The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

[bobkentnova]

$13 -- deal of the decade!

 

[zkling]

Uhh.. Lets try that again.

My Junk.

That is a really different but awesome setup. What is the differences in the side cabinets? Are they both 3 drawers? The asymmetry is really confusing me.

BTW, Beautiful country side you have there.

$13 -- deal of the decade!

I don't follow.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Lookin4'67Galaxieconv, can't wait to see the pics. Would you mind getting a close up of the lid support, mine is missing.

Here you go. Hoping to have the pics of the resto soon, just working on the logo plate now.

 

[ArtDeco]

guess i should post this here also. picked this up at an estate sale about two weeks ago. snap on box full of tools....cheap too

I saw the other post, my jealous rage has doubled

 

[rmalkow2]

Just discovered this thread. Enjoying the pics of old tool boxes. Keep em coming and I'll have to post pics of my growing collection.

Real tool boxes are made of steel!

 

[jakemac]

Here's my grandfather's roller. It's mostly a catch-all. He got this as a retirement/christmas gift in the early 80's. After 37yrs with Bell Labs as an Electrical Engineer. It's a Craftsman, built when real steel was still being used. The slides are friction and are still smooth. It sits next to the workbench he built in the garage, before he built a shop out in the barn.

 

[bluebolt]

Here's my grandfather's roller. It's mostly a catch-all. He got this as a retirement/christmas gift in the early 80's. After 37yrs with Bell Labs as an Electrical Engineer. It's a Craftsman, built when real steel was still being used. The slides are friction and are still smooth. It sits next to the workbench he built in the garage, before he built a shop out in the barn.

Nice box. That is the same box as my earlier gray with red drawers Craftsman boxes, they just changed the colors and badges.

 

[madison069]

Forgot to put this one on here. Snagged it this summer at a garage sale for $20. About laughed when I heard the price.

I'm all for patina, but I think this one is a candidate for a repaint. On the fence about it. I've seen what this exact box looks like with crisp paint. Loads of character without the rust and scratches.

https://scontent-a-ord.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/547034_654008944492_1102544497_n.jpg

I have the exact box and I repainted mine.

 

[thundermug]

Madison, can you post a picture of the finished box? Thanks

 

[madison069]

There ya go!

 

[Tsquare]

There ya go!

Great old tool box from Craftsman - thanks for posting

 

[nine4gmc]

You should be proud, that thing looks great!!

 

[rmalkow2]

Here's a few recent garage sale finds. Nothing cost more than $10. The Power Craft was only a buck as well as the Craftsman. The Monkey Wards Power Craft was fairly rusty but some careful clean up and a fresh coat of hammer finish gray paint and it makes good storage for all my tie down straps.
The Craftsman is just dusty and looks like it was rarely used. I'm finding that many people have no appreciation for these good boxes and let them go cheap at their yard sales.
The Kennedy Model 20 is in like new shape as well and was a good buy for $10.

 

[zkling]

You should be proud, that thing looks great!!

Fantastic job on the repaint.

 

[beatcad]

Real tool boxes are made of steel!

hmm...not sure about that man.

 

[zkling]

hmm...not sure about that man.

WOW, Beautiful jewelery boxes you have there.

What is the very top right, longer one? Dimensions, make, any other pics? That looks really cool.

 

[beatcad]

WOW, Beautiful jewelery boxes you have there.

What is the very top right, longer one? Dimensions, make, any other pics? That looks really cool.

yeah, that ones huge. its a gerstner. leatherette. what was called a pattern makers chest. it's a beast at 31" wide. I believe its 1930s but I aint sure about that just yet.

 

[zkling]

Dang, 31" wide. How many drawers does it have? Do you have a pic of it open?

 

[beatcad]

Dang, 31" wide. How many drawers does it have? Do you have a pic of it open?

I goofed. just check again. I think I put up new pic.
5 drawers

 

[zkling]

Thanks for the pic. Hum, for some reason I was expecting a bunch of tiny drawers. Maybe they made it for longer calipers and the like? I've never seen a wooden machinist chest larger than 27" wide.

 

[madison069]

Thanks fellas!

My next one is a SK tool box that someone painted black.

Funny thing is I never really looked at it after I bought it and come to find out it had the key sitting in a drawer so this one is complete with lock and key. Just someone spray bombed it....

 

[RedVise]

hmm...not sure about that man.

I noted on ToolTalk that I stretched the budget to buy two C.E.Jennings boxes this weekend, because wood boxes dont come by very often.

I see you have been very busy on that front !!

Brian

 

[beatcad]

I noted on ToolTalk that I stretched the budget to buy two C.E.Jennings boxes this weekend, because wood boxes dont come by very often.

I see you have been very busy on that front !!

Brian

and ive bought another one since that pic was taken

 

[thundermug]

The rest of it is in the van. I'll have to bring it upstairs tomorrow. Hope I can find some help. Pics when I get it upstairs.

https://scontent-b-ord.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1454655_659277471322_1282829818_n.jpg

 

[Outlawmws]

The rest of it is in the van. I'll have to bring it upstairs tomorrow. Hope I can find some help. Pics when I get it upstairs.

https://scontent-b-ord.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1454655_659277471322_1282829818_n.jpg

Now your just being a tease!

