Yard Sale Find - Need Advise

[MoparTrucks]

The wife found a Huot bottom roller tool chest at a yard sale and called me up to look at it and I brought it home along with some other things. Everything works smoothly on the thing and it even has a small side shelf that slips over the top lip on the right hand side.

They wanted $65 for it and I gave $50 so I figure I gave everything it was worth and maybe then some but I like it a lot. The advise I need is should I strip this thing down and refinish it or leave it as is? I kind of like the patina but it does have some rust on the back bottom of the cabinet and I dont want to be "the guy" who refinishes something only to have every one groan when they see it and ask why I ruined it. Also, this may sound a little nutty but one of the things I would miss if I refinished it is the smell...it has a very pleasing old oily mechanical smell I cant describe other than to say it reminds me of my grandfathers shop.

I dont care a bit about value because I am at an age where my kids will have to worry about that when I am gone but I am torn and could go either way on this so I seek some opinions from you guys.

I got the pickle fork on top of the cabinet for a buck

The back bottom of the cabinet does have some rust but there really arent any dents or other rough spots other than the paint.

I dont know the age of this but the woman selling it said she remembers her husband bought it right after they married about 40 years ago so I'm guessing its mid 70s. I'm going back tomorrow evening to see if her husband has the top box he might sell (she said he might).

I also got these two shelving units with those boxes full of nails, screws, washers, electrical connectors etc for $25.

Anyway, thanks,

Andy

 

[Bouchard93]

Great find! I would keep it has is , good luck with getting the top.

 

[treimers]

Let me be the first to say
"you ****"!!!

That's a good find!

I gave $15 for one, but it's not nearly as nice as that - only four drawers,
and not the nice little ones too like you have.

Plus, the really bad thing is that $25 -- that REALLY is good.
I just bought two or three sets of the 4-drawer plastic tip-out containers
and paid $5 each for them.
You got four times as many little storage containers as I did for about the same $$... It may be little boxes on shelves, but it does the same thing
and yours came with stuff in them!


Anyhow ---

I'd say clean and paint it on the outside, just to stop the rust
You could always then re-patina it before the paint fully dries, or
maybe afterwards with some sandpaper and darker red or thinned black paint.

Do that without touching the inside at all, and I bet most of the smell would persist too...


I might have to think about tacking a shelf on the side of mine, like that.
I see those shelves from time to time in the junkyard, so I could probably find something to retrofit...

Good score!

 

[treimers]

I wonder if he replaced that bottom drawer at some point?
It looks a brighter red than the others...

 

[ganymede]

That piece is in good shape. I'd just steel wool and oil the rust spot .
Also what's that white patch at the bottom front ? I'd get that off . Otherwise it's got waaaay to much good paint on it to go sanding, scraping, grinding, priming , this that the other....just leave it.

 

[Rickster]

I'd just hose it down with WD40 and wipe it up with a clean shop rag and use it! It has that really great old-time patina to it.

 

[HubbaBubba]

I'd just hose it down with WD40 and wipe it up with a clean shop rag and use it! It has that really great old-time patina to it.

+ 1. Looks ready to be filled.

 

[nine4gmc]

Good find I have the matching top.

 

[jakemac]

That piece is in good shape. I'd just steel wool and oil the rust spot .
Also what's that white patch at the bottom front ? I'd get that off . Otherwise it's got waaaay to much good paint on it to go sanding, scraping, grinding, priming , this that the other....just leave it.

^^^^^^^^^^ THIS ! ^^^^^^^^^

Just lightly scrub the flakey rust off with #0000 steel wool, and use a good penetrating oil to arrest the rust. It can always be re-painted later, but you only have the original finish once. Hold on to it as long as you can.

 

[Packard V8]

I'm using a couple with just that sort of patina. No reason to paint it.

jack vines

 

[Outlawmws]

Skip the steel wool on the rust, it will only do a half assed job really in that spot.

Keep the patina, I like it!

Get the drawers out for cleaning and re-lubing the slides, lay it on its front and use paper towels soaked in Evaporust on the rusty patch. Once clean of rust, oil or clear coat it to arrest further rust.

Re-assemble and use it!

 

[jeffmoss26]

That's a you ****! Especially the shelves and parts.

 

[woody 73]

Keep the patina nice box; on the other hand you stole those shelves and all the hardware!

 

[MoparTrucks]

Thanks guys, you have confirmed my first inclination and I think I will just clean it up, hit the rust spots and enjoy it. My wife is a bit of a shop rat herself so when she says she found something I would be interested in I paid attention.

The bottom drawer is the same color as the rest of them and its just my crappy camera and bad lighting that makes it look newer. However, if you look at the cover (the piece with the Huot logo) its not nearly as sun faded and that white stiff is literally just dirt. I dealt with this guys wife because he works about 100 miles from here and he gets home late but he will be there tomorrow evening about 6:30 and his wife says he has a shop full of stuff to get rid of before they move (and this is a small farm so you can imagine my anticipation!).

