The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

[Ducky]

I need help with this box pictured below. It is advertised as a Snap on box but it does not look right to me. It is a bad photo for sure and you can see that it has been spray bombed but what is bothering me is the handles. I have never seen a Snap-on with single handles in the middle nor of this shape/type. It almost looks like a Mac box handle but even theirs have 2 handles other than an add on box. Oh and I don't know about the top box either. the handles look angled instead of rounded. Comments and thoughts from the experts?

 

[1982fxr]

I need help with this box pictured below. It is advertised as a Snap on box but it does not look right to me. It is a bad photo for sure and you can see that it has been spray bombed but what is bothering me is the handles. I have never seen a Snap-on with single handles in the middle nor of this shape/type. It almost looks like a Mac box handle but even theirs have 2 handles other than an add on box. Oh and I don't know about the top box either. the handles look angled instead of rounded. Comments and thoughts from the experts?

Top looks Snap-on. Bottom looks like a Waterloo or something.

 

[CGarage]

Go to the Collecting Snap-On website and look at the vintage catalogs online.

 

[FJ 432]

Not a Snap On/ Looks to be a Stack On.

 

[Ducky]

Not a Snap On/ Looks to be a Stack On.

You may be on to something. I was cruising the vintage posts and came across some later Remline pics that have a single handle in the middle that are shaped like the Mac handles that are on one of my boxes. Remline is now Stack on so maybe.

 

[Prof Steve]

Post em' up guys. Lets say anything over 20 yrs. and older only.

The newer boxes are cool, but I LOVE the lines of the older ones.

Here are my humble contributions:



I have a KRA54 too:



I know there are some great boxes, so lets see em.

And the obligatory:

Here is a beautiful Kennedy chest with the wrinkled metal finish.

 

[Ducky]

I need help with this box pictured below. It is advertised as a Snap on box but it does not look right to me. It is a bad photo for sure and you can see that it has been spray bombed but what is bothering me is the handles. I have never seen a Snap-on with single handles in the middle nor of this shape/type. It almost looks like a Mac box handle but even theirs have 2 handles other than an add on box. Oh and I don't know about the top box either. the handles look angled instead of rounded. Comments and thoughts from the experts?

So it turns out that this is a Snap-on, they both are. I ended up picking these up. The roller is a KC 545 and the top I believe to be a KC 515 both made in Canada. This is why nothing looked familiar to me. The guy I got it from has had them for about 15 years. He told me that he bought them from a retiring mechanic that worked at a Chevy dealer near Ontario. The mechanic bought them new about 45 years earlier. He also told me that the mechanic was quite emotional when selling them to him. Well I am just glad that I was able to get these and they will stay in Canada. They will stay at my MIL's cottage on the Gaspe peninsula where I found them. I'll get some pics after I clean them up a bit.

 

[Prof Steve]

Post em' up guys. Lets say anything over 20 yrs. and older only.

The newer boxes are cool, but I LOVE the lines of the older ones.

Here are my humble contributions:



I have a KRA54 too:



I know there are some great boxes, so lets see em.

And the obligatory:

 

[Prof Steve]

Here's one that' been around the block a few times.

 

[Ducky]

Here's some pics of my newly acquired boxes. I said I would get some pics after they were cleaned up but I got lazy so here you go.






The first and second drawers had these groovy movable dividers. The third had a mud flap.







Note the lock cylinder is located on the side. Never scene that before. Before I was allowed to move them in here I did a quick Dawn wash of the exterior. Yes, this is the inside of a closet because you see I have no garage yet. Yet. A guys gotta dream.

 

[CGarage]

Try some Murphy’s oil soap. Added bonus it will prevent rust when you are cleaning them up.

 

[Firebird1975]

I believe the box is a late 1950's / early 1960's Proto Tools. It has a lot "patina" but is a great functional box. All drawers slide like new.

 

[Outlawmws]

I believe the box is a late 1950's / early 1960's Proto Tools. It has a lot "patina" but is a great functional box. All drawers slide like new.

Considering the patina, that's impressive!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Beech made those briefly, due to duplex plant fire.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I picked up this Herbrand hip roof tool box today at a Habitat store. First Herbrand box I've found. It took some digging to find it in a catalog but it shows up in 1955. The aristocrat of tools logo sold it for me. I also like that the top handles are repeated on the tool tote. Mine must be the B901. A few pics. Ed.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Nice. I have one like it. Trays are cool.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I picked up this Herbrand hip roof tool box today at a Habitat store.

That is a sweet box. Nice find, Ed.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Thanks guys, it shows a little rusty staining under the tray but no real corrosion. I think it will clean up pretty well. Not sure what all I'll keep in it, but I do have a few Herbrand tools.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here's mine with some stuff in it

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Very nice OTG! I see you got the B902 two tool tray version. Better yet you have it loaded up with Herbrand tools. Super nice! Ed.

 

[RTM]

Here's one possibly barely in the vintage category. Waterloo JL22, or more modern replacements . Shows up on the 1982 catalog with a newer number 50220, and the sticker on the wrong place. Says it replaced the JL22 in this catalog, but the 1960 shows the as 22” in width. So not sure exactly what it is, but I bought it anyway.

Waterloo Total Tool Storage : Catalog No. 75 : Waterloo Industries Inc. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

24 p., illus., 27.9 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

This came to me kinda ugly, and now it's a little less ugly. Tried to fix the bent knob, and it just would not stay still. So tapped it out, and spent $3 each on solid brass, nickel plated knobs as an upgrade. Had to cut the supplied screws short, do I splurged and got 2 SS screws as well. Still sorta lipstick on a pig. But it's my pig.
I did a bit of polishing on the non rusty, non peeling paint that was left, the PO had used duck tape as a drawer liner. It was in nice condition, and I knew perfectly well that removing it would make a mess that I really don't want to deal with. Seeing what the bottom looked like, I knew there was nothing I was going to do to bring it back to pristine, or even nice. So I gave it a couple of coats of clear matte rattle can, and said good enough.



Here it is in all its porcine beauty, ready to go back into service. I have a similar Kennedy red two drawer that is my metric tool kit, wrenches and sockets segregated from the SAE stuff. Not sure where yet, but it's an older Waterloo, so should be up to any task.