Removing drawers from vintage SO box

Thought I'd post the procedure for removing drawers from older Snap-On boxes. I'm about to restore my mid-50's boxes and couldn't figure out how to do it! Thanks to member 'zoso' for posting this youtube link............


I took some still pics of what I used. I tried hacksaw blades but they didn't work too well. I had installed some roof flashing last weekend and had cut off a strip. I decided to use that. I cut 2 small pieces just wide enough to fit inside the slides and wrapped one end in electrical tape (to save the hands).





You want to bend the tools into a slight arc then slip the 2 tools into the rails on either side.





Here are shots of a slide and drawer removed. The removal tool slips over the small piece of spring steel and under the raised notch on the drawer. Once the tools are set, simply slide the drawer out. To remove the slides from the box just slip 1 tool behind the rear of the slide. It has the same spring steel and a raised notch on the box side.

NICE! (smacks his forehead and thinks "now why the hell didn't I think of that??)

Now, anybody got a source for those little spring clips? I've got a bunch of them busted on my vintage Snap-on box, and I'd rather not cannibalize the tool box I bought as a parts-box. (dammit... I BOUGHT it to cannibalize, and now I'm not wanting to!)

I've got the rivets and the rivet setting tool from Granger, so I'm set there. Just need the small spring-steel clips.

-Brad

How about grinding the teeth off a hack saw blade and putting in a kink on a section suitably cut for length? you can get two from a blade without messing with trying to get a hole in it too.

Another option would be some of the band strapping material off of a pallet.

Other than that, Try Snap On?

Outlawmws said:

How about grinding the teeth off a hack saw blade and putting in a kink on a section suitably cut for length? you can get two from a blade without messing with trying to get a hole in it too.

Another option would be some of the band strapping material off of a pallet.

Other than that, Try Snap On?

Click to expand...

You know, I actually do have some pallet banding straps out there that I haven't gotten around to throwing away yet!
I believe that will work!!!
Cut with my stomp sheer, and make the hole with my little Roper Whitney hand punch, and I'll be able to make as many of those little devils as I need!

Thank you!

-Brad

evintho said:

Thought I'd post the procedure for removing drawers from older Snap-On boxes. I'm about to restore my mid-50's boxes and couldn't figure out how to do it!

Click to expand...

There's been numerous threads on here how to do this...

I used a large zip tie

I used a small hose clam. It's pre-curved, and the adjusting nut acted as a perfect handle and stop to keep from losing it in the slide.
Cost- $0.50 (but they were already in the garage)
Fabrication time - 15 seconds to open them up
Time to remove first drawer- about 30 seconds
Subsequent drawers- 3 minutes on who box, except for the two severely bent/stuck slides I have yet to remove, its lunch time.

Here is a few pics of the actual tool that SnapOn gave out with these older style boxes.

For anyone that cares
Steve

I'm With Mooman...I use a Large Zip tye.
Works perfectly.
And...You will not cut yourself!