picked up this rusty old toolbox ....

Rusty Musket · Apr 5, 2013

I found this cheap old toolbox the other day and was thinking about painting it in flat black rattle can with some yellow flames. What do you guys think?

Sort of like this:

Stuart in MN · Apr 5, 2013

I vote no...that's a great box, clean it up and leave it as is, or restore it.

bonneyman · Apr 5, 2013

You sound like too nice of a guy for a cheap old box like that. Send it to me ... I'm a cheap son of a gun!

I say restore to the original colors.

michael murder · Apr 5, 2013

Awesome toolbox, great patina. I second leaving it. Flat black and flames might not stand the test of time in terms of popular taste, but that box as is will always look cool.

Chipmunk · Apr 5, 2013

Stuart is right.

bigcaddy · Apr 5, 2013

Rusty Musket said:
I found this cheap old toolbox the other day and was thinking about painting it in flat black rattle can with some yellow flames. What do you guys think?

Sort of like this:

Put down the paint can before i come up there and toss your *** in the ocean! :lol:

chopper1 · Apr 5, 2013

Rusty Musket said:
I found this cheap old toolbox the other day and was thinking about painting it in flat black rattle can with some yellow flames.

You are joking, aren't you? Clean it up and preserve that logo inside the lid.

jabberwoki · Apr 5, 2013

Yeah hes joking.................................................right?

blackz26 · Apr 5, 2013

No...

DHS · Apr 5, 2013

Put her to use the way she is...

DrunkSmurf · Apr 6, 2013

I say clean it up, straighten the kinks and wax or clearcoat it.

You sound like you lean towards old school talking flat black and flames, but it couldn't get any more old school perfect than it is already IMO.

Some pinstriping might look cool if you sanded the striping work afterwards to match the aged look of the box.

Lookin4'67Galaxieconv · Apr 6, 2013

Rusty Musket said:
I found this cheap old toolbox the other day and was thinking about painting it in flat black rattle can with some yellow flames. What do you guys think?

I think you would be ruining a nice old toolbox. :sad:

uniballer · Apr 6, 2013

Rusty Musket said:
I found this cheap old toolbox the other day and was thinking about painting it in flat black rattle can with some yellow flames. What do you guys think?

Sort of like this:

DUDE! Are you joking? You cant possibly be thinking of screwing up that box!

Rusty Musket · Apr 6, 2013

Gotcha!

Of course I am joking but wanted to see if you guys were paying attention and maybe give some of the Plomb fans a heart attack. Its a pretty cool box but will need some work.

Silver paint is rattle can. PO did a little work with lacquer thinner near the labels and it seemed to work fairly well

Jabberwoki, I got this box from Keith and he gave me a little gift.

This padlock is from the main gate at the former P&C tool plant in Milwaukie, Oregon. He and some of his relatives worked there for many years and on the day they shut the plant down, he took this lock home with him.

chrenan · Apr 6, 2013

That's the tool box from Master Set No. 9990-C! Very cool stuff, please treat it well.

Rusty Musket · Apr 6, 2013

chrenan said:
That's the tool box from Master Set No. 9990-C! Very cool stuff, please treat it well.

Thanks for the info Chrenan. Anyone have an old catalog link?

Outlawmws · Apr 6, 2013

Rusty, you are NOT too far away for me to hunt you down... :3gears:

Conductor562 · Apr 6, 2013

I almost had a heart attack until I read that you were joking :willy_nil

Plombob · Apr 6, 2013

Rusty Musket said:
Anyone have an old catalog link?

Why can't I find a box? You definitely ****! I'm glad you aren't going to do anything foolish with the finish.

I'll post the page for that catalog when I am back at my desktop.

Adam McLaughlin · Apr 6, 2013

I love me some plomb....... please preserve the sticker!

Adam

CNGsaves · Apr 6, 2013

So don't just tease us . . . . Tell the Story about that great old box.

Where'd you get it?? How much??

