The Wall of Craftsman.

[taumac]

Some people collect vises, ratchets, and other things. My love is red and gray craftsman tools boxes. They where only made from early 1960's to 1976. It's been tough ( especially in Florida ) to find matching 40 year old tool boxes. This past weekend picked up last 2 pieces of a ongoing 5+ year plus project I nicknamed the Wall of Craftsman.

The wall is comprised of 11 toolboxes I acquired over more than 5+years. Every box has a story and thought it would be interesting to tell the story of each along the way. Here's how it sits currently.





I wanted all the drawer pulls to line up so specifically had to find boxes with similar drawer layout.






I set height on shelf so everything lines up.



Some of these boxes need a freshening up while some need a full repaint which will happen down the road. Right now I got the layout exactly how I envisioned it with 2 stacks book ending my bench. One interesting thing I did was mount chest on brackets I welded up so I can roll every bottom roller out.









In the later date I will start telling the story from how I came to get the first box to where a got the last. It's been a labor of love and passion for me doing this project and hope you all enjoy.

 

[Bryan Burns]

Love it, man. Very creative and all your own vision.

The small crowntop looks a bit out of place but it's your call. I'll bet it's just killing you though to find the right thing to put in it's place.

BB

 

[Parabellum]

Bob Villa would be proud to have that for his garage!
But neverless I wonder if he agrees that Crapsman has gone down the drain?

 

[SJR033]

My OCD would be happy the the drawer alignment. Very nice. Are those the oem casters? Or did you replace them? They just look small.

 

[Ghost11]

Looks great! Ive got two of the smaller chests, both found in garbage. But there really beat up. If you lived closer, id add them to your collection.

 

[RedVise]

taumac - very nice layout. If it took you 5 years, I dont feel so bad about how long its taking me to get my garage set up !

Brian

 

[thehorse13]

I missed a stacked box set identical to yours second in from the right. It was 160 bucks at a pawn shop and the boxes looked almost new. I understand how hard it is to turn up these gems. My hunt continues and your collection is inspiring to say the least.

 

[XJPat]

Very clean, I may have to steal that chest mount idea.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Vne]

Threads like these always make me feel so inadequate.

 

[Travisnd]

Love it!!

 

[taumac]

Love it, man. Very creative and all your own vision.

The small crowntop looks a bit out of place but it's your call. I'll bet it's just killing you though to find the right thing to put in it's place.

BB

Thanks man I appreciate it. The small Crowntop is there until I find another two drawer Carrie box. That Crowntop is beat all to hell so I did have another carry box to put in its place temporarily.

 

[dlcwent]

Is this thread an attempt to distract others from the 5 stitches thread?

 

[woody 73]

A man after my own heart ocd big time...

Just curious but are you not worried about reaching for a bench grinder and having it slip out of your hands and fall to the floor below?

 

[pendragon1998]

Threads like these always make me feel so inadequate.

Yeah, pretty much this.

 

[mtwaterguy]

I always liked these mid boxes. These are still pretty hard to find, I hear.

 

[bczygan]

Hey,

Nice!

I've got one like the upper right and left boxes. And just noticed another one. Can't see much for all the junk though. I like the shallow height drawers on these.

Bill

 

[taumac]

Bob Villa would be proud to have that for his garage!
But neverless I wonder if he agrees that Crapsman has gone down the drain?

Thanks[emoji482].

 

[taumac]

My OCD would be happy the the drawer alignment. Very nice. Are those the oem casters? Or did you replace them? They just look small.

Thanks[emoji482]. No I put smaller 2 inch swivel casters for all 4 wheels. I wanted them closer to the ground and all to have same wheels. I did however have some OEM casters still.

 

[taumac]

Looks great! Ive got two of the smaller chests, both found in garbage. But there really beat up. If you lived closer, id add them to your collection.

Thanks[emoji482] Thanks for the offer. If anything parts are worth something if needed a drawer or slides.

 

[taumac]

taumac - very nice layout. If it took you 5 years, I dont feel so bad about how long its taking me to get my garage set up !

Brian

Thanks[emoji482] **** my garage has been about 10 years. I think I changed it more times then care to count. It's scary to even think of.

 

[taumac]

I missed a stacked box set identical to yours second in from the right. It was 160 bucks at a pawn shop and the boxes looked almost new. I understand how hard it is to turn up these gems. My hunt continues and your collection is inspiring to say the least.

Thanks[emoji482] The past few have been hard especially when looking for specific drawer configurations to match up ones I already had. Last stack was more then I wanted to spend by they are harder and harder to find now days.

 

[taumac]

Very clean, I may have to steal that chest mount idea.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Thanks[emoji482] The chest idea was something I thought of. I wanted a way to use bottom roller as mobile table but keep look of stack. It's not something I see people doing but it works in my garage because all the bottom rollers can be used as mobile tables when needed then rolled back.

 

[taumac]

Threads like these always make me feel so inadequate.

Thanks[emoji482]. I feel that way on the vise thread and others. LOL

 

[taumac]

Love it!!

Thanks[emoji482]

 

[taumac]

Is this thread an attempt to distract others from the 5 stitches thread?

