Unusual Vintage MachinistsTool Box

[Maui]

I picked up a couple of vintage machinists tool boxes that were loaded with tools this past weekend. A lot of other equipment came along with the deal too. The owner was a gentlemen in his eighties who had recently passed away, and apparently some of these pieces belonged to his grandfather. So they're old. Really old. One of his relatives was selling it all. The seller said that the smaller of the two boxes with the traditional tool box design was made by a company named Federal. The other box does not have any markings on it that I have been able to identify. It looks pretty old, and I have never seen another one like it. Can anybody identify what company may have manufactured this tool box? Thanks.

Maui

 

[plow]

Looks like Kennedy drawer pulls.

 

[nine4gmc]

oh man those are nice!!

 

[Maui]

I found the ID tag on the smaller tool box, and it doesn't say Federal. It says, "National Cabinet Company Dayton Ohio". There are no markings on the larger tool box that I could find, and I pulled out almost every door to see if any of them had markings. I'm stumped.

 

[justanengineer]

Keep in mind when youre looking at old wooden boxes that many craftsmen in the late 1800s, early 1900s, and even some today build their own, especially toolmakers, diemakers, etc.

Sorry I cant help further, definitely a great find tho.

 

[Steevo]

That bigger one is a real beauty.

 

[J HAV]

Really nice score. I'd hold on to those if it were me. If those boxes could talk!

 

[Outlawmws]

I like them both for different reasons. But I agree the wide one is unique!

Well done snagging them!

 

[Outlawmws]

Looks like Kennedy drawer pulls.

Which one? Neither look anything like a Kennedy I've ever seen. the small one has drawer pulls I've seen on Kennedy wannabees, but not the big K, and rarely on a wood box..

 

[Maui]

Thanks for the compliments. I did a little research, and found out that the National Cabinet Company was actually started by one of the Gerstner sons, so that explains the design of the smaller box. I've read that you can clean these up nicely by using Go-Jo to remove grease and oil from the wood without damaging it, and then take some fine steel wool to it once it dries to bring out the old wood finish. Has anybody tried this, and would you recommend it for these tool boxes? Or would you just leave them as they are? I don't want to damage them or reduce their value, but I would like to clean them up a little so that they look better.

Maui

 

[rlitman]

Instead of Go-Jo, I would use Murphy's Oil Soap on the wood.
Cleaning will improve the value, not damage it. You're not rubbing the patina off bronze.
Just don't strip it, or sand it.

If you use steel wool, be sure it is 0000 ultra fine. And use a VERY gentle touch.
You can touch up the original finish with some boiled linseed oil. Just be sure to rub off any residue, and give it a few days between coats.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Those boxes are AWESOME!!

 

[Jim Johnstone]

So where are the pics of the tools that came with them?

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk 2

 

[Davefr]

Remove the lower drawers and look at the inside of the bottom of the box. It was common for them to be signed, stamped, numbered and dated.

 

[Maui]

I've attached a couple of photos of the tools that I got along with the tool boxes for those of you who expressed an interest. These photos don't show them all, but the majority of the tools can be seen here. There are depth micrometers, 1" and 2" micrometers, a set of V-blocks, old style calipers, a set of gage blocks, an Ettco 1B tapping head, a variety of new end mills, jars full of nuts and bolts with spring clips and grease fittings, a couple of vintage rulers in great shape, lots of lathe bits, dial indicators, a special gage fixture, brand new slitter blades, etc. There just soooo much. And I got it all for $150.

Maui

 

[Davefr]

You ****!!

 

[J HAV]

I've attached a couple of photos of the tools that I got along with the tool boxes for those of you who expressed an interest. These photos don't show them all, but the majority of the tools can be seen here. There are depth micrometers, 1" and 2" micrometers, a set of V-blocks, old style calipers, a set of gage blocks, an Ettco 1B tapping head, a variety of new end mills, jars full of nuts and bolts with spring clips and grease fittings, a couple of vintage rulers in great shape, lots of lathe bits, dial indicators, a special gage fixture, brand new slitter blades, etc. There just soooo much. And I got it all for $150.

Maui

Oh man... You ****

 

[nine4gmc]

x3, majorly...

 

[Maui]

I could already hear the "you ****" chorus in my head while I was writing that last post.

 

[GerstnerUSA]

I found the ID tag on the smaller tool box, and it doesn't say Federal. It says, "National Cabinet Company Dayton Ohio". There are no markings on the larger tool box that I could find, and I pulled out almost every door to see if any of them had markings. I'm stumped.

Thanks for the compliments. I did a little research, and found out that the National Cabinet Company was actually started by one of the Gerstner sons, so that explains the design of the smaller box. I've read that you can clean these up nicely by using Go-Jo to remove grease and oil from the wood without damaging it, and then take some fine steel wool to it once it dries to bring out the old wood finish. Has anybody tried this, and would you recommend it for these tool boxes? Or would you just leave them as they are? I don't want to damage them or reduce their value, but I would like to clean them up a little so that they look better.

Maui

@Maui

Your research is a little off on the National Cabinet Company. The National Cabinet Company was a value line of tool chests made by Gerstner & Sons.

The style chest you have is either a style 600 if it is 16" wide or a style 640 if it is 20" wide.

The construction was slightly different from a standard Gerstner Chest. The chest didn't have catches on the front, the drawer bottoms were plywood instead of metal, and it was a plain oak finish. The Oak in the chests didn't always have a lot of figure in the wood like the standard Gerstner Chests.

 

[bigcaddy]

I've attached a couple of photos of the tools that I got along with the tool boxes for those of you who expressed an interest. These photos don't show them all, but the majority of the tools can be seen here. There are depth micrometers, 1" and 2" micrometers, a set of V-blocks, old style calipers, a set of gage blocks, an Ettco 1B tapping head, a variety of new end mills, jars full of nuts and bolts with spring clips and grease fittings, a couple of vintage rulers in great shape, lots of lathe bits, dial indicators, a special gage fixture, brand new slitter blades, etc. There just soooo much. And I got it all for $150.

Maui

I see an Ettco tapping head in that pile of tools. Those are really handy if you have to tap lots of holes and like the threads to come out straight

 

[91bronc300]

Wow, I love that copper mallet with the head brazed on!