
That really cool, can’t wait to see how it cleans up. It’s gonna look good!
 

d42jeep

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Oct 22, 2014
Messages
16,572
Location
Northern California
It looked like this when found. IMG_3563.jpegIMG_3564.jpeg
I sprayed it down with Formula 409 and scrubbed it with a stiff brush. Next I wiped it dry inside and out with paper towels and blew it out with compressed air. I was pleasantly surprised that the original paint was pretty intact. Kennedy recommends WD40 but I felt that it cleaned up well enough not to bother with it.
-Don
 
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Tynee

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Sep 19, 2016
Messages
997
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In the Heart of the Bluegrass
Agree with you on the utility of those K-24's. Big capacity, not TOO heavy when fully loaded. I have a strong preference for the full-length tray without the dividers on each end though.
 

Outlawmws

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Location
The Badlands
I sprayed it down with Formula 409

I didn't know 409 was still on he market! its been decades since I last used it!

Don, I'm curious Have you tested soaking something in 409 with paint on it? Maybe a rattle canned tool? I'm wondering if it reacts with paint like SG does. full strength.
 

d42jeep

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Oct 22, 2014
Messages
16,572
Location
Northern California
Agree with you on the utility of those K-24's. Big capacity, not TOO heavy when fully loaded. I have a strong preference for the full-length tray without the dividers on each end though.

I didn't know 409 was still on he market! its been decades since I last used it!

Don, I'm curious Have you tested soaking something in 409 with paint on it? Maybe a rattle canned tool? I'm wondering if it reacts with paint like SG does. full strength.

Those are nice too but at the asking price of this box I wasn’t about to quibble. IMG_0547.jpegIMG_4960.jpegIMG_9412.jpeg
Outlaw, I only use it as a spray. I’ve never tried soaking anything in it but it seems pretty easy on paint. I frequently pick it and Fantastic spray up at estate sales.
-Don
 

RTM

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Joined
May 13, 2019
Messages
13,221
Location
SF Bay Area
Decades ago, a friend’s very young daughter sprayed either 409 or Fantastik on big mirrored closet doors while no one was looking. It actually etched the plastic surface. I’ve never let either one soak for very long since then.
 

Mintgrun

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Joined
Oct 7, 2015
Messages
2,135
Location
Kingston, Wa.
That really cool, can’t wait to see how it cleans up. It’s gonna look good!

Thank you. I haven't done much more to it in terms of cleanup since the last photos I posted. No wet sanding yet, just a razor to shave little blisters off the top and a little rubbing compound on the light blue parts. My shop is running out of parking places, so I rolled it down into the house and parked it next to the 'extra' range I found for freee. It's a kitchen cabinet right now. Yesterday, I processed blackberries on top of it.

IMG_7701.jpeg

I found this lamp on the side of the road, sitting in a puddle. I did a quick u-turn to grab it and was pleased to see what good condition it's in. I really like the robin's egg blue paint.

IMG_7669.jpeg

The hook-bar on the peg-board door is really useful. I tried hanging files, screwdrivers, knives and utensils and they worked equally well. It'd be fun to make another one and have two on the door.

IMG_7703.jpeg

Tom
 
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Mintgrun

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Oct 7, 2015
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Kingston, Wa.
Now get those unripe berries picked out of there!

Those were picked on purpose. Supposedly, the unripe berries contain the most pectin and there's enough that you don't need to add more to make jelly/jam. I am making jelly, because the berries are so seedie. The juice is delicious too, especially mixed in with fresh apple juice. It's harvest season around here. Apples and berries everywhere!

You certainly deserve a big ol' YOU **** for that lamp find!

Thank you, Timm. It's the third cast iron-based flex-neck lamp I've found. I've been meaning to share them in the vintage shop lights thread. I love the feel of those old switches and the sounds they make turning on and off. I think we need a Vintage Switches thread too!
 

