The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

[crazytrain]

My boxes belonged to my Dad when he first started working as an auto mechanic then he gave them to his Dad who used them in his workshop and he had them for the last 30+ years and now I have them. I hope to one day pass them to my boys. My Dad said he is the one who added most of the stickers to it.

 

[ed_v]

This has to be in my top 5 favorite threads on the GJ. Great stuff guys. Thanks for sharing.

Ed

 

[socket2me]

Here are a few of my vintage tool boxes. My first was the Kennedy, unknown manufacture date - any help would be appreciated.
2nd is the Craftsman tool chest from 1975. The 3rd is the Craftsman carpenter's (?) tool box. the prior owner bought it new in 1966. I bought it for a dollar. Last but not least is the Pressteel chest of unknown lineage. I want to restore it but not sure what steps to take. Should I media blast it and re-paint or powder coat it? It's on at least the second coat of paint now and pretty chipped up.

 

[socket2me]

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[socket2me]

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[nine4gmc]

That Pressteel may have started life as a medical crash cart, its pretty tight either way!! You get a HUGE RED YOU **** for that '66 dollar purchase!

 

[jeffmoss26]

Wow...a whole tool chest for a dollar?! I am jealous

 

[goodspeed]

I have a soft spot in my heart for Kennedy Boxes, so, when I spotted this one at a pawn shop, I had to have it. Filled with some "meh" quality tools it set me back 20 dollars, which I'm okay with.

Started with this. More rust than paint.

http://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/545743_10151129289085760_489288343_n.jpg

Ended up with this, after I broke it down, drilled out all the rivets, painted it, and reassembled it. In the photo it has bolts, but I did later replace them with rivets. I just didn't have any at the time of assembly. Also pictured is my Kennedy 520 I picked up filled with very good quality tools at a different pawn shop for the same price (20 dollars).

Neither of them came with the covers, so I might make some for them, but I doubt it. I find them to be annoying, anyway.

There are still issues with the straightness of it, but it looks a bunch better, to me at least, and, being as that I do use all of my toolboxes, I didn't want to spend hours on something that will get beaten up.

 

[nine4gmc]

nice job on that resto, I have a couple needing fresh paint. did you blast it or sand it down?

 

[ZRX61]

Neither of them came with the covers, so I might make some for them, but I doubt it. I find them to be annoying, anyway.

They might be available direct from Kennedy...

 

[goodspeed]

I sanded/wire brushed. I was going to blast it, but the frame of it in my blasting cabinet was just awkward to try and manipulate it to blast it. Also I wanted to keep what was left of the interior felt and finish.

I also really wanted to make sure that the kennedy decal on the interior of the lid was still there.

The army green color is rustoleum and, for one reason or another, I bought 6 cans of it at big lots because it was a buck a can one day and thought it'd look alright. The catch-22 of that is that my second project (a waterloo that's equally as "distressed") is going to be army green, too, so they match.

Eventually I'd like all my boxes to be refinished the same color, with the exception of that 520 also in the photo, since I just can't bring myself to tear up the mint finish that it has. I'll just set it somewhere else in my shop. Lol

 

[goodspeed]

They might be available direct from Kennedy...

Very well could be. When I had my 520 at the machine shop I formerly worked at, I just drilled two holes in the top and ran two pieces of round bar from the top to the bottom in front of the drawers and locked the top. Hurt a little to drill holes in it, but it worked great.

 

[bluebolt]

nice set Bobcatdan, I just picked up a similar top, looking for a matching bottom now.

Show me pics of your top you just picked up and I will show you pics of my 1966 Craftsman bottom I just picked up......

 

[bluebolt]

I am just loving all the grey with red drawers Craftsman boxes showing up! Picked up a 1966 Craftsman lower cabinet about three weeks ago, 5 drawers with the lower storage section.

 

[nine4gmc]

Show me pics of your top you just picked up and I will show you pics of my 1966 Craftsman bottom I just picked up......

I'm not shy

Excuse the auction picture, it will probably be a couple weeks before I get it here. Anyone recognize the middle or bottom?

 

[uniballer]

I have the craftsman as my avatar from 60's, kennedy storage 5 drawer.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Goodspeed, nice job restoring that Kennedy!!

 

[bluebolt]

I'm not shy

Excuse the auction picture, it will probably be a couple weeks before I get it here. Anyone recognize the middle or bottom?

I think the Craftsman is 1970's, hard to tell from that one pic.

 

[Wine-o1]

These are my main toolboxes at home and are all older than me lol.

This was my dad's and is a KR-59D from 1981.

This is a KR-557D I picked up from craigslist from 1983. This was my first toolbox restoration but probably not my last thanks to this site.

This is an old MAC tools box that came from a retired bodyman but I don't remember the model. I'm sure its older than 20 years so it definitely qualifies as vintage.

