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The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

beatcad

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2013
Messages
4,520
Location
NOVA
Gertsner is in pretty decent shape except 2 drawers are MIA. anybody here make them or do i need to learn how or rob a bank to buy a couple from Gertsner? these old wood boxes can become addicting as can the old steel ones. go figure??

yes, they can be addictive.
yours is a style 41 (if it's 20" wide its a 41B)

look on ebay. theres always guys parting out incomplete chests.
usually selling individual drawers.
of course the 2 your missing aint the same size. the lower one is maybe 1/2" deeper than the upper missing one.
pretty sure that upper missing drawer is the same size at the one above it,as in they can switch places.
 
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drivesitfar

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Joined
Oct 23, 2013
Messages
36,018
Location
Pacific Northwest
Beatcad: thanks for the heads up on both the size, Ebay and that these are addictive. i did notice the two missing were of different sizes so i'll see what happens and put this to the side for now. you wouldn't be parting out one of yours would you??

by the way i have picked up a couple Thomas Museum wood boxes and wondered if they are old or just a cheap Gertsner knock off? one is like a carry box and the other one more like a jewelry box with a glass top. anybody have one and or any information on them??
 

drivesitfar

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Joined
Oct 23, 2013
Messages
36,018
Location
Pacific Northwest
A Thomas Museum Series tool (jewelry) box has found it's way into my hands. anyone know much about these? are these a cheap imitation of a Gertsner or are they great quality with less expensive hardware on them? i heard it was old, but not sure how old it might be because to some 80's is old and that's like barely used to me with tools.
 

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PA Woody

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Joined
May 22, 2013
Messages
93
Location
Bremerton, Washington
I found this at an estate sale last month. I think I gave them $40 and the box was full of old tools. I took out everything but the vintage Craftsman stuff and I'm trying to fill out the set. I have no plans to restore it. It's in pretty good shape for its age and I think it looks great as is.
 

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Dennis Leigh Henry

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Apr 8, 2013
Messages
6,302
Location
South Central, IN USA
That Craftsman is probably early 1960's with that metal handle, nice find!

I'm heading home (to South Bend) Saturday to pick up my Notre Dame football tickets from my Step Mom.. will take a look at my old hip Craftsman..and maybe talk her out of it..

Any idea if someone has the historical perspective of the Craftsman brand / logos somewhere on GJ?

Thanks...
 

Dennis Leigh Henry

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Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
6,302
Location
South Central, IN USA
Just wanted to share my favorite Craftsman chest. The top was my dad's box, the middle I found on eBay and the bottom I sourced off Craigslist. A bit of simple green and scrubbing, and they are all clean now. I'm a bit OCD so I have to have a matching set :)

IMG_3501.jpg

That's the one my uncle had .. I remember when he got it .. back when I was young and impressionable. That coupled with my father's passion for tools and the trades... has me where I'm at with my tools and basement/garage shops.. My brother ended up with my uncle's box..

Dennis
 

yjWrangler

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Joined
Nov 24, 2010
Messages
801
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
20140828_170835_zpsp80vy9iy.jpg


Just got my first Snap-On box. It's a Bicentennial edition so I'm guessing it's from 1976. Got it off the tool truck for $250, I thought it was a decent deal
 

zkling

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Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
16,939
Just got my first Snap-On box. It's a Bicentennial edition so I'm guessing it's from 1976. Got it off the tool truck for $250, I thought it was a decent deal

Awesome, I think it was a very good deal if it is as nice as the pics make it look. :thumbup:
 

yjWrangler

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Joined
Nov 24, 2010
Messages
801
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Awesome, I think it was a very good deal if it is as nice as the pics make it look. :thumbup:

The front looks great but the sides are a little scraped up. I'd like to repaint it some time soon. Drawers are in nice shape, look new under the liners (which happen to be house carpet). So new paint and liners seem to be on the agenda, but it should be a fun project
 

Kent_B

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Joined
Jul 4, 2013
Messages
1,406
Location
MI
20140828_170835_zpsp80vy9iy.jpg


Just got my first Snap-On box. It's a Bicentennial edition so I'm guessing it's from 1976. Got it off the tool truck for $250, I thought it was a decent deal

Your stack is a little older than mine and a whole lot prettier. Congrats on a really pretty set.
 

pipehack

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Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
923
Location
chicago
O.K. my turn... I completely stripped this down to bare metal. All hardware was removed. Latches and tabs to hold the handle on were wire wheeled. The emblems were polished up with Blue Magic. The handle itself was cleaned up and then used black shoe polish for a facelift. The box was originally a shade of grey. I noticed that when I looked inside the box with all the drawers out. I re-sprayed it with Rustoleum Self Etching Primer then painted with the same brand light Machine Grey. Here's before and after pictures. I'm the second owner of this box and the elderly lady I bought it from purchased it for her late husband when he started his tool and die apprenticeship in the late 1950's. Let me know what you guys think. I wasn't able to pop out the dents from the inside because of how the box is built.


And after



I also installed a new "felt like" material I picked up from Micheal's craft store.
Here's the inside. I was a little short in a couple of drawers, but it was already sprayed in with adhesive and I wasn't about to jack around with it seeing I'm going to actually use this box. It's going to get dirty, oily and have small metal chips in it eventually.








