inphx
Well-known member
Old steelcase office furniture plus yellow tractor paint.
Metal Cabinets vintage or homemade and no name toolboxes. got any to show please do
- Thread starter drivesitfar
- Start date
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Yes he does!
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
You gotta love days like that.I'm happy to report that I did manage to snag the Hallowell cabinet that I had posted about above. As promised here are some more pictures. This was acquired from one of those online estate sale outfits - the bidding was fast and furious, but when it all ended, my $23 bid ended up on top, and I picked up the cabinet today.
The listing pictures only showed the cabinet with the drawers fully closed and did not mention anything about contents being included, so I assumed it was being sold empty. Imagine my surprise when I found all of the drawers fully loaded.
Once home, I dumped them all and spent some time sorting. A pretty decent miscellaneous collection of vintage tools, including a few Snap-On items (small 3/8" socket set, couple of screwdrivers & allen key sets, and a Bluepoint hacksaw), some calipers, dividers, protractors, etc. (L.S. Starrett, Moore & Wright), a Gray Canada wrench roll, Proto 12" adjustable, assorted Vice-Grips, Groben USA rotary burr set, some Walter & Metabo jig saw blades, Sandvik and Disston files, assorted small Chicago & Cincinnati C-clamps, a nice drill index case full of hardly used Butterfield drill bits, assorted threading taps and of course plenty of the usual junk that accumulates in a tool chest.
And of course, the cabinet itself. Definitely plenty of that vintage "patina", but in pretty decent shape overall.
And as a bonus, the staff at the estate sale threw in this mystery box - it looks something like a oversize vintage metal lunchbox, except with a couple of small drawers. Anyone know what this type of container was used for?
I'm guessing maybe a sample case, or carry case for some sort of instrument? The T.W. initials on the front are actually those of the original owner - almost every item in this tool collection was stamped accordingly.
+4
FullRaceMerc
Well-known member
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I left behind these SAFE-T-STAK cabinets at the flea this morning. I was tempted but they are thin gauge, with a very odd (tall, narrow) shape. I really couldn't think what I'd use them for. Books, catalogs, and manuals, maybe. Maybe I'll change my mind by Sunday.
Attachments
Here's a picture from April at an estate sale I went to. Cool old service cart. Couldn't ID it. I passed on it because I already bought a 1970's Craftsman grey/red 3-piece stack that they had for $120. But in hindsight I do wish I bought it now that I have finished some other projects.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
^ Love the rounded corners. Looks like a 70's travel trailer/camper. 
Outlawmws
Well-known member
^ Love the rounded corners. Looks like a 70's travel trailer/camper.
First glance scrolling by that was what I thought it was!
Allenw
Well-known member
Montgomery Ward used that color scheme or something close to it.Here's a picture from April at an estate sale I went to. Cool old service cart. Couldn't ID it. I passed on it because I already bought a 1970's Craftsman grey/red 3-piece stack that they had for $120. But in hindsight I do wish I bought it now that I have finished some other projects.
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
Here is my Simplicity sewing pattern cabinet I bought from a sewing store closing in 1976. It is used for tool storage and got completely submerged for a few days in 1999 in a flood. I got it out of the back room this week and proceeded to show it some respect by sanding it to bare metal and giving a paint refresh. It also got a good oiling of the bearings on the slides to make the action smoother. The upper cabinet also got a refresh in the deal. It was originally part of a hotel maid service cart that I put plywood doors on more than 40 years ago. It gets used for storage of shop cloths.
Attachments
I know it's not exactly answering your question, but maybe this is a good solution for you, too. @moparfreak used blue electrical boxes with their mounting ears cut off to organize in one of those cabinets:
Mopar / Wood Shop Cave
Awesome challenger. We know you meant to say "Charger".:thumbup:
www.garagejournal.com
Yankee Wrencher
Active member
Vintage military cantilever mechanic’s toolbox, Singer Metal Products Co.
Belonged to my late father, who likely acquired it while serving in the U.S. Air Force.
The data plate references a government specification and contract number, along with “Singer Metal Products Co.” as the manufacturer — Singer (yes, the sewing machine company) ran a metal products division that produced military hardware under contract, which was common practice mid-20th century.
Belonged to my late father, who likely acquired it while serving in the U.S. Air Force.
The data plate references a government specification and contract number, along with “Singer Metal Products Co.” as the manufacturer — Singer (yes, the sewing machine company) ran a metal products division that produced military hardware under contract, which was common practice mid-20th century.
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
This is true, during WWII, when thousands of manufacturers' facilities, tool, and die and production lines were transformed or enhanced by the War Production Board and the Defense Plant Corporation to pivot to weapons, weapon components and other materiel.
But that's a Simonsen box, made by Simonsen in the late 1940s or 50s, possibly later. If you post the data plate, I can try to help you potentially date it more specifically.
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
I left the center divider in mine because they are used for hardware storage and there was no need. I removed a divider in the Simplicity cabinet I pictured earlier because a portapower set is kept in a blow molded case in that one and the additional width was needed.
Yankee Wrencher
Active member
Right you are about the manufacturer being Simonsen Metal Products, Co.
Here is a somewhat better photo of the data plate and an etching of it:
It appears to read:
BOX, TOOL, MECHANIC'S
TYPE II CLASS I [?]
SIZE 18" X 10 1/2" X 13"
SPECIFICATION GGG-B-891 [?]
SIMONSEN METAL PRODUCTS CO
CONTRACT NO. GS-00[?]-817
U.S.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
^Nice job with the rubbing!
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
That’s what HE said!
d42jeep
Well-known member
Here is one that GPW-42 found a few years back.
Here is the label from one I passed on at a sale.
-Don
Here is the label from one I passed on at a sale.
-Don
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
It very likely reads:
BOX, TOOL, MECHANIC'S
TYPE II CLASS I
SIZE 2: 18" X 10 1/2" X 13"
SPECIFICATION GGG-T-558
5140-289-8911
SIMONSEN METAL PRODUCTS CO
CONTRACT NO. 65-005-52838
U.S
If you look around, you will find others with that marking.
The 11-digit Federal Stock Number dates it to no earlier than 1953. The presence of the Federal Standard Stock Catalog specification, which was in use from 1934 through WWII, tells me it may not be much later than early 50's. You will see the "65" in the contract number identified as 1965 by collectors in various place online, and that schema has some precedence, but I have always had my doubts, because later boxes almost always have the MIL-SPEC number.
Update to this post: Solved!Here's a picture from April at an estate sale I went to. Cool old service cart. Couldn't ID it. I passed on it because I already bought a 1970's Craftsman grey/red 3-piece stack that they had for $120. But in hindsight I do wish I bought it now that I have finished some other projects.
It's a Porter-Ferguson service cart. Made by H. K. Porter Inc., out of Boston, Massachusetts. I found this blue one for sale on FBM (more pictures in the attachments). It's in Ohio for $250 OBO if anyone wants it.
After one Google search, I found a GarageJournal thread by @jwjfjwjf showing images of the red/blue cabinet in both restored and unrestored versions:
Restoration of Porter Ferguson Mobile Unit, toolbox and shop cart
I'm nearing the completion of the restoration of my Porter-Ferguson Mobile Unit. My Grandpa, William Ferguson invented this in the mid 1940's along with 100+ of the other Porter-Ferguson tool line. Attached are pictures of what it looked like when I got it and what it looks like today along with...
www.garagejournal.com
Impressive collection he's got.