NO, LOL are usually post all my projects hey my thread but I thought this would be something cool to start it's own thread about.

 

[taumac]

A man after my own heart ocd big time...



Just curious but are you not worried about reaching for a bench grinder and having it slip out of your hands and fall to the floor below?

Thanks[emoji482]The shelf is about eye level and those grinders are only 1/3hp maybe one is 1/2 but they aren't heavy enough where I would be worried about dropping them.

 

[taumac]

Yeah, pretty much this.

LOL Thanks[emoji482]

 

[taumac]

I always liked these mid boxes. These are still pretty hard to find, I hear.

Thanks[emoji482]They are around but yes there hard to find. Usually I have seen them sold in a stack and asking a lot of money for the entire stack. There was a stack few days ago on craigslist with the intermediate box with tools for a good price.

 

[taumac]

Hey,

Nice!

I've got one like the upper right and left boxes. And just noticed another one. Can't see much for all the junk though. I like the shallow height drawers on these.

Bill

Thanks[emoji482] that particular box is late in the era. They swapped out the big center drawer for their three smaller drawers. Either the big center drawer or the three small drawers can be handy just depends on what you plan to store in them.

 

[taumac]

Hopefully I got to everyone and thank them for their comments. [emoji482] Hopefully, tonight when I get home I'll be able to take some pictures and post the story of box number 1.

 

[mtwaterguy]

Thanks[emoji482]They are around but yes there hard to find. Usually I have seen them sold in a stack and asking a lot of money for the entire stack. There was a stack few days ago on craigslist with the intermediate box with tools for a good price.

Remember the price?, just in case I decide to sell mine. Been trying to find a second one so I could gift both grandsons a set, but not having much luck. May have to go a different direction. Thanks, Mike.

 

[Richard Cranium]

looking good, Back in the mid 80's one of the hardware sales people that I knew at Sears was telling me that he got 8 bottom chests that was on close out and that he was going to turn them into a work bench, I wonder if he ever did that?
Your shop always looks nice. Keep up the great work. And keep posting the pictures.
Richie

 

[PelicanPines]

Wow very nice. Mine are all from different decades and could never line up. I'm so jealous.

 

[countryroad82]

Sweet!

 

[taumac]

Remember the price?, just in case I decide to sell mine. Been trying to find a second one so I could gift both grandsons a set, but not having much luck. May have to go a different direction. Thanks, Mike.

It's going for 350.



Having a problem posting the link but it was posted 20 days ago in Jacksonville Florida. The posting only had the one picture.

 

[taumac]

looking good, Back in the mid 80's one of the hardware sales people that I knew at Sears was telling me that he got 8 bottom chests that was on close out and that he was going to turn them into a work bench, I wonder if he ever did that?

Your shop always looks nice. Keep up the great work. And keep posting the pictures.

Richie

Thanks man. I've always liked the look of bottom rollers with the workbench on top. I've seen a few over the years and when I finally got my garage I decided to make my own.

 

[taumac]

Wow very nice. Mine are all from different decades and could never line up. I'm so jealous.

Thanks man, that had to be the hardest problem. Trying to find same boxes with the same drawer configuration so that all the drawers lined up was a pain in the ***. I would find a five drawer cabinet but it was the short version find a tall cabinet wrong drawer a layout. Find the one with the draw lay out and right size wrong era. I once before had a 1986 waterloo box branded Sears/craftsman that I repainted to look like a gray/ red cabinet. Nothing saying I couldnt have done that again but I wanted all genuine gray and red cabinets from the era.

 

[taumac]

Sweet!

Thank you.

 

[taumac]

The beginning of the journey... The story of box number 1.

3D bottom 10/70

My wife and I moved from a villa in front of my development to a regular home back in 2006. The house is in a older community on a very quiet street. This allow people to go out and chat with the neighbors more. We quickly got to know everyone well and especially my neighbor next door Miss Eve. Miss Eve was a ( at the time ) early 80's widow that was funnier than hell outspoken woman that wasn't afraid to speak her mind about ANYTHING. There would be nothing for wife or I to sit with her for hours just talking and would tell stories of her husband. Only couple years Mrs Eve started having more issues and we gotta more than a few late night calls from her. I can't recount how many times she just fell, being wheeled out to ambulance going to the hospital and she's busy flirting with EMTs. A year or so went by and Mrs Eve passed (at 88).

I've meet the son few times over the years and while he was on a trip down taking care of her estate he walked over to talk to me. He said thank you for all that you ever done for my mother over the years. He said I want to show you how thankful I am and would like you to have my fathers tools. I know you will cherish them and put them to good use. I was speechless at the moment and said thank you and I would be honored to have them.


His fathers tools comprise of a Wilton Shop King.



A Craftsman hip roof tool box. It all original unrestored and all have it as it was given to me.


A 1986 Craftsman chest which I had at my dads.


A 1970 Craftsman 3 drawer roller I nicknamed box number 1.




I added wood top recently and plan to touch this one up again. I did a refresh on this only painting outside cause inside looked great.

I few months later I found GJ and the rest is is history.

To be continue.....

 

[Zeeman]

Right On! Wow.