Can't earn your "you ****" without giving us the lowdown.

lowbucktruck · Apr 6, 2013

Oh man... that box is nice the way it is. That patina was earned. Clear coat it and preserve what was.

oldtools808 · Apr 6, 2013

Step away from that flat black rattle can!! glad to see you were Joking... Continue to Clean off the over paint & preserve the stickers, restore original red was nice...

nine4gmc · Apr 6, 2013

You should see you guys reactions :shocking:

Provincial · Apr 6, 2013

Rusty Musket said:
Gotcha!

Of course I am joking but wanted to see if you guys were paying attention and maybe give some of the Plomb fans a heart attack. Its a pretty cool box but will need some work.

Silver paint is rattle can. PO did a little work with lacquer thinner near the labels and it seemed to work fairly well

Jabberwoki, I got this box from Keith and he gave me a little gift.

This padlock is from the main gate at the former P&C tool plant in Milwaukie, Oregon. He and some of his relatives worked there for many years and on the day they shut the plant down, he took this lock home with him.

Rusty, you missed your chance. You should have told Jabber that you found it at the Portland Swap Meet. He bought up everything else there so you needed to make him think he missed something. :evil:

Nice box, and the history and lock are priceless. :rocker:

fatfillup · Apr 6, 2013

Hell yeah I'd paint it!!!

:scared:

zkling · Apr 6, 2013

Sweet box. Looks to be in good condition minus the paint. Paint is only to prevent rust or oxidation of the metal. Since very little rust seems present I would just clean, line with drawer liner and use.

oldldh · Apr 6, 2013

You had me worried there, for a minute...

As I am soon to be 68 years old, I appreciate a bit of patina...

My old body has a bunch of patina!!!

Women call them wrinkles, but on a man they're character lines...

FJ 432 · Apr 6, 2013

I restore boxes as a hobby.

But this is history. Good job leaving it alone and enjoy the Wabi Sabi.

jeffmoss26 · Apr 6, 2013

That's awesome! I like the padlock too!

7th Kahuna · Apr 6, 2013

I'm glad that was a joke. Can't wait to see what you are able to do with it. I love the old Plomb labels. (I sure hope 60 years from now people aren't getting equally excited about a beautiful patina HF box. :lol_hitti

)

bonneyman · Apr 6, 2013

The more I look at the pictures the more I like this box. Just a really great find.

Plombob · Apr 13, 2013

The box was priced at $15.85 in 1940.

Picture from catalog 19R
View media item 12293
The box could be earlier, say 1938 or so. It's impossible to know as Plomb did not mark the boxes and the same designs were used for many years.

Conductor562 · Apr 13, 2013

Plombob said:
The box was priced at $15.85 in 1940.

Picture from catalog 19R
View media item 12293
The box could be earlier, say 1938 or so. It's impossible to know as Plomb did not mark the boxes and the same designs were used for many years.

So in 2013 dollars were talking in the $250-$275 range I would think.

Rusty Musket · Apr 14, 2013

Thanks a million Plombob! I had to move it off the bench to make way for some paying work but I will get it loaded up with my meager Plomb collection soon. Now if I could just find those elusive Plomb metric tools I could work on my motorcycles :headscrat

twertsy · Mar 17, 2015

Plombob said:
The box was priced at $15.85 in 1940.

Picture from catalog 19R
View media item 12293
The box could be earlier, say 1938 or so. It's impossible to know as Plomb did not mark the boxes and the same designs were used for many years.

I know this is an older thread, but appropriate.

Does anyone have the paint code for that box? Also, someone has to be reproducing the labels correct? Where can I get them?

Swan · Mar 17, 2015

But flames would add more horsepower, right?

Mopar-Scooby-Doo · Mar 17, 2015

Try looking on eBay. I just took a quick look and two pooped up.

twertsy · Mar 17, 2015

Mopar-Scooby-Doo said:
Try looking on eBay. I just took a quick look and two pooped up.

Yup, thanks Scooby, I found the stickers. Now just need the paint code. I'll be stripping it today and prepping to repair the tray/lid connections.

Mark in Indiana · Mar 17, 2015

I vote to clear coat the box. It has too much character as is. IMHO: Flames are sooooo yesterday.

picked up this rusty old toolbox ....

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