The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

[Rileysan]

Riley, that is the 1954 (catalog), "best toolbox" box, right?[/IMG]

Correct! Available from 1951-54. The 1951 catalog calls it a "Deluxe" cabinet.

When I initially looked at it (in person), I immediately thought it was a Pressteel made cabinet (you have one, right Outlaw?). In fact, I never bothered to look in the drawer behind the badge, I was so sure. However, today I found this:



I was genuinely surprised. The slides are identical to those on the Pressteel cabinets, as are the casters and mounts for them. It's defintely a head-scratcher!

The first catalog image is from 1951. The second, 1954

Brian

 

[Rileysan]

My Rally box from late 70s(?) and a rare Craftsman from much earlier.

Sent from my garage.

Those are both real beauties! Great finds!!

Brian

 

[Rileysan]

Getting back to the 5d rolling cabinet ...

This thing is a BEAST! It's hard to visualize just how big it is until you see it next to another roller from the same era. When I get a chance, I'll photograph it next to my 8d heritage cabinet for comparison.

In the meantime, I pulled all the drawers so I could inspect it properly. The rollers for the slides haven't been lubed in a very long time, if ever. One of the rollers was broken and someone attempted to repair it (poorly). No critter has ever nested in it (something I have found to be true more than once!), and the inside is surprisingly clean - with the paint in very good condition.

The paint on 3 sides looks worse than it is - with splatters of paint and very light surface rust.

I'm looking for advice on how best to clean this up and restore to original shine without stripping and repainting. I rarely do anything more than wipe down with a rag soaked in WD-40 but this box will be the pièce de résistance in my collection, and I want it to POP!

 

[JoCoSawdust]

My jealousy meter is pegged!

I'd try WD40 and fine steel wool first coupled with massive amounts of elbow grease. I've yet to accidentally scrub through that hammer tone paint to bare metal (unlike the earlier crinkle gray Heritage chests). It'd be great if you could find the correct electrical box and light for it.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

My Rally box from late 70s(?) and a rare Craftsman from much earlier.

Sent from my garage.

Beautiful boxes. I've never seen that second one with Heritage logo. Common design, but never with the ribbing and logo.

 

[Outlawmws]

Riley, It is and I do. Mine HAD to be painted, one drawer had broken spotwelds and I had to redo it...

Process here: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1673958&postcount=534"]http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1673958&postcount=534[/URL]

 

[Outlawmws]

BTW, Mine didn't have the AMD stampings inside so I had always assumed it was Pressteel. I still think they and AMD had something going on? If not AMD definitely copied the design down to the last details... IIR, even the aluminum edge trim was something Pressteel did...

 

[Rileysan]

BTW, Mine didn't have the AMD stampings inside so I had always assumed it was Pressteel. I still think they and AMD had something going on? If not AMD definitely copied the design down to the last details... IIR, even the aluminum edge trim was something Pressteel did...

I had forgotten about the aluminum edge - mine has it, and it's in good condition.

Now that I've seen one in person, all the design elements scream Pressteel. I had previously theorized that AMD/Remline partnered with, or purchased Pressteel. If that were the case, it wouldn't take much to include a die for the AMD embossing to go with the hard tooling for that drawer. It's the only item I have found, so far, with any manufacturing information.

Brian

 

[Outlawmws]

The odd think is that the both continued as apparently separate compamies? Pressweld made steel fixtures and the like for a long time after and AMD did also? Maybe Pressteel/Pressweld sold the tool boxes to AMD?

 

[FJ 432]

Very jealous Rileysan on your bottom roller find. It's the only Craftsman that I have not been able to find in this area and IMHO the best Craftsman bottom roller ever made. I might have driven the miles you did to get it.

Outlawmws's restored one is still one of my all time favorites.

