1940’s tool box restoration.. anyone able help me identify it?
- Thread starter Benryanuk
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Stuart in MN
Well-known member
Off to a good start, but there will still be a lot of wire brushing in your immediate future. 
d42jeep
Well-known member
Check out this thread. Here are some of mine.
https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=198454
-Don
https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=198454
-Don
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Thanks for the feedback AL. Yeah, I need a better workspace so having to make do at the moment.
The bottom doesn’t look too bad now on the outside.. the inside is bad though. I’m going to slosh it about in white vinegar for a few hours and see how that reduces the rust.
I don’t have a drill at the moment, but am looking to get one of the Milwaukee 18v cordless ones and I’ll use that with a wire wheel to finish off before a coat of olive drab.
I’ve also got an old dolly that I’ll use to knock some of the dents out.. although one lid is pretty badly warped so not yet sure how I’m going to straighten that.
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The bottom doesn’t look too bad now on the outside.. the inside is bad though. I’m going to slosh it about in white vinegar for a few hours and see how that reduces the rust.
I don’t have a drill at the moment, but am looking to get one of the Milwaukee 18v cordless ones and I’ll use that with a wire wheel to finish off before a coat of olive drab.
I’ve also got an old dolly that I’ll use to knock some of the dents out.. although one lid is pretty badly warped so not yet sure how I’m going to straighten that.
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Being it has corners braces you might be able to just replace the whole bottom with sheet metal. Depends on what you'll do with the box.
I had an older S-K box given to me that had one corner rusted out. I cut out the worst area with a dremel tool and made a "patch" out of galvanized and riveted it in. It will never be a beauty queen but it is usable. It holds my 1/2" drive Bonney sockets and several ratchets.
I had an older S-K box given to me that had one corner rusted out. I cut out the worst area with a dremel tool and made a "patch" out of galvanized and riveted it in. It will never be a beauty queen but it is usable. It holds my 1/2" drive Bonney sockets and several ratchets.
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d42jeep
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The link I provided above has all the information anyone could ask for about the box being restored. It is a wartime toolbox, most commonly used to hold the early war Motor Vehicle Mechanics Tool set or the later war General Mechanics Tool set, commonly referred to as a GMTK. They were made by several companies. Here are some of mine.
-Don
-Don
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Pics look great d42jeep!
For the rusted bottom.. I’m not going to go crazy removing the rust - my plan is to get rid of all the loose debris and the use POR15. This should seal it up and I won’t risk blowing through it.
POR 15 45032 - 4oz Can Gloss Black Rust Preventative Paint - Paint Over Rust! (Single Can) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q0I62IU/?tag=atomicindus08-20
It’s coming on now.. spent a few hours straightening the lids last night so it’s fitting better. A couple more times of going over and it’ll nearly be ready for paint.
Any tips on paint to get close to the colour of d42jeep’s box?
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For the rusted bottom.. I’m not going to go crazy removing the rust - my plan is to get rid of all the loose debris and the use POR15. This should seal it up and I won’t risk blowing through it.
POR 15 45032 - 4oz Can Gloss Black Rust Preventative Paint - Paint Over Rust! (Single Can) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q0I62IU/?tag=atomicindus08-20
It’s coming on now.. spent a few hours straightening the lids last night so it’s fitting better. A couple more times of going over and it’ll nearly be ready for paint.
Any tips on paint to get close to the colour of d42jeep’s box?
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d42jeep
Well-known member
Looks like pretty decent repair.. I’m hoping I can avoid anything drastic with the bottom. More work on it and it seems pretty solid.
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d42jeep
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It’s very likely that your toolbox is an unmarked McAleer based on the construction details and hinge elements. These boxes were painted olive.
-Don
-Don
Farmer J.
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It would look good in a flat non shiny olive green colour. That wouldn't reflect from the 'imperfections' which are actually just interesting patina..
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Interesting, Don, because I've never seen an unmarked E.J. McAleer, but you could be right. It's definitely not a Union or a Hamilton. Too bad the tray wasn't present - that would help.
OP, all,
If you search on combinations of terms like 'Union', 'McAleer', and 'Hamilton', (or 'HAM. MET. PRODS.'), 'flip-top', 'WWII' and 'GMTK' you will find a bunch of other boxes like yours posted here on GJ in various conditions. Or follow Don's link to the G503.com thread dedicated to the 41-B-1840 (its Federal Stock Number during WWII). Take advantage of several years worth of work by many WWII GMTK buffs on these well-known and well-researched boxes.
As for paint, I restored one a few years ago. Same process as you, but I had to do some brazing on the bottom, and I had it bead-blasted. For the finish, I prefer a well-used but well-maintained look, so I actually used some layered painterly techniques to create age and patina effects. I don't want to spam your thread. If you're interested, let me know, and I would post several photos and the details on the paint brands and colors and the process. If not, no worries and good luck whatever you decide to do with it in terms of paint.
d42jeep
Well-known member
Lugz,
The reason you haven’t seen an unmarked McAleer is that most of them ended up in my garage.
