The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

[four.cycle]

^ a very good friend of mine died of sepsis. not something to fool around with. I believe the situation is under control at this point.

 

[Outlawmws]

^ a very good friend of mine died of sepsis. not something to fool around with. I believe the situation is under control at this point.

My dad did. post intestinal surgery. VA hospital.

 

[Shelbylex]

My condolences to you, Four.Cycle and Outlawmws.

Seems like when we are young we feel like nothing can ever happen to us or people around. As we age the reality of life is catching up... I wish I was young again!

 

[four.cycle]

"Thy fate is the common fate of all
Into each life some rain must fall.
Some days must be dark and dreary."

 

[555]

My wife's cousin passed this week. Complications from sepsis after surgery.

 

[Mintgrun]

I spotted this Beach box on FB MP five hours after posting and sent a message to a friend, asking if he was interested; since he'd mentioned wanting some boxes. Five hours later, I replied for him, since he does not use FB and we were first in line. Thankfully, he was able to make the purchase and all I had to do was play keyboard middle-man. The outside is a little rough, but once the cover is up, it looks well worth the $25 asking price. (photos from the ad)






I had to involve my friend before replying, because I was afraid I'd want to keep it.

 

[INSP380]

I spotted this Beach box on FB MP five hours after posting and sent a message to a friend, asking if he was interested; since he'd mentioned wanting some boxes. Five hours later, I replied for him, since he does not use FB and we were first in line. Thankfully, he was able to make the purchase and all I had to do was play keyboard middle-man. The outside is a little rough, but once the cover is up, it looks well worth the $25 asking price. (photos from the ad)






I had to involve my friend before replying, because I was afraid I'd want to keep it.

Nice pickup! I have one minus the top and cover. A friends father turned it into his road box on his work truck. Someday I hope to get it all together….

Steve

 

[1982fxr]

I've been radio silent here for a while but couldn't help myself just now.

 

[1982fxr]

Any idea on year? Only OTC roller I've ever seen in person, or maybe at all.

 

[1982fxr]

More

 

[four.cycle]

WOW. Is it built like a tank, like all their old tools were?

 

[1982fxr]

It's heavier and bigger overall than I expected. Honestly, with a lot of these old boxes I expect them to be kind of light duty by today's weights.

I've owned a lot and that's just been my experience is that most pre-60s stuff. It didn't need to be all that because the mechanic didn't need as many tools. This surprises some people. Nobody on here though, I'm sure.

 

[GaryM909]

I bought this Snap On one back around 1978. I was an apprentice welder working in a machine shop. The truck came around and I bought the cheapest one that he had. I use it as a welding cart now and will probably let it go when I sell the welder.

 

[Shelbylex]

Any idea on year? Only OTC roller I've ever seen in person, or maybe at all.

This is a fantastic find, 1982FXR!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I do not think I even saw a picture of this one!
... Time to get the top box with 2 tiny drawers in top middle location! (I sadly passed on one many years ago (can not get them all though))

 

[lilredex]

Found this Coleman box on FBMP and had to have it. Steel cabinet with sixteen drawers. Needs a bit of help, but really well made and heavy. Will have no trouble filling it with tools and hardware, that has been looking for a home for a while. It was about a four hour round trip to bring it home.

Anyone seen anything like this? It is actually two banks bolted together. In my search, I found what might be newer stuff by Coleman, but nothing this old, assuming they are from the fifties or so.

 

[Beerhippie]

Found this Coleman box on FBMP and had to have it. Steel cabinet with sixteen drawers. Needs a bit of help, but really well made and heavy. Will have no trouble filling it with tools and hardware, that has been looking for a home for a while. It was about a four hour round trip to bring it home.

Anyone seen anything like this? It is actually two banks bolted together. In my search, I found what might be newer stuff by Coleman, but nothing this old, assuming they are from the fifties or so.

That would hold a metric shitton of Coleman parts and tools!

 

[Outlawmws]

Anyone seen anything like this? It is actually two banks bolted together. In my search, I found what might be newer stuff by Coleman, but nothing this old, assuming they are from the fifties or so.

TBH, I'm thinking the decal was added - it may have come from a Coleman repair shop or factory, but I can't recall seeing any parts organizers like this.

What I have seen:

Metal trays with hinged cover,

Wood wall racks with jars

Akro-Mils organizers (labeled Coleman on the sides and back)

 

[RTM]

TBH, I'm thinking the decal was added - it may have come from a Coleman repair shop or factory, but I can't recall seeing any parts organizers like this.