 

[stoveboltgunnut]

Here is my proto, I made a post about it a couple of weeks ago before I found this post...here is my first post about it:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=160265&highlight=proto+goodness

here are some more pics. If anybody knows anything about this set (age, part numbers,etc.), I'd sure appreciate the info.

 

[nine4gmc]

nice Proto, of all the vintage boxes in this thread, I like the ones with those handles best.

 

[donmillerx]

If anybody knows anything about this set (age, part numbers,etc.), I'd sure appreciate the info.

I have what I think is an identical top box and under the top lid, on the left side near the front, I think it says: 1978.

Check it out... if you haven't already. I'd be interested in knowing anything you find out. It's a great box.

Good luck,

 

[stoveboltgunnut]

thanks guys. Don, I'll look for that stamp on mine in the morning.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Nice stuff wine-o1 and stovebolt!

 

[markitsnappy]

I finally bought a proper box for my home garage. i bought it a month ago for 200.00. here are some before and after pics. the box is really straight and the top and middle box cleaned up pretty nice so I'm going to leave them as is. As you can see the bottom box had some rust and paint loss along the bottom edge, i decided to just touch it up. I think it came out decent. i believe this set up is from 1974.

 

[jeffmoss26]

That's an awesome setup and a great price too!

 

[markitsnappy]

thanks. I had to drive an hour and a half to get it but it was worth it. He was originally asking 350.00 and if he was closer to the city i think he would have sold it quicker and for more money. I offered him 200.00 on a monday and he said no because he had other guys wanting to see it. I sent him another text on thursday telling him I'd pick it up that day for 200.00 and he said ok. It was extremely dirty when i got it but that didn't bother me as I said it was pretty damn straight and that was my main concern.

 

[PCO6]

I finally bought a proper box for my home garage. i bought it a month ago for 200.00. here are some before and after pics. the box is really straight and the top and middle box cleaned up pretty nice so I'm going to leave them as is. As you can see the bottom box had some rust and paint loss along the bottom edge, i decided to just touch it up. I think it came out decent. i believe this set up is from 1974.

That looks great. I have the same roller cabinet that you do. I bought it a little over a year ago to go with an upper chest I bought it used off a Snap-on truck back in 1969. I believe my top chest was 3 or 4 years old at the time so say about 1965. I am certain my roller cabinet is newer. I was thinking early 70's so close to what you think yours is. The previous owner did a nice job of painting it black but I am pretty sure it was red to begin with. I plan to restore both in my "spare time".

My top chest has "Snap-on KC 532 MADE IN CANADA" stamped on the back. Unfortunately I'll have to strip off the paint to see what the roller cabinet has on it. Can you read yours?

 

[toollooter]

Here's my Plomb Toolmobile everythings metal except for what left of the paint.

 

[nine4gmc]

nice PlVmb box, those are starting to pop up!

 

[Outlawmws]

nice PlVmb box, those are starting to pop up!

The Pressteel seem to be, the Plvmb branded versions are pretty rare. I'd love to fine a top and bottom Plvmb box set for the collection..

 

[timbitca]

Hey guys,

First post on GJ here. I've been lurking for a solid week and drooling most of that time too; wanted my first post to be to introduce me and my poor garage but that'll come later I guess.

Being in Canada I've been browsing Kijiji forever looking for tools, without much success, or really paying attention to old box's until now. Always knew I wanted cool box's but never really knew I wanted old cool box's until I went through this thread. Now, I've found these two today and I'd like your opinion on them.

First off, a Snap-On stack for 320$

And then this Waterloo roller for 50$

I'm thinking the Waterloo is of the newer and cheaper sort, am I right? But at 50$ it would make a decent roller for my Grandfather's yet to be identified top (another job for you guys in the coming days) until I can find something more suitable.

The Snap-On is the one that's really intriguing me. I don't remember ever seeing a vintage Snap-On on kijiji around here. It looks to be pretty dirty but it also seems to be in decent shape. I'm sure someone here can identify it and tell me if it would be a good pickup, I do plan on going to see it when I get back in town Wednesday and check what kind of condition it's really in, along with the drawers and stuff.

Thanks guys, I hope I'll be around here for a good long while; and I'll be posting a thread about my Grandfather's old garage soon

 

[mncountrydoc]

Well here's my 2 boxes that I am building for my 2 year old son all filled with USA tools

Sent from my SCH-I405 using Tapatalk 2

 

[PCO6]

First off, a Snap-On stack for 320$

timbitca - Welcome to the forum. I love that Snap-on combination. If you're wondering why, look at post #993 above. I'm sure those badges are wrong but that looks like a good set to get and restore or just do a good clean up on. I like the "toilet seat" boxes. The lid is either up or down ... none of this folding lid stuff.