StanF

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2015
Messages
12
Nametag is missing, but I am pretty sure that this is a Waterloo JL-1200...just picked it up today. It's not perfect, but I don't mind some character marks here and there. It appears to be heavier than more recent boxes based on how much the two sellers struggled to get it into my truck - the catalog page below shows it at 156 lbs. Surprisingly, it even came with two keys! It has a "W-2-81" stamp on the front lower crosspiece, so I'm guessing it dates to 1981. Can't wait to get it home and cleaned up...

Then, I'll try to find a matching top chest in my area, which might be difficult!

Waterloo JL-1200.jpg528133845_1067998415522266_7524849927391602819_n.jpg528791717_715328791474315_5674841732559891061_n.jpg530371280_3794126764065116_4960198055775998775_n.jpg489372915_1315234200294843_6511051948174816372_n.jpg
 
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four.cycle

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Oct 19, 2015
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Location
Tacoma, Washington
Decades ago, a friend’s very young daughter sprayed either 409 or Fantastik on big mirrored closet doors while no one was looking. It actually etched the plastic surface. I’ve never let either one soak for very long since then.
When "409" first came out, I thought it was the greatest stuff EVER!
That is, until some overspray hit the clock-radio and ate the finish right off the face plate, leaving little black speckles all over it.

Might be great as a degreaser, but I'd be really hesitant about using it ever again, particularly on any painted surfaces. I would never use it on any item I was hoping to "restore".

Just my lousy two cents.
 

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Provincial

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Sep 21, 2011
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Near Salem, OR
If I get a rash from Poison Oak, I spray Formula 409 on the area, gently rub it in, and then rinse off with water hot as I can stand. Repeat once. Almost always, the rash remains, but never itches again. I developed this method from knowing that the rash is caused by oils from contact with the plant, and focused on removing the oil from my skin.
 

Beerhippie

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Far NE Oregon
If I get a rash from Poison Oak, I spray Formula 409 on the area, gently rub it in, and then rinse off with water hot as I can stand. Repeat once. Almost always, the rash remains, but never itches again. I developed this method from knowing that the rash is caused by oils from contact with the plant, and focused on removing the oil from my skin.
Technu soap is actually made for that.

84d2-c65539a50358.0a3a95665fba765be67be93b2bac221d.jpg

I use it whenever I even so much as think I've been exposed to poison oak/ivy and it prevent me from ever getting a rash. I use the Techu laundry soap for any clothes that might have been exposed. After too many year of working in the woods of Western Oregon and Washington, I'm hypersensitized to poison oak in particular. I've been to the emergency room a couple of times due to systemic reactions. Not fun.
 

DAustin

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Jul 30, 2021
Messages
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If I get a rash from Poison Oak, I spray Formula 409 on the area, gently rub it in, and then rinse off with water hot as I can stand. Repeat once. Almost always, the rash remains, but never itches again. I developed this method from knowing that the rash is caused by oils from contact with the plant, and focused on removing the oil from my skin.
Would Dawn dish soap do the same thing?
 

Outlawmws

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The Badlands
I've been to the emergency room a couple of times due to systemic reactions. Not fun.

Tecnu is definitely the best stuff for us who are allergic to the ivys and like. When I was younger I got it in my mouth, lungs. I was on a steroid diet for a few weeks. I hate the stuff!

To someone sensitive to it it can be extremely dangerous. over 60 years ago we were cat fishing under a bridge somewhere not far from home, Chico CA at the time. Us kids were running around rolling in grass, (and who knows what else) - doing kids play. we got sent to get fire wood so we did. My sister was standing where the smoke was drifting under the bridge, and that fire wood we found later we had pulled from poison oak, probably still had some on it

i and my brother never caught it. my dad got a tiny bot. my mom had a pretty normal amount. My sister nearly died of it. face puffed yo like a balloon, it was inside her mouth and nose, eyes swollen shut upper body covered with it.

back then all there really was was Calamine lotion. and my mom and dad were holding her arms so she wouldn't
scratch at it all night, while constantly doing the lotion. She could not eat; had to hold her lips closed on a straw with her fingers or we would trickle it in with a straw, as that was all that she could get in her mouth.