 

[DD T/A]

Got this yesterday. Seems ok for general use. Tray appears to be homemade(it's actually my favorite part)

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Picked up today. Top is Nov 75, roller is Feb 76. **** ugly now but will get churched up this spring and mated to a 3d mid chest. Been looking for a 12/12 for some time now.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Got this yesterday. Seems ok for general use. Tray appears to be homemade(it's actually my favorite part)

Always nice to find one of those that avoided the mad spray bomber. Nice snag.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Very jealous Rileysan on your bottom roller find. It's the only Craftsman that I have not been able to find in this area and IMHO the best Craftsman bottom roller ever made. I might have driven the miles you did to get it.

Outlawmws's restored one is still one of my all time favorites.

+1 on the admiration of Outlaws 5d Deluxe. Beautiful resto job on that one.

 

[outofbounds]

Picked up today. Top is Nov 75, roller is Feb 76. **** ugly now but will get churched up this spring and mated to a 3d mid chest. Been looking for a 12/12 for some time now.

I'm starting to connect some dots between user names here and IDs on Facebook. Nice stack! (This being the only place I can say that without getting slapped, or sued.)

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Here is my Dads old Rem Line stack. Bottom is a 900A with Flying saucer casters and top is a 1100. In the process of restoration. Always on the lookout for the Model 1300 two drawer middle section and or the A30 two drawer insert. Love this old box and want to hand it down to my son.

I was all set to buy the same combo off FB Marketplace last year. It was at a brake shop. Got there and found out it didn't belong to the guy who listed it. It was someone's box who had worked there recently and wasn't for sale. I was not happy.

 

[DD T/A]

I was all set to buy the same combo off FB Marketplace last year. It was at a brake shop. Got there and found out it didn't belong to the guy who listed it. It was someone's box who had worked there recently and wasn't for sale. I was not happy.

I bought a Dyson vacuum used from a 19year old kid who drove a 5 year old lifted extended cab Chevy and talked/acted like he was 30. Sold it to me for $60 because he had to "move out last minute".

Would not stop calling me for 3 days BEGGING me to sell it back, even for $100, because apparently his roomate told him it was not his to sell and demanded it back. I never replied.

Dumb people, I cannot believe their useless parents raised them to be so foolish, arrogant, and entitled.


///rant.

 

[Outlawmws]

Very jealous Rileysan on your bottom roller find. It's the only Craftsman that I have not been able to find in this area and IMHO the best Craftsman bottom roller ever made. I might have driven the miles you did to get it.

Outlawmws's restored one is still one of my all time favorites.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

I bought a Dyson vacuum used from a 19year old kid who drove a 5 year old lifted extended cab Chevy and talked/acted like he was 30. Sold it to me for $60 because he had to "move out last minute".

Would not stop calling me for 3 days BEGGING me to sell it back, even for $100, because apparently his roomate told him it was not his to sell and demanded it back. I never replied.

Dumb people, I cannot believe their useless parents raised them to be so foolish, arrogant, and entitled.


///rant.

Should've told him it needed to be worth your while, $250!

 

[logical]

Beautiful boxes. I've never seen that second one with Heritage logo. Common design, but never with the ribbing and logo.

It's not a repop but I think someone thought it might be Canadian. I bought it from an estate of a Sears tool hoarder. It was with a bunch of old crown logo tools

Sent from my garage.

 

[dredoubleu]

My first real box as an apprentice, an old Canadian made Mastercraft box that I picked up used with some older tools as well. This thing is built like a tank, and has served me well and will hopefully continue to do so throughout the rest of my apprenticeship

 

[Rileysan]

My first real box as an apprentice, an old Canadian made Mastercraft box that I picked up used with some older tools as well. This thing is built like a tank, and has served me well and will hopefully continue to do so throughout the rest of my apprenticeship

Wow! That is gorgeous!!

 

[bmwrd0]

Yeah, that is real nice!

 

[RedVise]

FB Market place listing - Power Craft tool box - looks like a Remline version.
Not perfect but pretty good for its age.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/231406614687439/

Brian

 

[Gunfighter556]

That is a very nice looking Tool box dre

 

[WNYflyer]

My first real box as an apprentice, an old Canadian made Mastercraft box that I picked up used with some older tools as well. This thing is built like a tank, and has served me well and will hopefully continue to do so throughout the rest of my apprenticeship

Very nice, love those Mastercraft/Beach boxes from as you guys sometimes call it, Crappy Tire . I picked up a similar Mastercraft middle and bottom box this fall that escaped across the river it must have been a much later built one because it is built nowhere near as heavy as a Mastercraft top box I already had. Good to hear it is a tank.