 

[timbitca]

timbitca - Welcome to the forum. I love that Snap-on combination. If you're wondering why, look at post #993 above. I'm sure those badges are wrong but that looks like a good set to get and restore or just do a good clean up on. I like the "toilet seat" boxes. The lid is either up or down ... none of this folding lid stuff.

Well... the black must have thrown me for a loop because I hadn't noticed the top was pretty much an exact match of yours. The roller is different though. Hmm.

I had figured something was wrong with those badges though, they looked too new for the box.

I don't need a box that big right now, only have a few tools and the workbenches my grandfather built have lots of drawers in them, but I'm sort of planning ahead you could say..

And I'm gonna agree with you as far as the lids go. I used to like fold down lids, but the one on my grandfathers box has been giving me trouble lately and I keep want to rip it out, screw that thing

 

[timbitca]

Sorry for the double post, but I just wanted to show you guys the box's that I have now, even though they aren't anything special.

First up, a group shot, starting with 2 Beach hand boxs, 2 unidentified chest's and an unidentified hand box. Sorry for the lame descriptions but that's where you guys come in, both of the chest have no markings on them...
View media item 22815
The first, and bigger, one,
View media item 22818Here on the cover you can make out where the badge used to be,
View media item 22816
And the 2nd one, you can obviously tell it used to be blue but that was a long time ago since I always remember seeing it in our basement in red,
View media item 22817View media item 22819
You can tell that the locks on that last one were changed, and that makes me suspect that my grandfather picked up that one, and quite possibly the 2 Beach's in the trash at the paper mill he worked at since he hated to see anyone throw anything out, which is quite evident with the amount of stuff we've thrown out since he died in July '11.

That last blue one on the end is in much better shape than the rest of them, it does seem more modern and of cheap construction compared to the others, probably still 20+ years old easily though.

I hadn't really paid any attention to the hand box's until this weekend, but I was hoping to take one of the Beach's as a box for my car but they aren't in the best of shape, so I'll just keep my eyes open for something else. The one sitting on top I never even knew I had, found it on the floor of the shop mixed up with jugs of old oil, the bottom is close to being rusted. The one on the bottom is in much better shape overall, no rust almost, but the top looks like someone used it in a fight against someone else, there's even a big crack in the metal.

Still waiting on an answer from the guy with the SO I posted on the previous page, really want to go check it out. Would probably last me a life time if it's in decent shape.

 

[nine4gmc]

I think that larger red chest had a Craftsman Crown Top Logo on it possibly? cool boxes, thanks for sharing.

 

[Jarhead0408]

X2 on the Craftsman Crown Logo.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

thanks. I had to drive an hour and a half to get it but it was worth it. He was originally asking 350.00 and if he was closer to the city i think he would have sold it quicker and for more money. I offered him 200.00 on a monday and he said no because he had other guys wanting to see it. I sent him another text on thursday telling him I'd pick it up that day for 200.00 and he said ok. It was extremely dirty when i got it but that didn't bother me as I said it was pretty damn straight and that was my main concern.

You should be arrested for theft.

Being in Canada I've been browsing Kijiji forever looking for tools, without much success, or really paying attention to old box's until now. Always knew I wanted cool box's but never really knew I wanted old cool box's until I went through this thread. Now, I've found these two today and I'd like your opinion on them.

First off, a Snap-On stack for 320$

And then this Waterloo roller for 50$

I'm thinking the Waterloo is of the newer and cheaper sort, am I right? But at 50$ it would make a decent roller for my Grandfather's yet to be identified top (another job for you guys in the coming days) until I can find something more suitable.

The Snap-On is the one that's really intriguing me. I don't remember ever seeing a vintage Snap-On on kijiji around here. It looks to be pretty dirty but it also seems to be in decent shape. I'm sure someone here can identify it and tell me if it would be a good pickup, I do plan on going to see it when I get back in town Wednesday and check what kind of condition it's really in, along with the drawers and stuff.

Thanks guys, I hope I'll be around here for a good long while; and I'll be posting a thread about my Grandfather's old garage soon

Forget the Waterloo. It's cheap and will frustrate you. Every time you open one of the drawers, you'll wish you had a better box. Waterloo has made some pretty good toolboxes over the years. This isn't one of them.

Offer the guy $250 for the Snap On stack if the metal is straight and the drawers open and close well. And see if you can get him to throw in the rooster.

 

[nine4gmc]

love that 78 waterloo!! keep those pics coming!!

here are some Snap On body shop cabinets I just picked up and posted in the garage sale thread recently. Does anyone know about when they were made? I looked all over the usual places for date stamps but did not see anything. Also, what can I do about the missing hardware on the one on the floor? It's missing the keyed tumbler assembly and locking bars shown on left of last pic.