-Don
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Private Lugnutz
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Ha! How could I forget? Still, a strange anomaly, since they also made them marked. Still makes me wonder why they'd do that. Have to check my Waterloo characteristics notes. They were both US Army Signal Corps suppliers.
It looks like Ben is having fun or I was going to suggest that I'd send him one in better shape, I still have three of four excess. The problem as you well know is that the shipping is prohibitive. Works much better as a local find!
It looks like Ben is having fun or I was going to suggest that I'd send him one in better shape, I still have three of four excess. The problem as you well know is that the shipping is prohibitive. Works much better as a local find!
d42jeep
Well-known member
Here is a picture of my first unmarked McAleer. Every detail is the same except for the lack of marking and the trays are totally identical. It was a $.99 eBay purchase but the freight made up for it. In replaying the video on the original post, it looks like Ben has a tray with original paint on the bottom. The handle on his tray doesn’t exactly match the McAleer trays though. That and the rounded corner supports may indicate possibly a different manufacturer.
-Don
-Don
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Private Lugnutz
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Ah, I didn't see the link. And your McAleer obsession is coming back to me now...
It's easily the box I see the most commonly in the wild due to my location.
It's easily the box I see the most commonly in the wild due to my location.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Done. Link here.
Agreed, Lug. I’m very interested to hear how you approach the paint and the patina effect you mentioned - that sounds like something I’d be keen to try.
The tray handles are definitely different and are round to the end but the rest looks to be a McAleer. Strange.
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The tray handles are definitely different and are round to the end but the rest looks to be a McAleer. Strange.
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Here’s a photo of the tray when I was working on it over the weekend. I haven’t seen another like it in all the photos I’ve found and searches.
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Private Lugnutz
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I didn't want to distract from your thread so I put it in a separate thread, linked here.
That is a strange duck. Don may be able to comment further on the boxes he is identifying as unmarked McAleers, but the trays in the marked McAleer boxes I have had had a round handle that pinched into a pronounced V and then a flat area where it joined the tray. Your handle never goes flat - it stays round directly into the end of the tray.
d42jeep
Well-known member
I appreciate the fact that you did the research. There are several collectors in the U.K. with these boxes. There were thousands of them sent to Europe and the Pacific from the US during WW2 and new discoveries are still being made. I'll need to check to see if I can find a tray with a handle like the OP's.
-Don
-Don
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I’m actually based in the US in New Jersey we moved here a year back with my work. I’m having a lot of fun at garage sales and at harbor freight.
Lugz I’ll definitely give your pair method a go - I’ll post back the results.
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we moved here a year back with my work. I’m having a lot of fun at garage sales and at harbor freight.Lugz I’ll definitely give your pair method a go - I’ll post back the results.
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Don:
How many hinge elements or knuckles are on the boxes you are identifying as unmarked E.J. McAleer? My marked E.J. McAleer boxes have 34, which is also the number noted on Cliff's cheat sheet. I am counting 42 on Ben's.
The closest I can find, and that's relative, is Waterloo. They are sort of "triangular" (round with a peak, I would say), not round, but they attach to the ends of the box the same way.
How many hinge elements or knuckles are on the boxes you are identifying as unmarked E.J. McAleer? My marked E.J. McAleer boxes have 34, which is also the number noted on Cliff's cheat sheet. I am counting 42 on Ben's.
d42jeep
Well-known member
That tray seemed kind of familiar so I braved the first rain in months to take some pictures. Lugz, do you remember that tray that I got from Luke that was just a little too long to fit in a regular box? That one has the full length round handle. I would be very interested to find out the exact length of Ben’s tray. Mine is exactly 21” long as opposed to the tray in my McAleer which is about 20-5/8”. If his tray matches mine, his box could be one that we haven’t run across yet, with more hinge elements and round corner supports.
-Don
-Don
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Private Lugnutz
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I do remember. Very interesting!
So I took a quick measurement Don and the tray is just a shade under 21’ so is in line with the tray you have. Overall the box itself is just over 21’. The tray fits perfectly in the box so no doubt that they belong together.
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RodneyW
Well-known member
looks like the prep work is going well.
I wonder if it's a case of McAleer got the contract then farmed some of them out to meet the demand? That would explain the basic design being the same but not having the stamp.
Rodney
I wonder if it's a case of McAleer got the contract then farmed some of them out to meet the demand? That would explain the basic design being the same but not having the stamp.
Rodney
d42jeep
Well-known member
About half of my McAleer boxes are marked and the others are unmarked, including my box with the original stenciling. All of the dimensions are identical as are the trays. All of the McAleer marked and unmarked boxes have pointed corner supports unlike Ben’s with the round supports. Ben’s is the first box we’ve seen with the slightly longer box and tray. All of the other known brands have a tray that is about 20-5/8” long. From the extensive research that’s been done and that includes dozens of boxes, his seems to be unique and by an odd coincidence, I seem to have come across a matching tray that won’t fit any of my boxes.
-Don
-Don
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