The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

[taumac]

It appears to be an HF box. I've never owned one but see why people like them so much. I think I'll paint it Craftsman gray & red to match the decor

I had many thoughts of doing that myself to my 44’s. I’ll be very interested and how it turns out.

 

[Rileysan]

First off, I need to avoid distractions - like this pair. The top chest joined my hoard back in April. It's rough but serviceable. I gave $20 for it.

I picked up the roller this past Sunday for $40 (FB Marketplace). My original thought was to use it for parts as it's been drilled all over the face for weather strips used as bumpers but I quickly changed my mind when I got to look at it in person.

This roller dates from the transition period around 1946 and is an exact match to my Long-C roller.

Brian

 

[Gerry Clarke]

I assume these are very common in the U.S. Picked this up recently from the U.K. I'm guessing 1970's, early 1980's perhaps.

Gerry

 

[fowldarr]

I’ve never seen one. Cool box.


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[garthg]

SK Tool box paint:

I went to Home Depot yesterday and scanned the rattle-can rainbow. I didn't see anything that seemed similar to the S-K hammered green.

What are folks using for S-K boxes?

 

[lilredex]

See here #11, pretty close to what S-K used.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4989107

 

[454ragtop]

This followed me home from the flea market this morning. Snap On KR 278, 1979 vintage, pretty nice shape for the age, all drawers slide nice, even came with 3 keys!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Those are hard to find

 

[jeffmoss26]

Very cool!!

 

[Batjac65]

Came across these this week - been looking for some of these for a while. The top box looks like it was dropped on the left front corner. Not sure if I can straighten it, but going to try. It was worth $30 to give it a go at making it a keeper.

Anyone straighten one like this before?

 

[leg17]

Anyone straighten one like this before?

I had decent success using a pipe clamp diagonally, (with wooden calls as cushions).
Monkey around, checking all sides, and be gentle.
Got mine to function pretty well.

 

[Outlawmws]

This: ^^^

Make a pair of blocks you clamp and get a decent squeeze without bending the metal.

Glue two blocks into a stumpy "L", then set them, scribe a line at the diagonal, and make a cut 90 degrees from the line to give a "square" purchase for the clamp.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

That's tweaked alright. Good luck hope it straightens out.

 

[Batjac65]

Thanks for the tips on straightening this thing out. I’m missing a retaining clip on one of the drawer slide tracks - is there a source for these somewhere?

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

This followed me home from the flea market this morning. Snap On KR 278, 1979 vintage, pretty nice shape for the age, all drawers slide nice, even came with 3 keys!

Beautiful! All right, how much?!

 

[454ragtop]

Beautiful! All right, how much?!

$20.00

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

$20.00

Good deal!

 

[Shelbylex]

454ragtop, this is Great deal!!!
Which flea markets do you visit?
I heard about one in Salisbury and one in Rowley. Any of those?

 

[454ragtop]

This was found in Seekonk. The 2 you mentioned are more than an hour away from me, so not really practical.

 

[Zrxrunner]

Just got these small ones at a garage sale and estate auction. Machinist was full of cool stuff, too

 

[paulm12]

Just got these small ones at a garage sale and estate auction. Machinist was full of cool stuff, too

those machinist boxes are cool looking.

 

[jeffmoss26]

^^those are sweet!!

 

[leg17]

Not much luck on the 127 yard sale in from Liberty KY to Clarkrange TN.
I did pick this up though. Does anyone recognize it?
Has hinged top socket trays on both sides.
Looks to have been silver/gray hammertone before it was spray-bombed and then 'brush-bombed'.
Fairly solid. I think I can tweak it back into shape and, given the current state, might try to repaint it.

Does anyone know anything about it?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Early 1950's hip roof cantilevered made by Kennedy. Kennedy and Simonsen made and sold a crapload of them to the US Army Air Forces as ground crew boxes during WWII. US Navy, too. And commercial market, of course. You can find them well into the 60's in a similar design. More rounded corners. Does that sticker on the lid say anything pertinent?

EDIT: It could be mid-to-late 1940's. Most WWII boxes had leather handles, but we have seen some evidence to suggest they may have introduced steel handles late war.

 

[leg17]

..... Does that sticker on the lid say anything pertinent?

No, unfortunately. It is just the 'shadow' of some former sticker.

Thanks a lot for the help.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

No, unfortunately. It is just the 'shadow' of some former sticker.

Was it placed over the top of the paint jobs, or is it under the paint jobs? If it was a military box, it might be a data sticker. A lot of the WWII Navy (NAF) boxes had stickers, and in the 50's and 60's the Army MILSPEC era boxes often have sheet steel data plates.

See if anything you might be able to make out resembles any of the following typical nomenclature found on stickers and plates:

TOOLBOX, MECHANICS'
..or (and these would be later), CASE, TOOL, MECHANICS'
Followed by...
TYPE II CLASS I
SIZE 2 18" X 10-1/2" X 13"
SPECIFICATION
5140-289-8911
CONTRACT xxxxxxx

Rest assured though, your box is 100% definitively a Kennedy box. Simonsen boxes had a circular indent where the triangular indent is on the inside of the end walls.

