Bonney tool box and friend

egnorant · Apr 28, 2014

The Bonney looks a lot like my 58/59 Craftsman box but the other has me stumped. I'm such a sucker for those rounded corners.

Anybody have a clue?

I am going to look at them Thursday...might be cheap!

Bruce

colin39 · Apr 28, 2014

Bonney looks cool, restore? How ya going to replicate the nameplate vinyl sticker or painted?

jakemac · Apr 28, 2014

Outstanding !!

nine4gmc · Apr 28, 2014

That Bonney box is awesome!

NYTurfTech · Apr 28, 2014

Sweet!! I have a newer Snap On box that the corners look identical, Same design and radius. Guess we know where the snappy boys got their ideas from now!

zkling · Apr 28, 2014

Awesome.

Can you post a picture of the drawer slides? Agree on the craftsman comment. Possibly Huot. Especially based on the side handles.

The other is a Remline or something like that I can't remember but those bent over pulls were specific. Maybe Wards :headscrat

:

Don't forget the sewing machine drawer for Nine :lol_hitti

NYTurfTech said:
Sweet!! I have a newer Snap On box that the corners look identical, Same design and radius. Guess we know where the snappy boys got their ideas from now!

Uhm, yea, I don't think so.

bobemmerich · Apr 28, 2014

nine4gmc said:
that bonney box is awesome!

^^agreed!^^

930dreamer · Apr 28, 2014

Sweet, let us know how it goes, that top box looks like one I have. Some close ups of the drawer pulls would be great if you get it.

egnorant · Apr 28, 2014

Gotta wait till Thursday!!#@$%##

rickhigginshtbr · Apr 28, 2014

If I had the funds, I'd bring the Bonney back home. I'm 45 minutes south of Allentown, and work 15 minutes south of there.

bonneyman · Apr 28, 2014

That Bonney logo dates from 1947 to about 1962 or so.

Love to have it. But the shipping would probably kill me.

930dreamer · Apr 29, 2014

This top box has taller top drawers? Not sure if it's a Bonney?

egnorant · May 1, 2014

Well, I looked and they wanted $400 for the Bonney top and bottom box. Straight box with smooth handles. $200 for the other set.

I did get a 1/2 Proto flex head ratchet 5457a and a couple of Vlchek ball peen hammers and a brass hammer AND a Cal-Custom Goofy Foot gas pedal all for $20.

If I can get them under $200 I might get the Bonney!

zkling · May 1, 2014

Ouch. I'd think ~1/2 of that would be more realistic. Sounds like you got some other good stuff though :thumbup:

Pics of the brass hammer?

egnorant · May 1, 2014

I think the other ball peen and the 4 inch Rigid pipe wrench are still in the car.

The box is at an estate sale and asking half off in the first 15 minutes is not a good move.
The lady who runs the sale knows me and I made her a firm offer of $150 with both of us knowing that it was not to be accepted.

Schooled the new girl when she asked me if I knew what a serious collector would pay!
2 other girls who know me agreed that it was too high but the first day was fishing for stupid money. They knew I was not stupid money but still serious in my offer.

Bruce

egnorant · May 3, 2014

Well...I picked it up today!

26" wide upper 51" tall. Handles have nothing stamped on them and found no other stampings, decals or marks that might show the maker.

Great shape except for a broken roller in the bottom box that I can fix.

How the roller should look.

The upper has slides that I have not been able to remove yet.

The paint is a jumble of beautiful in spots, gone in others, some is dirty and cleans up and some is just a touch from falling off.

Both decals are beat need replacing. The oval is embossed around both decals. Both ar 4" by 6"

The under drawer treasure hunt yielded a couple of transfers.

The Briggs is 8 1/2 inches tall while the DeWalt is 8 inches.

I did find a Porter-Cable coupon from 1954 that indicates that the box may have been purchased from these folks...Freeport Texas! Sadly out of business since 2000. Founded in 1917 and built this building in 1957!

I like it!

rickhigginshtbr · May 4, 2014

so what's the plan? clean and use it? restore it? hold it for safe keepings til I come down and buy it from you?

toolchaser · May 4, 2014

I've fixed a bunch of those broken roller tabs, low setting on the MIG welder, a copper sheet to protect the roller surface, good to go. That seems a common problem on that style box

egnorant · May 4, 2014

I plan to fix the roller and clean it up. As for restoration I would love to, but with my other projects and skills I give it a low priority. If someone here could do it justice I would gladly pass it on.