I’m right there with you, and I’m not a Coleman aficionado. That cabinet looks like a home made, let’s add whatever handles we have box. Since the top (& maybe bottom) is a single piece, not sure about two separate pieces bolted together. Is the top steel, MDF , plywood, or solid wood. I see the vertical divider is split tho.

Just general construction isn’t “professional”, **** joints exposed, etc


Edit
Ok, the photos below make most of this wrong . But other than that I was spot on.

 

[Beerhippie]

TBH, I'm thinking the decal was added - it may have come from a Coleman repair shop or factory, but I can't recall seeing any parts organizers like this.

What I have seen:

Metal trays with hinged cover,

Wood wall racks with jars

Akro-Mils organizers (labeled Coleman on the sides and back)

I'm sure that wasn't a Coleman chest. It may have been at a Coleman service center, but most of those serviced a LOT more than just GPAs--reels, guns, etc. I'll bet someone just slapped that (apparently) water-slide decal on there.

 

[lilredex]

To clarify. the only wood is on the top, that somebody added. These are definitely not home made, only wish I could do that kind of work in my shop. As far as the Coleman decal, i agree it was an add on, a good reason I found nothing similar.

A couple of shots of the underside. It has not been unloaded as I need to make room for it under a bench. Once unloaded, there may be further discoveries. Let you know.... As far as the handles go, I suspect they just replaced them with whatever they had on hand when they broke, they are 4" on center.

 

[four.cycle]

I finally got around to dragging all these out yesterday so they could have a bath.
We've got a Waterloo-made Craftsman top chest, a "Crowntop" carry box, a no-name cantilever-tray model, and a beast of what I believe is an old "carpenter" box:


Blue Box 32" x 10" H x 8" W - has two hooks welded to the interior, which I assume is to hold a saw.

This feature has me puzzled. What purpose do these little widgets serve that are attached to the ends of the box?

This one was well-loved, obviously - the previous owner had repairs made to it.

Not sure if this latch mechanism is factory or previous owner add-on.

The hasp swings down over that loop, which pivots around, securing the hasp (with or without padlock.)

More to follow....

 

[Outlawmws]

Blue Box 32" x 10" H x 8" W - has two hooks welded to the interior, which I assume is to hold a saw.

With that width, of hook, I'd say for a level.

 

[RTM]

This feature has me puzzled. What purpose do these little widgets serve that are attached to the ends of the box

Hand hold per chance? Any sign of one oh the opposite end? Maybe it was so a previous owner could drag it off a shelf when stored.

 

[Outlawmws]

Hand hold

I agree - the type with the metal D rings.

 

[four.cycle]

only has those at one end, and they appear to be factory - they're riveted on.

 

[RTM]

only has those at one end, and they appear to be factory - they're riveted on.

I've seen that on other things to pull them off a shelf. Then carry that sucker one handed, like a real man. Not me, i'd need wheels

 

[Mintgrun]

only has those at one end, and they appear to be factory - they're riveted on.

That's like my old S-K box. The handle is handy for pulling it out from under the bench. It's also got a chunk of dowel underneath as a roller. I spun it around so the non-handle side faces out, so it doesn't look incomplete.



I stole the leather handle off the end of my that karpenter's bocks (bottom left),
to put on a Dunlap box, (middle second shelf)
because I moved the handle from that one to a Craftsman box (far right top shelf).

On that topic, I recently brought this toolbox home because the handle alone was worth the asking price.



I'm not going to steal it though.

Tom

 

[four.cycle]

I can carry it with one hand - empty.
Not sure I'd be able to lift it after I filled it up with a bunch of steel objects.

 

[RTM]

I can carry it with one hand - empty.
Not sure I'd be able to lift it after I filled it up with a bunch of steel objects.

But remember with a carpenter using it, especially a rough Carpenter. You would only have a few saws and measuring tools. Maybe a level. They typically would use a chisel or slick to fix something rather than a plane.

Somewhere, I think it was the toolemera site had pictures of Carpenters and their tool boxes, in the twenties and thirties, and they were quite sparse.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I was able to get a coat of Rustoleum on the interior and part of the exterior before the sun dropped below the horizon. I waffled on dragging out the angle grinder and taking a wire cup brush to it, but chose to go quick and dirty. I can definitely see where having a handle to drag that thing off a shelf would be an advantage. I'll have to fabricate something. Maybe just a rope loop!

