Vintage Craftsman Machinist's Chest - Help Identify

[Eheisig]

Hi guys,

First post but I've been lurking here for a while (few years, lol). I picked up this vintage Craftsman machinist's tool box for $100 shipped. Not a you **** deal but the chest was so interesting to me after having looked at what seemed like 1000 of these things that I had to have it. Problem is, I can't figure out who the original manufacturer was or the date.

Its got a cast aluminum handle, three draw latches with a center lock in the middle, round drawer pulls, green felt drawer liners, and an oval Craftsman logo that says "Registered Trade Mark" on the bottom rather than the "Registered U.S.Pat. Off." which seems MUCH more common. All the hardware is attached with blind rivets and it appears that its 100% all original. My best guess based on my research is that it was made in the late 1940s by Union Steel and was not a large production run - maybe regional. Anyway, I thought I'd ask the experts here what they think it is. The round drawer pulls and the drawer cover panel pull really have me going because they are not the standard rectangular pulls made popular on the Kennedy boxes and copies.

Anyway, my plan was to use it for drill bits, taps, dies, files etc and to do a faithful restoration to it, but the broken center lock and a few other little things have me thinking of something a little bit different.

Pics below...

-E

 

[twertsy]

I'd say that's a Dunlap.

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[Ponchoguy]

Contact Kennedy or Waterloo, it may be one of theirs, but there was a third company that somenoe ID'd recently as being a manufacturer of the earlier boxes. I want to say you might find it carefully under the Craftsman riveted logo.

 

[zkling]

Take a picture of the drawer slides, WAG is parks, but again that's a WAG.

 

[Eheisig]

I'd say that's a Dunlap.

I'm not expert, but to my eye the pulls are distinctly different than any I've seen from Dunlap. Maybe you can post a comparative photo though.

-E

 

[Eheisig]

Take a picture of the drawer slides, WAG is parks, but again that's a WAG.

 

[Eheisig]

Take a picture of the drawer slides, WAG is parks, but again that's a WAG.

While the drawer pulls look right for Parks, a quick search of Parks boxes on the internet doesn't seem to pull up any that have three draw latches and the inside of the front panel on the Parks boxes all look smooth - no recessed areas.

 

[jakemac]

I'd say that's a Dunlap.

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Dunlap was never a manufacturer, it was a brand name owned by Sears. Same as Craftsman. It was used for their "value" line of tools. Just like Craftsman, Dunlap tools were made by another company (usually the same company as the Craftsman offering) and the name was just stuck on it.

 

[Bob-B]

I'd guess Union made it. Union made the wooden chests for Craftsman. Union metal chests used similar catches and had similar dimples on the inside face of the front cover.

 

[Eheisig]

I'd guess Union made it. Union made the wooden chests for Craftsman. Union metal chests used similar catches and had similar dimples on the inside face of the front cover.

If you compare it to a Union MT-7 from late 40s or early 50s about the only thing different is the shape of the top lid. Everything else looks identical. What do you make of the Craftsman badge with the "Registered Trade Mark" bottom line versus the "Registered U.S. Pat. Off."?

-E

 

[spongerich]

Could well be a Kennedy.

It's pretty similar to some of the older ones I have.

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[FJ 432]

This thread may help you. I asked the same question years ago. Although mine may be a bit older.

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72802

 

[Eheisig]

Could well be a Kennedy.

It's pretty similar to some of the older ones I have.

Wow. It looks very close to the one you posted in your first three photos. What year is that one?

 

[spongerich]

Wow. It looks very close to the one you posted in your first three photos. What year is that one?

No idea. It's definitely one of the older ones before they switched to the square pulls.

 

[taumac]

My guess would be AMD if they made machinist boxes back then cause they made the Heritage logo. If not Kennedy would be next guess. Just based on slides alone I would say Kennedy. I don't believe Waterloo started making there machinist boxes until Crown logo. Then Craftsman had Kennedy and Waterloo both making their machinist boxes. There are slight differences between them.

 

[safariknut]

Just my opinion but I have both Craftsman and Kennedy machinists' boxes and the only difference I can see is the spacing between the locking pins for the front. The dimensions are identical on everything else.
As an aside I have found two distinctly different types of square top Kennedy boxes.One has slides that are permanently affixed and do not allow the drawers to be removed.The other has removeable slides. The round top Kennedy boxes all seem to have removeable slides/drawers.