Let's Hear it for the Old Gray/Red Sears Craftsman Tool Chests and Cabinets (60s/70s)

[Ponchoguy]

Here is one of mine found in 2002-2003 while out for a walk. This is a '68 model six drawer. The logo and tray are wrong and those are copies of the original Sears catalog ads in the top lid.. It sits in my garage with some vintage Craftsman tools my next door neighbor was going to toss.

Also have a 1962 Sears Craftsman combination (pictured) and a 1960 Sears Craftsman combination that I won a contest with Sears with 2002.

Love these oldies!

 

[Ponchoguy]

The 1962 combo was a $75 find on Craigslist and I plan to clean it up a bit and quickly paint it. The stickers on it are all gone (Not much of a sticker guy on toolboxes....). I did find some good tools hidden behind the drawers that were jamming up the works a bit. Also, the trap door was stuck and I freed it with WD40 and fixed it. Also got side handles off Ebay (one missing) and two chrome Craftsman logos for it.

 

[pancho400cid]

Love that combo.... very cool!

PS - viva los ponchos!

 

[Ponchoguy]

Love that combo.... very cool!

PS - viva los ponchos!

Yes, 301 Turbo ('80 Trans Am), 400/4 speed ('79 10th Anniverary), and 3.9 "LZ9" (2009 Pontiac G6 convertible) here .

 

[torqueman2002]

The 1962 combo was a $75 find on Craigslist and I plan to clean it up a bit and quickly paint it. The stickers on it are all gone (Not much of a sticker guy on toolboxes....). I did find some good tools hidden behind the drawers that were jamming up the works a bit. Also, the trap door was stuck and I freed it with WD40 and fixed it. Also got side handles off Ebay (one missing) and two chrome Craftsman logos for it.

Nice!

Very good quality tool boxes from the '60s and '70s.

My 1st tool box, retired to the basement.

I'm looking for the rare mid-box.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Nice!

Very good quality tool boxes from the '60s and '70s.

My 1st tool box, retired to the basement.

I'm looking for the rare mid-box.

Nice set up! Actually you have an older one like mine as they have the "luggage handles" on the upper chests---the later ones have the pressed in handle like the ads you posted.

Looks like your original set up is the same as my 1960 unit is. My '62 has the same top box, but a 5 drawer bottom with a trap door. I'll probably eventually get another set up with all drawers on the bottom......

 

[taumac]

Torqueman2002 thanks for posting up all the great old ads.

 

[torqueman2002]

You're welcome.

I'm not certain of the actual dates, I bought them used at different times.

 

[f66]

I am a big fan of these tool boxes. I have an upper and roll away that I use as my everyday "working " tool boxes, I am salvaging a very beat up upper into a working rolling tool cart. I have attached some pictures.

Frank

 

[taumac]

I am a big fan of these tool boxes. I have an upper and roll away that I use as my everyday "working " tool boxes, I am salvaging a very beat up upper into a working rolling tool cart. I have attached some pictures.



Frank

Interested in picture 2. Can you ell me more

 

[mrvm]

Nice find and nice collection of "OLDIES" CM tool boxes. Don't understand how anyone allows a good tool box to reach such deteriorated shape. Rusty drawers and shelves as if they were in a leaky shed. My 80's tool boxes may be dusty but are new-like condition. Nice to see a few restored examples of what a good 60-70's CM tool box looks like.

 

[Ponchoguy]

You're welcome.

I'm not certain of the actual dates, I bought them used at different times.

The dates are stamped in the top upper left (inside) on a chest and on the lower right side frame (by where your right foot might be standing in front of it).

Usually says something like 4-62 Made in USA on it. That's the date of mfgr. I have 8-60 on my 1960 combo, 1-68 on my '68 top chest and 4-62 on my 1962 combinations.

 

[f66]

Interested in picture 2. Can you ell me more

Taumac, I took a craigslist rolling tool cart, and have been slowly been getting it put together. I have attached more pictures

Frank

 

[taumac]

Taumac, I took a craigslist rolling tool cart, and have been slowly been getting it put together. I have attached more pictures



Frank

Thanks! I was going to turn my 6 drawer chest into a cart but it wasn't gonna fit where I going to store it.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Nice find and nice collection of "OLDIES" CM tool boxes. Don't understand how anyone allows a good tool box to reach such deteriorated shape. Rusty drawers and shelves as if they were in a leaky shed. My 80's tool boxes may be dusty but are new-like condition. Nice to see a few restored examples of what a good 60-70's CM tool box looks like.

A leaky shed is a possibility...my friend gave me his father's 1995 era Craftsman tools, and they had light rust. I recall them being in a shed/rollaway back in the day. I cleaned them with WD40 and off we were. I bought about 10 missing pieces (the rest were found inside the other bigger sockets). I called my friend up about a week later asking if he wanted them back and he said, "Nah, I never liked them. Plus I'm done working on things...use them in good health".

 

[Fugio]

I still have my mechanic's box, that dad bought me when I was 6 years old, and use it all the time. Still looks like new!

I see them sometimes at antiques shops and they are always FULL of rust and priced like they were made of gold and diamonds.

 

[Ponchoguy]

I have several of those too. Over the years, I've gotten friendly with the people at Waterloo Industries, the maker of these tool storage units for Sears.

The woman there even sent me a 6520 carpenter's style box she picked up at a yard sale and she told me to restore it in good health and give it another lease on life. Nice lady!

 

[zkling]

The bottom boxes are pretty nice, but the tops leave a little to be desired IMHO, especially compared to other top boxes from the same era. Nicer than some today, but not quite of the build quality that the bottom boxes were.