 

[beatcad]

dammit! outlaw beat me to it.
what the hell kinda tease is that!

 

[thundermug]

The Great Pumpkin showed up this year after all.

Traded my rusty 20" Kennedy top & bottom for this gently used 26" Rem-Line bottom. Everything works smoothly. The top was spoken for, but that's ok. My Craftsman is the same, except for the paint. From the 50s? Who cares, it's exactly what I wanted. Guy was really great. He's willing to be a job reference for me at Underwriters Lab.

Anyone in Chicago willing to help me get it up one flight of stairs? I'll pay you $20 or GIVE you an old Dunlap machinist box. Also you get the nickel tour of my shop.

For those who skipped right to this line, I just got the bottom chest in the deal. Here is a CL photo:
https://scontent-b-ord.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1382860_659289397422_1017507229_n.jpg

 

[beatcad]

id help ya haul that up a flight or 2 of stairs, but.....
1) Chicago is a little to far away from me.
2) I betcha it way to cold there right now.

Dunlop machinist chest? hit me in a PM. I might have something to trade w/ ya to put on top of that remline

 

[zkling]

Traded my rusty 20" Kennedy top & bottom for this gently used 26" Rem-Line bottom. Everything works smoothly.
Anyone in Chicago willing to help me get it up one flight of stairs? I'll pay you $20 or GIVE you an old Dunlap machinist box. Also you get the nickel tour of my shop.

Very cool. I love bottom boxes with split drawers. I think that will look real nice with your craftsman top.

Is your shop in an apartment or something? If I was closer I'd help you move it no problem.

Do you have any pics of the old 20" wide kennedy, specifically the 20" bottom.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

1950 Mac in a month or so I will start on this one. Plan on going full tilt.

I was just going through this old thread for the first time in forever when I saw this and thought, cool, this is another one like mine. Then I realized it was the one you gave me!

It's still in the same condition but will get the resto one of these days.

 

[Heavy tech]

70's Snap On


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

 

[Tundra]

Cool thread. What's old is new again.

 

[Canoe50]

Fantastic job on the repaint.

What he said!

 

[jakemac]

Not a Toobox, but close enough.

I scored an early 70's radial arm saw base today off CL. Ignore top box in the first pic I had to take it to get the base. The seller wouldn't separate the "set". It has more rust than the picture shows, but it's still in decent shape. If I ever get around to re-painting it, it won't be too difficult to take apart. The whole thing is held together with bolts. I paid $50 for both.

.

 

[zkling]

Very nice. I'm also liking Jake's tool box in the background. Nice cman block...again.

 

[ganymede]

Here's a smaller ol Kennedy that's got my mics n stuff inside.
It's an odd size I think. 16 1/8 wide by 11 high by 8 1/2 deep.
Maybe an apprentice chest or something.

 

[thundermug]

Now I'm looking for oak machinists chests. Holding off until I actually have room, or if I see one for stupid cheap.

 

[zkling]

Here's a smaller ol Kennedy that's got my mics n stuff inside.
It's an odd size I think. 16 1/8 wide by 11 high by 8 1/2 deep.
Maybe an apprentice chest or something.

Cool box. Would you mind measuring the outside dims please? I didn't know they made a 7 drawer smaller than the standard 520 (20" wide, 7 drawer tool box).

Now I'm looking for oak machinists chests. Holding off until I actually have room, or if I see one for stupid cheap.

Best of luck with that. My dumb a$$ could never remember that there were no drawer stops and proceeded to dump drawers time and time again. The old Union, Kennedy, Craftsman (cool), Star, Snap On and of course Gerstner are ones to watch out for. Some of them are a complete work of art and not really designed to be used on a daily basis. IMHO.

 

[rusty65]

Here's a smaller ol Kennedy that's got my mics n stuff inside.
It's an odd size I think. 16 1/8 wide by 11 high by 8 1/2 deep.
Maybe an apprentice chest or something.

Actually the 520 Kennedy was a good sized box back in the day and was used by many trained machinists infact my old Kennedy was used by a old Caterpillar machinist his whole working life and up into his death in 2006. The apprentices got a 3 drawer version of the Kennedy as a side note.
Edit: interesting your box appears to be a late model 516 Kennedy.

Sent directly from the Snap On Kool Aid factory.

 

[zkling]

Actually the 520 Kennedy was a good sized box back in the day and was used by many trained machinists infact my old Kennedy was used by a old Caterpillar machinist his whole working life and up into his death in 2006. The apprentices got a 3 drawer version of the Kennedy as a side note.

I don't think the box he posted is a 520 though. It seems to have the same drawer layout, but the aspect ratio just doesn't seem like the common 20" 520. Especially if you look at the lock to lasp distance. Quite possibly it is <20" wide. It looks very squar-ish