 

[four.cycle]

Craftsman 706.657810 four-drawer top chest 26" L x 12" W x 15½" H

This one was in great shape when I got it, other than the red paint on the top being oxidized by UV light. The drawers had been overloaded - typical on these - and some repairs were required.
The new Fujiya pliers make short work of fixing these box rail supports.
I cleaned it up a bit and put a coat of Rustoleum on the bottom.
It's looking for a new home.

 

[four.cycle]

Here's the smaller Craftsman box from my post above (#17741)
Model 9R-6500 Craftsman 18" L x 8" W x 9" H carry box.
It was in fair shape. Had a ding on the lid that knocked it out of kilter a bit, so a little bodywork was required.
The latches were covered with tiny little rust spots - those got cleaned up with a Dremel tool using a tiny wheel that was like a "Scotchbrite" pad. Worked great.




Craftsman 9R-6500 18" L x 8" W x 9" H carry box

 

[Outlawmws]

I'll have to fabricate something. Maybe just a rope loop!

A quick flat handle I made using a leather bootlace. Something like paracord could also be used.

I made 4 loops around the D rings, (8 strands) and "wove" the last line to keep them in a flat strap, and called it a say. this is on my 3/4 dive ratchet/socket box and it weighs 50 lbs.

 

[Beerhippie]

For the D-loop style handles, I'll bet the leather or plastic handles came from a few manufacturers. I seriously doubt many tool chest makers would make their own when they were easily sourced. Hence, they probably have a limited number of sizes.

I just put the loop-to-loop measurement in my hunting notebook--I keep track of things I need/want that way--and found an old beat to death suitcase with a nice leather handle for $3 at a junk store.



It finished my SIPCO chest nicely.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I'll probably opt for something much simpler... I was thinking "5 inches of garden hose with a chunk of paracord". That long box will be used to hold my reciprocating saw - it's the only thing I've found that's long enough.

... in other news ...

The old box I picked up at a garage sale about a week ago was in pretty rough shape. I actually wasn't after the box - I wanted the contents, but it was an "all or none" deal, so the box came home with me:

It had been overloaded, abused, left out in the rain, and possibly rolled down a flight of stairs. Every part of it was wonky: the latches didn't line up, the lid didn't close properly, the "lock" mechanism wasn't functioning.
I dragged out half a dozen hammers and various types of pliers and got things lined back up and operational:

I was actually surprised that I got that "bullet catch" mechanism working again. Kroil and MMO work wonders, don't they?

Looks much better this morning after it's all dolled up:


Black Box 19" L x 7" W x 7" H 06/19/26

The original finish appeared to be a very dark brown "wrinkle finish" - like what you'd find on a Kennedy - but the interior says "tackle box" to me. Not sure what thing unit was intended for:

Black Box 19" L x 7" W x 7" H 06/19/26

Tackle box? Purpose-built for some special application?

 

[d42jeep]

The color combination says Kennedy to me.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ The brown tone looked about right, although it was in pretty rough shape. So you think Kennedy?
What are the semi-round troughs for? Tackle box?
Seems like it would be a mess - I can see fishhook points getting stuck in all those little crevices.

 

[Outlawmws]

Kennedy made tackle boxes as well but the "easy scoop" tray on top to me means serviceman's box with the tools on the bottom and parts (think wire nuts and such) in the trays

 

[four.cycle]

Kennedy 19CSA0 19 x 7 x 7 box 1933 Hibbard Spencer Bartlett catalog pp 156

The little black box above appears to match this unit I found listed in a 1933 hardware catalog - a low-end version of their "Big Horn" line (sans the fancy corner brackets and leather handle.)

.... in other news ....

While trying to identify the little black box (above) I came across this listing for a 32-inch Kennedy "carpenter box", which appears to employ a shoulder strap for carrying, which is an interesting feature. (My box only has attachment points at one end, so the "hook" or "single handle" theory makes more sense there.)


Kennedy K32 32-inch carpenters box (undated catalog)

 

[four.cycle]

Waterloo JL600 6-drawer "Top Chest"

Manufactured by Waterloo Industries, Waterloo, Iowa

* 26" L x 12" W x 15" H

* This is built of a slightly heavier gauge metal than Waterloo was using for contemporary Craftsman-badged boxes and it has a stouter system of drawer rails.