There are very little HF measuring tools in there. Mostly Mitutoyo, Starrett, Asimeto and Brown&Sharp.
 

pipehack

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Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
923
Location
chicago
You appear to be storing your mics with them completely closed?

Nope. Just a tad bit open. I already got a slap on the hand many moons ago for doing that.

The felt is just on the bottom of the drawers like it was originally.
If you look closely, you can see a few spots where the felt is a little short. I really didn't have a good time putting this in. It's going to get used, therefore it will get oily, dirty, have small chips in it and some scratches. In fact, when I take the front cover off and put it where it's supposed to go under the drawers it starts to scratch the cove just a little nit each time.
 

pipehack

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Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
923
Location
chicago
taumac, I just looked at my Kennedy box and it does have felt completely lining the drawer. Bottom and all sides.
 
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organ

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Joined
Jan 22, 2014
Messages
955
Location
Atlanta
O.K. my turn... I completely stripped this down to bare metal. All hardware was removed. Latches and tabs to hold the handle on were wire wheeled. The emblems were polished up with Blue Magic. The handle itself was cleaned up and then used black shoe polish for a facelift. The box was originally a shade of grey. I noticed that when I looked inside the box with all the drawers out. I re-sprayed it with Rustoleum Self Etching Primer then painted with the same brand light Machine Grey. Here's before and after pictures. I'm the second owner of this box and the elderly lady I bought it from purchased it for her late husband when he started his tool and die apprenticeship in the late 1950's. Let me know what you guys think. I wasn't able to pop out the dents from the inside because of how the box is built.

There are very little HF measuring tools in there. Mostly Mitutoyo, Starrett, Asimeto and Brown&Sharp.
Great job but it looked better before :D
 

Paul curtis

New member
Joined
Sep 4, 2014
Messages
4
Location
East Texas
Over the Labor Day Holiday my Grandfather gave me his MBC Rolling Box set with most of the tools still in it.
He bought it new, didnt tell me when, but I am assuming the mid-late 60s. It is in near perfect shape, just needs a light cleaning, Its an El Dorado series work box and chest with a Century intermediate 3 drawer box in the middle and an unknown side cabinet.
I only have one picture for now I will get some more next time I am home, which should be next weekend.
Any tips on where to look for date stamps and production codes would be great.

Also, Inside it, among the other things I found, is a Snap-On 1/2in drive ratchet from the middle 40s with a near complete socket set to match, and a Snap On Decal of a Technician dressed in a red shirt and slacks running with a Giant snap-on wrench that says do it better, do it faster with Snap-On.

box.jpg
 
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kool_BOY8323

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Joined
Feb 23, 2013
Messages
280
Location
arizona
the best part about this thread, is that as it ages, so do my boxes :)

old waterloo, top box is probly mid-80's, the rest i'm not sure of but older than '94!


old craftsman that was a fathers day gift. its an 86 i believe -


and my mid '70's craftsman top. still looking for a bottom for it -
 

Dennis Leigh Henry

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Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
6,302
Location
South Central, IN USA
Here are a couple more of mine. One is my Handy Andy kids tool kit from the 1960's, and a rare (I haven't seen another one) Craftsman tool tote..
 

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zkling

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Jan 23, 2007
Messages
16,939
Here are a couple more of mine. One is my Handy Andy kids tool kit from the 1960's, and a rare (I haven't seen another one) Craftsman tool tote..

IIRC craftsman sold those as a gardening tote, that way the water and other earth elements could fall through.
 

blackie

Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2011
Messages
7
BlackHawk ToolChest ~Hardware Dealer Display Case

Long Time Listener, First Time Caller ~ can I get a "you ****"?

Posted on CL as water damaged bottom that could be cut off!
Was able to trade for repair estimate on his new (100 yr old home)
Worked out for each of us, but am blanking on the T7 Drawer,was this an early driver?
I will sell this or will have to look for early BlackHawk tools to fill it- decisions?
Any questions or insights would be appreciated, also happy to send additional info or photos to anyone interested

Thanks
 

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Smokeshow69

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Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Messages
8,373
Location
Pacific Northwest
BlackHawk ToolChest ~Hardware Dealer Display Case

Long Time Listener, First Time Caller ~ can I get a "you ****"?

Posted on CL as water damaged bottom that could be cut off!
Was able to trade for repair estimate on his new (100 yr old home)
Worked out for each of us, but am blanking on the T7 Drawer,was this an early driver?
I will sell this or will have to look for early BlackHawk tools to fill it- decisions?
Any questions or insights would be appreciated, also happy to send additional info or photos to anyone interested

Thanks

First off, no one may ever **** them self on the garage journal:bounce: But if I where to be giving hypothetical suckage, then you hypothetically ****! That thing is so cool, I have never seen one like it. I would imagine it would go for a pretty penny on the epay or around here. I would think it might be worth as much as a plvmb tool mobile which normally are worth about $450 in good condition.
 

blackie

Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2011
Messages
7
"Rickster55

mea culpa,mea culpa,mea maxima culpa
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/images/smilies/bowdown.gif
2nd try:

Only had to drag this out of a basement I was working in. Owner wanted it gone, it was the previous owners machinist junk drawer. 225 lbs.+ and the casters moved well and drawers glide great. $40 in scrap ( broken taps, brass and aluminum fittings etc) will pay for stripper to remove flat black covering red to get to bare metal and clear coat.

Smokeshow69-Thank You,I will be on the lookout for your "wishlist"
 

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