This is from a 1944 US Navy Aviation Supply Office catalog



This is from WWII



And a Simonsen ad for comparison

 

[d42jeep]

Not much luck on the 127 yard sale in from Liberty KY to Clarkrange TN.
I did pick this up though. Does anyone recognize it?
Has hinged top socket trays on both sides.
Looks to have been silver/gray hammertone before it was spray-bombed and then 'brush-bombed'.
Fairly solid. I think I can tweak it back into shape and, given the current state, might try to repaint it.

Does anyone know anything about it?

It’s a Kennedy cantilever box made sometime after 1949. Kennedy used leather handles up until then.
-Don

 

[leg17]

It’s a Kennedy cantilever box made sometime after 1949. Kennedy used leather handles up until then.
-Don

Thanks Don, It does indeed have a metal handle.
Tom

 

[Project_shadow]

Huot top and craftsman box picked up at auction for 100$
The craftsman in a 1988, I've not cleaned the huot up well enough yet, but guessing around the same time
The bottom cab will be a drill press stand, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with the huot yet
They also came with keys

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[Username already in use]

For $25, this little SnapOn (KR278B E 7) side box followed me home from the flea. Made in Canada and dated 1949. Even came with the key!

 

[454ragtop]

Wow Jason, great deal! What are the odds, it's pretty much the twin to the one I just found, posted at the top of the previous page, looks like you got drawer liners with yours, I didn't. It's a lot newer than '49 though, probably '79, it's a late 70's, early 80's box. Great score.

 

[Shelbylex]

454Ragtop and Usernamealreadyinuse:
Congratulations! Great deals!

 

[Rileysan]

I picked up this Craftsman #65141heavy duty tool box yesterday for $20 off OfferUp. It still has the original labels and is in near mint condition. The "Sears Best" line of tool boxes used to be called Craftsman Commercial during the early 70s. It is 24.5" x 9.5" x 9.5" and weighs a ton. I don't think it ever had any tools in it as it's barely got any scratches.

Brian

 

[compunaut]

Not much luck on the 127 yard sale in from Liberty KY to Clarkrange TN.
I did pick this up though. Does anyone recognize it?

Interesting. I saw something very similar on Denver Craigslist coupla months ago, but could never make arrangements with the seller. Nice find, tho I'd recommend a color change

 

[txlonghorn1989]

I picked up this Craftsman #65141heavy duty tool box yesterday for $20 off OfferUp. It still has the original labels and is in near mint condition. The "Sears Best" line of tool boxes used to be called Craftsman Commercial during the early 70s. It is 24.5" x 9.5" x 9.5" and weighs a ton. I don't think it ever had any tools in it as it's barely got any scratches.

Brian

Nice find Brian!

 

[d42jeep]

I picked up this Craftsman #65141heavy duty tool box yesterday for $20 off OfferUp. It still has the original labels and is in near mint condition. The "Sears Best" line of tool boxes used to be called Craftsman Commercial during the early 70s. It is 24.5" x 9.5" x 9.5" and weighs a ton. I don't think it ever had any tools in it as it's barely got any scratches.

Brian

Brian,
That’s a nice find! I found an earlier version of that box labeled Craftsman Commercial back in December 2016. It was virtually unused. Very heavy duty box that is currently housing many of my keeper tools.
-Don

 

[Username already in use]

Wow Jason, great deal! What are the odds, it's pretty much the twin to the one I just found, posted at the top of the previous page, looks like you got drawer liners with yours, I didn't. It's a lot newer than '49 though, probably '79, it's a late 70's, early 80's box. Great score.

Thanks Jim! I even got the guy to throw in a Williams ratchet.
I had thought it looked much newer than the 49 that was stamped on the back of the box. Thanks for confirming. Your box does look identical. Nice snag.

454Ragtop and Usernamealreadyinuse:
Congratulations! Great deals!

Thanks!

 

[RedVise]

Posted these in the Garage Sale thread but as they are older pieces thought I would share them here.
First is a 2 drawer Snap On KRA 21C, a little worn but pretty good condition for being manufactured in 1978.
Silver one is a 5 drawer repainted military armorers chest.

Brian

 

[Tynee]

I picked up this Craftsman #65141heavy duty tool box yesterday for $20 off OfferUp. It still has the original labels and is in near mint condition. The "Sears Best" line of tool boxes used to be called Craftsman Commercial during the early 70s. It is 24.5" x 9.5" x 9.5" and weighs a ton. I don't think it ever had any tools in it as it's barely got any scratches.

Brian

A 65141 has long been way up there on the list of boxes I’m pining for.

Huot top and craftsman box picked up at auction for 100$
The craftsman in a 1988, I've not cleaned the huot up well enough yet, but guessing around the same time
The bottom cab will be a drill press stand, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with the huot yet
They also came with keys

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I’d love to see more pics of the Hout as you get it cleaned up. I’m surprised the Craftsman is that old. I thought they still had the square metal tag into the late 80’s, and that Sticker appeared sometime in the late 90’s.

 

[Project_shadow]

A 65141 has long been way up there on the list of boxes I’m pining for.



I’d love to see more pics of the Hout as you get it cleaned up. I’m surprised the Craftsman is that old. I thought they still had the square metal tag into the late 80’s, and that Sticker appeared sometime in the late 90’s.

The tag is metal on the craftsman, the huot is going to my uncle, I dont have a use for it

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