Here's mine. Now if I can just find a middle box with drop down cover.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4597497&postcount=6

As well as another thread devoted to all craftsman boxes.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279148

If anyone has a catalog scan of the 12 drawer top and bottom please post it. I've never seen a catalog for those.

 

[Ponchoguy]

The bottom boxes are pretty nice, but the tops leave a little to be desired IMHO, especially compared to other top boxes from the same era. Nicer than some today, but not quite of the build quality that the bottom boxes were.

Here's mine. Now if I can just find a middle box with drop down cover.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4597497&postcount=6

As well as another thread devoted to all craftsman boxes.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279148

If anyone has a catalog scan of the 12 drawer top and bottom please post it. I've never seen a catalog for those.

Anytime you want to "discard" your top box, you can send it my way .

 

[gonmad54]

Hey guys. I was given a vintage craftsman tool box by my dad and im having a hard time figuring out what year it might be from and what to do with it. I would love to restore it but i know i dont have the skills. should i leave it as is or have it professionally restored? This is my first time posting so im trying to attach a picture. I may screw it up.

 

[nine4gmc]

gonmad, that's a machinist chest, probably from the early 70s. Having done one, I would not attempt to restore it.

 

[zkling]

Hey guys. I was given a vintage craftsman tool box by my dad and im having a hard time figuring out what year it might be from and what to do with it. I would love to restore it but i know i dont have the skills. should i leave it as is or have it professionally restored? This is my first time posting so im trying to attach a picture. I may screw it up.

That is one of the later, Waterloo made machinist boxes. I'll assume you want to keep it due to sentimental value. It's not difficult to restore a box, but it takes quite a bit of time and effort to make it look good in the end.

 

[rharman]

My first box was the red drawer/grey body. I had ordered a 2-piece set - 10 drawer top 10-drawer bottom as I recall. One of them was out of stock and they were transitioning to the grey drawer/red body models. I ended up with a 12-drawer top & 12-drawer bottom red body set bottom for the same price since they couldn't fill my original order.

I still have them today. Must be 40+ years old. Still look like new. Haven't waxed them in some time - have to put that on my to-do list.

 

[softailgarage]

This is the last red & gray one I did , 2 years ago.

 

[ARFLY]

This is the last red & gray one I did , 2 years ago.

That looks great. I hope to get a gray and red chest some day.

 

[bobcatdan]

I got mine right next to the bench.

 

[bartels_metal_works]

Why have one when you can have three? Ignore the mess, I am slowly cleaning the garage...

 

[iceman510]

I have a grey/red cabinet I bought used from the Snap-On guy in about 1985. Unfortunately, I painted it red/black to match the top chest my mom had just gotten me for Christmas.

 

[bluebolt]

Why have one when you can have three? Ignore the mess, I am slowly cleaning the garage...

Only 3? You aren't a gray/redaholic until you have 7 like me!

 

[WWIIjeep]

Craftsman 65262 6-drawer chest (1/73) and 65035 5-drawer roller cabinet (10/72). Original finish, one owner. Original paperwork in the rack on the lid:

Craftsman 65039 roller cabinet from 1975. I took the wheels off to line it up as an extension for a workbench:

Late 70s 65336 sitting on an old Kennedy riser:

That's not a sticker on the side; it's a magnet.


And a beat-up early 70s 65232 2-drawer chest that was too embarrassed to pose for a photo.

 

[taumac]

Only 3? You aren't a gray/redaholic until you have 7 like me!

Love the saying gray/redaholic. I don't know if you go by stack or piece but I would say 6 not 3.

 

[bluebolt]

Love the saying gray/redaholic. I don't know if you go by stack or piece but I would say 6 not 3.

7 Bottoms, 6 tops and one of the 2 drawer hand carry's

 

[taumac]

7 Bottoms, 6 tops and one of the 2 drawer hand carry's

Got me beat. [emoji482] I got 5 bottoms 2 chest a only 1 carry in gray/red.

 

[Ponchoguy]

My first box was the red drawer/grey body. I had ordered a 2-piece set - 10 drawer top 10-drawer bottom as I recall. One of them was out of stock and they were transitioning to the grey drawer/red body models. I ended up with a 12-drawer top & 12-drawer bottom red body set bottom for the same price since they couldn't fill my original order.

I still have them today. Must be 40+ years old. Still look like new. Haven't waxed them in some time - have to put that on my to-do list.

This had to be between I'll say 1976 and 1978 or so, as I believe by 1979, they went to red body/gray drawers.

 

[Ponchoguy]

Got me beat. [emoji482] I got 5 bottoms 2 chest a only 1 carry in gray/red.

I've got a wall of toolboxes (Craftsman and Husky) in my regular garage and probably the same in my grandparent's. In the process of neatening both, hence that is why the picture with the '62 unit looks like "who did it and ran".

 

[onemore]

Great looking tool boxes. I have a early 1990's Red and Black box, but have always had an eye open for the gray and red with the large center draw. Craigs list prices are crazy in NY, but i still am on the hunt.

 

[maddawg1952]

My 6 drawer from the stack that my Dad bought for me when I was in trade school in 68 or 69, there is a 3 drawer bottom with a sliding door my brother is currently in possession of. Would be tremendously interested in a 2 or 3 drawer intermediate in red/grey.

 

[jd_1138]

I bought a grey CM professional cantilever portable at a yard sale for $5 about 10 years ago before I started to get really into tools. I think he was asking $8 but I asked if he'd take $5. lol, now I would've just paid the $8.

 

[mtwaterguy]

The top and bottom I bought back in '72 from Sears. The middle two drawer was purchased from a GJ member.

 

[Ponchoguy]

You could leave it as is and functionally clean it up (wash and oil it) or give it spray can job. You can do it!

Also, send photos to Waterloo Industries photos as they were the likely maker of it for Sears.