Going to looking into Tecnu, as While I've onl;y ever gotten a smidgen of it, others have gotten it from my clothes, and I'l likely be spending more time where it is present now I'm retired.
 

Provincial

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Near Salem, OR
Technu soap is actually made for that.

84d2-c65539a50358.0a3a95665fba765be67be93b2bac221d.jpg

I use it whenever I even so much as think I've been exposed to poison oak/ivy and it prevent me from ever getting a rash. I use the Techu laundry soap for any clothes that might have been exposed. After too many year of working in the woods of Western Oregon and Washington, I'm hypersensitized to poison oak in particular. I've been to the emergency room a couple of times due to systemic reactions. Not fun.
One son and a grandson are hypersensitive to Poison Oak. Even Technu is ineffective for them. Avoidance is the only effective option, which around here is pretty extreme. If I take a normal shower a few hours after exposure, I don't seem to have a reaction. If it sits on my skin for a while, it will raise a red rash and itch.

In my opinion, Technu is mechanic's hand cleaner with whatever the Marketing Department says it added. Hand cleaner seems to be just as effective.
 

Beerhippie

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Far NE Oregon
At one time, a long time ago, Tecnu sold a barrier creme that was quite effective for protection when you know you're going into danger.
 

Cruzan80

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Denver, CO
Would Dawn dish soap do the same thing?
Yes, in that it helps with removing the oils. As others have stated, depending on your level of allergy, it may not be sufficient.

When we used to go hiking in GA Nat Forests, SOP was to strip down and shower (individually, before this goes sideways) at the end of hikes. We would use it as body wash, shampoo and a few cap-fulls in the laundry (all of the hiking stuff thrown together).

I also seem to remember one of the Poison leaf family having the issue that the more you are exposed, the worse the reaction each time. So someone that wasn't bothered when younger could "develop" an allergy over repeated exposures. I don't remember which one (Ivy/Oak/Sumac).
 

Beerhippie

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Messages
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Location
Far NE Oregon
Yes, in that it helps with removing the oils. As others have stated, depending on your level of allergy, it may not be sufficient.

When we used to go hiking in GA Nat Forests, SOP was to strip down and shower (individually, before this goes sideways) at the end of hikes. We would use it as body wash, shampoo and a few cap-fulls in the laundry (all of the hiking stuff thrown together).

I also seem to remember one of the Poison leaf family having the issue that the more you are exposed, the worse the reaction each time. So someone that wasn't bothered when younger could "develop" an allergy over repeated exposures. I don't remember which one (Ivy/Oak/Sumac).
This is what happened to me. As a kid, I was utterly immune to poison oak (Rhus diversiloba). As I proceeded to get more exposure over the years, including things like landscape construction in the Corvallis, OR area--lots of digging through PO roots and firefighting in Southern Oregon and Northern CA--where the undergrowth is often nearly pure PO, I got to point that I swear looking at it would cause me to break out, and actual expose could result in a systemic reaction.

When I moved to NE Oregon, where PO is replaced by Rhus radicans (which doesn't seem to have a common name), I found that I barely reacted to it--but I still avoid it just to be sure it stays that way. After ten years of not being exposed to PO, I went to a friend's wedding near Cave Junction, OR, where the prevailing shrub is PO. I resigned myself to a painful and lingering death--and never got so much as a spot of it, even 'though exposure was unavoidable. I guess hypersensitivization can fade over time.

My understanding is that you can become hypersensitized to many allergens and toxins, so it could happen with any of the poison Rhus species. Some people are highly reactive to other members of the sumac (poison oak) family, such as cashews.
 
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