Grandfather's 100+ year old toolbox

[Radio Ron w4ron]

I've really enjoyed seeing other guys vintage toolboxes. I thought I'd share mine with you. I got it after my dad passed away in 1994. It was built by his dad my grandfather. I'm really surprised that it survived all these years, for more than 35 years before I got it sat on the cement in the storage room at my mom and dad's house.
My grandfather was a carpenter, he built the box himself, I also have a ladder back chair he built.
The toolbox now sits on the hearth in front of our fireplace (which we don't use).
Below are some pix of the box and the old tools inside it. You guys that are into the old tools, if you can tell me anything about the tools shown I'd appreciate it.

You might notice a wooden mallet in a couple of the photos. I remember my dad telling me about a mallet that my grandfather had made out of Dogwood, which is a REALLY hard wood. He said the mallet was in his dad's toolbox when he left for the Navy at the start of WW2, when he came home in 1948 the mallet was gone. No one in the family would own up to taking it.
A couple years ago we had a Dogwood tree die on our property, the size of it got me to thinking about grand dad's mallet, I cut up some chuncks of the trunk, I tried cutting it with my bandsaw but it would just bog down, a good friend has a horizontal metal cutting bandsaw so I took ove there and cut it up.
It's a beast, if I really need to WACK something, this'll do it

 

[tjmonsen5]

Very cool, imagine the stories those could tell.

 

[jeffmoss26]

That is pretty amazing.

 

[RStewart]

Awesome family history. Love the eggbeater drill.

 

[Jagmandave]

Interesting Ron....the tools in yours appear very similar to the ones in my old box that belonged to my great grandfather, whom I never met. He also was a carpenter and thru the years I've been able to hold onto most of what was kept in it, all sorts of saws, planes, hand drills and so on .....I had to replace the bottom of the box as the wood rotted out, but the rest of it is in great shape. I'm in the process of finish sanding and repainting the outside to it's original black color, I have to fix the hinges for the lid but then it's just a matter of figuring out where everything went and putting it back.

In mine the lid is fairly deep, and the saws all are housed in it, with turn clips just like yours. Then there are two sliding trays that held screwdrivers, bits and other such, in the bottom were a number of planes, one is about 2ft long!

Then the question will be, what will I do with it?

I don't think my son cares anything about it - he's more into cars than woodworking.

Neither of my grandsons have shown any interest in woodworking either, even tho their other grandfather is, and has made them a number of pieces over the years.

Maybe one of my granddaughters......they're a bit young now, but maybe someday.....

 

[BobBarker]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Jim C.]

A great family heirloom, a good story, and a nice collection of authentic tools from the past. I hope they stay in your family for many generations to come.

Jim C.

 

[1/2 Cup]

A great family heirloom, a good story, and a nice collection of authentic tools from the past. I hope they stay in your family for many generations to come.

Jim C.

As above, absolutely amazing!! thanks for sharing.

 

[Old Steamer]

Fascinating! That is truly a priceless heirloom, one I'm sure you will want to pass on to your heirs. Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[Outlawmws]

I agree, an incredible piece of family history! I'm on the run to get dinner, but the tools are all mostly period correct for sure a few are modern, (if you can call 30's 40's modern!)



I'll try to get back to this with maybe some particulars If you can post some of the markings, we may be able to get VERY specific as to actual dates made, or at least date ranges

 

[Caleb T]

That is awesome! What a great thing to have to remember them by!

 

[rusty65]

Very cool box and tools Ron. I have my great uncles carpentry box along with with some of his completed projects. I have two checkerboard tables and two dog portraits all made completely by him with beautiful inlays. Very cool stuff thank you for sharing.


Sent From Snap On Head Quarters deep in China.

 

[woody 73]

Very cool, imagine the stories those could tell.

yes indeed what great stories they would be.

 

[Radio Ron w4ron]

Fascinating! That is truly a priceless heirloom, one I'm sure you will want to pass on to your heirs. Thanks for sharing with us.

There in lies the rub, there are no "heris", we had no childern so I guess
they'll get sold at my estate sale. Lke they say, "I've never seen a U-Haul
behind a hearse".

 

[Outlawmws]

Ron, No nephews or nieces? It would be a shame for some estate sale geek to trash your grandfathers box and tools.

 

[jjjrmx5]

That is pretty amazing.

Jeff, that all-metal Coes Monkey Wrench (in the bottom left pic) appers to be the exact same one that I sent you.



Good stuff!!!!

 

[crewchief888]

cool stuff !!

after my dad was discharged from the service in '45, he left the farm and started working as a carpenter.
i still have his planes, hand saws, brace & bits, and mitre box.

when i was a little kid, around the time i started school, i remember him giving his toolbox full of old nuts and bolts to the farmer that lived behind us, after helping him fix his busted plow.

i still have dads vintage SK tools he bought in '58 before i was born, sadly the original hiproof SK toolbox was left behind 15 years ago when i moved.

 

[rick carpenter]

Ron, there are plenty of websites for your specific tools. I don't know if your saw is a Disston, but if it is then disstonianinstitute.com would be good. For a more personal way of finding out what they are, a local woodworkers club could be a lot of fun.

I just can't get over the fact that they're allowed inside!

 

[Radio Ron w4ron]

I just can't get over the fact that they're allowed inside!

My XYL is who suggested I bring them in the house. She like old stuff
as much as I do, I taught her well.
The house is full of antiques, tools furniture, and lots of radios
Go look at my web page if you want to see how much "stuff" is in
the house.

 

[MN Falcon]

Love the toolbox. That must have been a common style for carpenters. This is my Great Grandfather's box. I can't begin to date it, its just been around forever. My mother gave it to me a couple years ago with the tools. My Great Grandfather was a cabinet maker, at one point he worked for Seeger (Refigerator Company) making Ice Boxes. Later Seeger was purchased by Whirlpool. My Great Grandfather immigrated to the States about 1912 and most of the Stanley planes in the box date to that time frame roughly with some a little older.

 

[Toolfool]

Great to have an heirloom like that. My wife's grandfather was a carpenter/cabinetmaker. My FIL has his Dad's toolboxes with all the tools. One box is just handmade profile planes. They are never used, just sit in the basement. I keep hoping I get a shot at them when FIL is gone.

 

[e-tek]

Absolutely fantastic. I hope you can find a caring heir, or - at the very least - someone from one of these sites who would really appreciate the sentimental and historical value, not just some tool re-seller....

Thanks for sharing!

 

[thebeekeeper1]

Cool! I have that same cordless drill.