Bruce

egnorant · May 5, 2014

Have a few of the asked for details.

The lower box has roller drawers as shown above. The upper box has slides that I would like to know how to remove.

Drawer pulls are just plain top and bottom.

zkling · May 5, 2014

The crisp line of discoloration on the bottom box cracks me up. Mind if I ask what they finally let it go for?

To remove the top drawers you will need a shim tool similar to what snap on and the old craftsman boxes use. A slightly bent piece of wiper blade stiffener, centered has worked well for me. Or a smoothed up piece of hacksaw blade. Pull the drawers out half way, insert shim a good ways and pull the drawer gently. The flat spring steel stop spring should ride over the hump and release the drawer

Thumper · May 5, 2014

Holy..****...Batman..!! I have one of those Bonney top boxes like that but I never could identify it until now. Mine has the round embossed circle in the center of the drop down cover but no decal in it.

:rocker:

I got to get some pics up.... :thumbup:

egnorant · May 5, 2014

Thumper said:
Holy..****...Batman..!! I have one of those Bonney top boxes like that but I never could identify it until now. Mine has the round embossed circle in the center of the drop down cover but no decal in it.

I got to get some pics up....

Post them! I went a bit overboard on some of my pics because all my Google-fu yielded exactly ZERO info or pictures of a Bonney toolbox. Got the slides out with no treasures and cleaned it up a bit.

Scrubbed and degreased it today! Only found one rusty spot on the top box on the rear corner of the top. 2 minutes with a wire brush and it looks good.
Whatever environment it was in really did a number on the exposed textured paint...the insides are a smooth red and with just a few spots of tool wear the paint is great!

Only had one dent in the lower lip of the bottom box...30 seconds and it was gone.

Gonna fix the roller, protect the bad spots, lube the slides and put her to work holding tools again.

If anyone can find good graphics for the logo I would appreciate it.

Bruce

jakemac · May 5, 2014

egnorant said:
If anyone can find good graphics for the logo I would appreciate it.

Bruce

Maybe you can do something with the logo on this print ad at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Bonney-Allentown-Pennsylvania-Mechanic-Machinery/dp/B008U0ZYZ8

Thumper · May 5, 2014

This is the best I could get right now. Mine was originally a red wrinkle finish but over time it kinda got spray bombed. If you look at the Rislone sticker you will see the outline for the original emblem. What time frame are we looking at..? Click on the pics to see them bigger.

rickhigginshtbr · May 5, 2014

jakemac said:
Maybe you can do something with the logo on this print ad at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Bonney-Allentown-Pennsylvania-Mechanic-Machinery/dp/B008U0ZYZ8

gahhh I'd love to have that old print ad poster sized, Bonney had the best ad's back then by far. And those streamline wrenches, I need to work on that set!

lauver · May 7, 2014

egnorant & other Bonny fans,

I have a Utica//Bonney Chest & Cab, ca. 1964 - 1970's. I'll post a couple of photo's for the Bonney cause:

Here's a photo of the stack as found...

Here's a few photo's of the roll cab after a quick scrub...

As you can see, these are a little more modern (Kelsey-Hayes era or later) than your boxes. They are, never-the-less, old school classics; very straight, functional ,and feature lots of shallow drawers. In other words, perfect for storing vintage tools.

Hope you like 'em....

Thumper · May 7, 2014

Lauver...those are cool....now we gotta start a Bonney toolbox club...!

sonvolt · May 7, 2014

I'm digging the Bonney boxes, Uber cool throwbacks !!

egnorant · May 7, 2014

A bit of research found some print ads from the early 50s.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Ud...&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=bonney&f=false

On page 233 is the upper box. Seems like 1953 and 54 were big full page ads with boxes in them.

The plaid oval seems to run from about 50 to 55 with a different oval sticker earlier. Haven't pinned down any dates yet.

My upper box just has a central knob for the upper box door. Yours may be an earlier version.

Bruce

ALLFAST · Oct 22, 2024

This old beastly Utica/Bonney cabinet has monstrous rubber tires ( with corresponding wheel tub/boxes on the interior side) and the heavy support channels up its back side.

Any idea of it’s original intended purpose?

Bonney tool box and friend

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