Help with Tool Box ID

[zoomieport]

Need a little help here, I didn't take any measurements, but I'm sure you guys will know right away... I'm more of a vise guy, so I'm counting on you... Thank you in advance!

Zoom

The top box is missing the cover, the bottom cover works fine, there were just tools hanging out of it... The "Blue" picture is from inside the top cover, it looks like original paint to my untrained eye. And i took a pic of one of the wheels/casters...

Let me know your thoughts, and thanks again!

ZOOM

 

[zkling]

I want to say craftsman, but I don't think that is correct. Possibly huot. I will start digging, but not sure how far I will get here on my lunch break.

Those wheels are pretty distinctive.

 

[zoomieport]

I want to say craftsman, but I don't think that is correct. Possibly huot. I will start digging, but not sure how far I will get here on my lunch break.

Those wheels are pretty distinctive.

Thanks!

 

[rusty65]

Maybe beach?

 

[bobcatdan]

I'm going either craftsman or Kennedy. Those are 50's.

 

[MN Falcon]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134399

I started the thread above. The pulls on the drawers are very similar to the ones on my top box, it looks like the rivets are different though. Read through my thread because John Huot chimed in about his grandfather and father building about 100 prototype mechanics boxes after the war without any special tooling. The front cover on your bottom doesn't have the normal Huot oval stamped into it, but again John said no special tooling (and I see that John says that in the '40s they used a rectangular emblem without a stamped area). As you read my thread I think the drawer pulls was something John thought was wrong. He wanted a look at the drawer slides though to have a better idea. Can you get some decent picts of the drawer slides?

 

[zoomieport]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134399

I started the thread above. The pulls on the drawers are very similar to the ones on my top box, it looks like the rivets are different though. Read through my thread because John Huot chimed in about his grandfather and father building about 100 prototype mechanics boxes after the war without any special tooling. The front cover on your bottom doesn't have the normal Huot oval stamped into it, but again John said no special tooling (and I see that John says that in the '40s they used a rectangular emblem without a stamped area). As you read my thread I think the drawer pulls was something John thought was wrong. He wanted a look at the drawer slides though to have a better idea. Can you get some decent picts of the drawer slides?

MN Falcon,

That is a GREAT THREAD you started, great info, and replies from the owner of HOUT, wow...

It's my buddies box, it was full of tools and he didn't want to take the out to remove the drawers, so this is the best I could do...
But, after reading your thread, I think we didn't find a "White Elephant", but I still don't know what it is... I'm adding 13 more pictures, maybe it will help!
Thanks for the comments, I wish it was the "one"...

ZOOM

 

[zoomieport]

6 more pictures...

 

[zkling]

I still want to say craftsman. What is kinda throwing a wrench in the decision is the top cover style. If it was a fold down top that covered the drawers I would lean towards huot. But....

On that bottom box IDK, Still want to go with craftsman, but those drawer slides look really beefy. More along the lines of a professional box Then again I am not extremely familiar with the very old cman boxes. Let me do some digging again. I couldn't find anything the other day.

P.S. Digging the 22 shells sitting there. What do they "go to"?

 

[zoomieport]

I still want to say craftsman. What is kinda throwing a wrench in the decision is the top cover style. If it was a fold down top that covered the drawers I would lean towards huot. But....

On that bottom box IDK, Still want to go with craftsman, but those drawer slides look really beefy. More along the lines of a professional box Then again I am not extremely familiar with the very old cman boxes. Let me do some digging again. I couldn't find anything the other day.

P.S. Digging the 22 shells sitting there. What do they "go to"?

We use those to "fix" "varmints"...

 

[zkling]

We use those to "fix" "varmints"...

Of course, what tool do you use to dispense them though? (I am or use to be a 22 fanatic, love that little cartridge, so unappreciated).

 

[zoomieport]

Heck, we don't care, after enough Bud Lite we'll hit 'em with a hammer! Haha!

 

[zoomieport]

Any more guesses...?

 

[zoomieport]

Last try... Anyone?

 

[MN Falcon]

Zoomie, in your first post you say that the top is missing the front cover. From what you see it should have a cover, hinged to the front of the top?

Second question, are the slides in the top box similar looking to the one you show in the bottom box?

Look back at my thread. I have a 3 piece Huot tower of mine in one of the posts. Look at the styling of your bottom box, very similar to my bottom box except that the embossed oval is missing from the cover. Your top looks like the front has rounded corners on the front vertical edges, my mystery box has almost square corners.

Your drawer slides are black like Huot whereas my mystery box has silver slides. But John Huot pointed out that he would expect the (eight) sharp corners of a Huot slide to be rounded. So that and the drawer pulls are not "Huot" but the more I see of your box the more I seriously see a Huot. It may be worth carefully pulling a drawer out so that you can get a good picture of the full drawer slides including the parts on the box and the drawer.

 

[FJ 432]

My guess is an earlier model Kennedy. My father's bottom box has the same layout but it was made in the 70's.

 

[Outlawmws]

I don't think Kennedy of Craftsman at all.

The casters are a interesting twist. I've only seen those on VERY old boxes. like Pre WWII

Has anyone perused the SO catalogs? I know SO didn't make boxes themselves back then, but that has a flavor of an early SO something.

I'm thinking maybe thirties, when they started to do rollers a bit more commonly. It's definitely a mechanics set, despite the color (which is probably not factory), the 12" depth of the top says that. It would have to be either before or after the round corner SO box with the two folding doors on the outer corners...

 

[MN Falcon]

http://www.collectingsnapon.com/catalogs/catalogs.php

Here is the link to some snap on catalogs. I looked a little but didn't see anything in the oldest ones, but maybe its hidden in one of the catalogs somewhere. Those boxes with the folding 2 doors are awesome.

 

[nine4gmc]

My first though was Snap On as well, Outlaw, then I saw the Beach ad posted.

 

[MN Falcon]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1940s-Craftsman-Tool-Chest-Steam-Punk-Retro-/171080042879

Sorry about the ebay link. I have seen this style Craftsman bottom a lot. Not sure if this guy is right about age, but I think I saw this in a catalog from the '50s. The structure of the box is very similar again but so is the Huot. The drawers and cover are just not this era Craftsman though. Can anyone provide a closer Craftsman for the OP?

 

[zkling]

I'm ~95% sure it is not sanp on. Based on a few different factors.

1.) The top box appears to not have a front door?
2.) All of the older SO boxes I have seen with split drawers, all the drawers were of equal width, not the extreme difference between the middle and outtermost drawers like on the posted box.
3.) I don't think SO ever used a cover on their lower box like that.
4.) The drawer handles seem too "flat" or compressed and rounded for the older snap on and craftsman boxes.

I can't for the life of me remember where I saw a bottom box that had wheels like that before. Similar to older creeper style wheels.

Zoomie, can you post a few more pics please.

-Top compartment showing divider layout.
-Front of lid, any evidence of a hinge that has been removed?
-Inside of top box. Remove a few drawers and take a pic of the inside shell.

Maybe send a picture of your setup to Kennedy. A few threads back someone had an unidentified box that was believed to be a kennedy. He send kennedy a picture and they were really helpful, even sent him a scan of the catalog page for his box. Maybe they would do same for your?