 

[dkroth]

My first real box as an apprentice, an old Canadian made Mastercraft box that I picked up used with some older tools as well. This thing is built like a tank, and has served me well and will hopefully continue to do so throughout the rest of my apprenticeship

There's one for sale near me.

https://rochester.craigslist.org/tls/d/spencerport-vintage-mastercraft-2-tier/7081823795.html







.

 

[ConductorChris]

My first real box as an apprentice, an old Canadian made Mastercraft box that I picked up used with some older tools as well. This thing is built like a tank, and has served me well and will hopefully continue to do so throughout the rest of my apprenticeship

Too bad Mastercraft isn't the same quality today! Very nice set. Congrats

 

[ZRX61]

There's an old retired aircraft mech that I see at the med center. He's Canadian & was supplied with a Beach roller & top chest decades ago. He eventually ended up in the US working for Lockheed. Next time I see him I'm going to ask if I can get pics of it.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

My first real box as an apprentice, an old Canadian made Mastercraft box that I picked up used with some older tools as well. This thing is built like a tank, and has served me well and will hopefully continue to do so throughout the rest of my apprenticeship

That's a beautiful stack and unseen down here in the south.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

I've been trying to track down this box like Frank Hamer tracking Bonnie and Clyde for a while now. I was recently able to spring the ambush and bring it home. This box held the amber handled "Super Deluxe" set from Sears from 1939 to 1942.

 

[Gdewa]

Sweet!

 

[outofbounds]

I've been trying to track down this box like Frank Hamer tracking Bonnie and Clyde for a while now. I was recently able to spring the ambush and bring it home. This box held the amber handled "Super Deluxe" set from Sears from 1939 to 1942.

I saw your entire set on Facebook. VERY impressive!

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Thanks OOB. It was nice to tuck the ambers into their proper home.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I picked up another externally cantilevered Duplex box this morning at the flea market (see Pics 1, 2, & 3), this one actually branded Duplex, and a little bigger than the Snap-on box that Snap-on called the "Handikit" (and sold in three different sizes)(see Pics 4, 5, & 6).

Duplex (Sherman, NY) made these for many tool mfgr's in the 30s and 40's until the Borg (Plomb Empire) bought them out in 1958 and moved the manufacturing to Arkansas. As far as I know, they were only sold for Pendleton Tool Industries, Inc. brands (Proto, Fleet, PENENS, etc) after that.

These are by no means the only two Duplex-made boxes on GJ. They aren't common, but they aren't rare, either. Although I have been looking for an actual Duplex for a few years now. If you search on Duplex, Handikit, or Old Forge you will find others. It has the 1928 John Coe patent (1,675,484) and U.S.A. tamped on the lids, like they all do, regardless of the branding embossed on the lids just above it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Markings…

 

[outofbounds]

I picked up another externally cantilevered

These are by no means the only two Duplex-made boxes on GJ. They aren't common, but they aren't rare, either. Although I have been looking for an actual Duplex for a few years now. If you search on Duplex, Handikit, or Old Forge you will find others. It has the 1928 John Coe patent (1,675,484) and U.S.A. tamped on the lids, like they all do, regardless of the branding embossed on the lids just above it.

The Duplex name apparently was promoted for itself as well, as implied by this later box. The badging certainly shares traits with the Plomb/Proto lineage, IMHO

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yes, that's true. I think PTII treated them like a subsidiary. And that has to be a PTTI era box. PTII is who moved them to Ft Smith in 1958. I posted more info last year or so here.

 

[dangerRuss]

I'm not sure if this the right place for this post, but here goes: Picked up this little carry box at a garage sale. I find no markings on it anywhere. I can tell you it smells like old grease and dirt, like it might have been on a farm. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Russ

 

[Outlawmws]

I'm not recognizing it, but It was probably a special for a power tool? possibly a sawsall or similar?