As for the shelves, that was a happy accident. We loaded up and were leaving and the woman said "dont you need some shelves?" and I looked at them and said not really and I only have $25.00 and she said "sold!". It turned out to be a real plus and there is even a container of old square cut horse shoe nails but I wonder if I had said I only have 10 bucks if I would have still taken them home!

 

[MoparTrucks]

Oh and that little foldable shelf that sits on the lip of the chest is pretty slick. It just sits there by gravity and isnt attached but its a clever design and would work on any box with a rolled lip...I wouldnt mind finding another one or two.

 

[DrivewayDave]

I vote to repaint as you've got 2 different colors, rust, & a lot of missing paint. Maybe someone good at matching colors could do just the spot work? What I'd do in the time being is Naval Jelly Dis-solver ($5) the rust spots, wash it off, repeat if necessary-when rust is gone fine steel wool it & then wax just the rust removal area to prevent oxidation, then you could take your time on how you really feel about it, IMHO. Good luck with your decisions on it.

Happy Trails!

 

[kenfain]

Nice find. I wish I could find a cool old box at a yard sale,as I'm in the market for more quality tool storage. But on this box I'd have to cast my vote on leaving the patina. Once it's gone, you're not getting it back. I think it has character. And the smell, that would make me think twice before I used anything on it. You said it reminded you of your grandfather, you wouldn't want to go messing with that either! How many things give you that? Why take chances? Just fill it and enjoy it. Smell is one of the most powerful triggers of memory. I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[zkling]

Sweet box

They wanted $65 for it and I gave $50 so I figure I gave everything it was worth and maybe then some but I like it a lot.

To me that box and shelf is worth every penny of $65 and then some. You got a great deal.


If it was mine, I would just wire wheel off the rust, maybe a little touch up paint inorder to prevent the rust from coming back. Clean and lube the drawer slides, clean the drawers and add liner. Then use it for years to come.

Oh and that little foldable shelf that sits on the lip of the chest is pretty slick. It just sits there by gravity and isnt attached but its a clever design and would work on any box with a rolled lip...I wouldnt mind finding another one or two.

Looks like a standard side shelf. Those usually cost more new than what you paid for the entire box. Lots of manufactures make them. Just watch out for it not being bolted down. I can just see putting some liquid or other small parts on there, giving it an upward jolt and next thing you know all the parts / liquid are on the floor. I am pretty clumsy though, YMMV.

 

[TheMonge23]

very nice. Clean it up per suggestions and hit it with a couple light coats of satin clear just to protect it after its cleaned up.

 

[Outlawmws]

Salmonslayer, good decision

I have one of those folding shelves on my welding bench (50's craftsman Roller) but I "removed" the Folder feature by adding a brace for the small vise I added. the brace is simply a piece of conduit with the ends fattened, bent to match the bottom of the shelf where a vise bolt is, and to match the side of the roller, and bolted in. You wouldn't want to beat on it, but it's for holding stuff I'm welding or cutting on, not metal forming...

 

[Bellaireroad]

I wonder if he replaced that bottom drawer at some point?
It looks a brighter red than the others...

Bottom drawer gets used less....less greasy paws on it

 

[MoparTrucks]

Well to conclude this saga, we went tonight to check out the guys shop so see what else he had (hoping he had the Huot top box) but he didnt have the top box and most of the stuff in his shop I was interested in he wasnt selling (an anvil, a big Wilton vise, drill press).

He was a very nice and eccentric old guy and there are some hand tools I am going back for but no big score for me. He did have a bunch of old radio tubes (as in probably 100) still in their boxes, an oscilloscope, and some type of large multi tester with all kinds of dials and knobs that pertained to old radios and was way above my knowledge base. Oh and his wife said a little while after we had left with the bottom roller a couple guys came back for it and were bummed we had scooped it up!

I do have a question though if anyone knows; how do you pronounce Huot? Is it "Hew- Ott", "Hewt", "How-T" ?

 

[Jagmandave]

I sure don't understand why you guys get wet ******* over an old greasy worn out rusted out box like this......

I mean, I have my share of old tools too, but that's because I bought them a long time ago!

 

[MoparTrucks]

I sure don't understand why you guys get wet ******* over an old greasy worn out rusted out box like this......

I mean, I have my share of old tools too, but that's because I bought them a long time ago!

Its one of my healthier addictions Dave! I know what you mean though, I am in my mid 50s and still have all of the tools I started obtaining when I was in HS and though I like new tools too, nothing beats a well made and well used (but still useful) tool for the shop.

 

[Rickster]

Sometimes older is just cool.

 

[RKSpeed]

The shelves and hardware was the deal of the day! Nice score!