My New (To Me) Baby.......

JMLangford · Nov 27, 2016

Here is my new (to me) baby.......I didn't care to much for her tattoos (decals) right at first but they're growing on me! :rocker:

No rust on the bottom......

Classic decals......

I just picked her up this evening and snapped these pics......short term plan is to clean and repair whats needed, clean and lube the slides, replace the foam liners or find some gray carpet, and then put all my Snap-On stuff in it!
Long term is my OCD kicks in and I'll be strippin' and paintin'......

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B_Bimmer · Nov 27, 2016

I always leave the old snap on stickers, something about 'em...

JMLangford · Nov 27, 2016

B_Bimmer said:
I always leave the old snap on stickers, something about 'em...

Yeah, these are in real good shape and are some of the classic ones I've seen on boxes in the past!
Since I'm not planning

to repaint it anytime soon....they'll have to stay so there won't be any sticker shadow....

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woody 73 · Nov 27, 2016

JMLangford how much did the box set you back in dollars and cents?
By the way good job it looks like a very nice box. :rocker:

thesilverone · Nov 27, 2016

nice pickup

JMLangford · Nov 28, 2016

woody 73 said:
JMLangford how much did the box set you back in dollars and cents?
By the way good job it looks like a very nice box.

He originally wanted (Craigslist price) $260 (which was high) after looking it over making sure the slides and the drawers worked ok, I asked what was his bottom dollar was and he said "Make me an offer" and I came back with $160 and he said "Give it to me!"

Turns out that I had brought two 100 dollar bills in my billfold and I had $51 bucks in a money clip in my front pocket....
I offered the two 100's but he didn't have $40 bucks in change and it was late and he didn't want to go find change so he took $151 dollars for the box....which I think is in the ballpark for these KRA boxes depending on condition!
The box had no key for the lock but he said he knows of a man up in Asheville, NC who sell replacements and he would email me the info.
He also had a KRA-59C box and a 10 (?) drawer Craftsman lower he'll be offering on Craigslist soon.....

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scissorman · Nov 28, 2016

Nice score, I have a very similar box (believe mine is the KRA-59C). Your local Snap-on dealer should be able to get you a key still.

JMLangford · Nov 28, 2016

scissorman said:
Nice score, I have a very similar box (believe mine is the KRA-59C). Your local Snap-on dealer should be able to get you a key still.

Thanks, the guy I bought this one from also had a KRA-59C .......mine measures 26"W x 14" H x 12"D......Yours is 26"W x 17"H x 14"D with 6 small drawers and 3 large ones.
The one he had was a 1986 year.

I haven't even checked the number on the lock yet........ :locked:

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nine4gmc · Nov 28, 2016

its in great condition I don't think I would touch the paint!

Cope · Nov 28, 2016

JMLangford said:
He originally wanted (Craigslist price) $260 (which was high) after looking it over making sure the slides and the drawers worked ok, I asked what was his bottom dollar was and he said "Make me an offer" and I came back with $160 and he said "Give it to me!" Turns out that I had brought two 100 dollar bills in my billfold and I had $51 bucks in a money clip in my front pocket....
I offered the two 100's but he didn't have $40 bucks in change and it was late and he didn't want to go find change so he took $151 dollars for the box....which I think is in the ballpark for these KRA boxes depending on condition!
The box had no key for the lock but he said he knows of a man up in Asheville, NC who sell replacements and he would email me the info.
He also had a KRA-59C box and a 10 (?) drawer Craftsman lower he'll be offering on Craigslist soon.....

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That was my first Snap-on box back in 1965. Retail was ± $100! Any good locksmith has a computer program that will let him make you keys. Give him the code on the lock.

vavet · Nov 28, 2016

I like the Snap-on stickers. They're tasteful and relevant to the box. As a Georgia native, I'm also partial to Bill Elliott.

ScottsGT · Nov 28, 2016

I spent many years digging my tools out of the same box. I bought mine off the truck after it was traded in (and still in like now condition) and I think I paid something like $250 or $350 and this was back in 1982 or '84.
I "upgraded" to a larger HF 44" about 3 years ago and the Snap On's now belong to my oldest son.

joel63 · Nov 28, 2016

Nice box!!!!

I would just give it a cleaning and lube the slides.

The stickers are vintage and not available anymore. I would definitely keep them.

Nice grab. Enjoy. :thumbup:

JMLangford · Nov 28, 2016

joel63 said:
Nice box!!!!

I would just give it a cleaning and lube the slides.

The stickers are vintage and not available anymore. I would definitely keep them.

Nice grab. Enjoy.

Thanks........yeah I'm diggin' the stickers!

What type of lube would you use on the slides?

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joel63 · Nov 28, 2016

JMLangford said:
Thanks........yeah I'm diggin' the stickers!

What type of lube would you use on the slides?

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I think I would use a white lithium based lube.

JUNK-MAN · Nov 28, 2016

Thats a great looking box you've got there! I really like the decals myself. I like using white lithium grease on the slides, it works well for my big box.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

SMKS · Nov 28, 2016

Normally I don't like stickers on tool boxes, but these ones are age appropriate and being tool-related they look pretty good on the box.

Now, if we were talking about a bunch of crooked git-er-done stickers or Calvin peeing on things, then I'd vote for removing them.

Derek420 · Nov 28, 2016

I love the decals, I have some box I gave $25 for and the smaller kra56a I paid $50 for full of tools mainly newer Williams and craftsman pro, good boxes and I love them.

FMC1959 · Nov 28, 2016

JMLangford said:
Thanks........yeah I'm diggin' the stickers!

What type of lube would you use on the slides?

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Try Fluid Film, it won't dry up as much as white lithium

dsimatt · Nov 28, 2016

You just bought my unicorn tool box, I had one when I first started wrenching and I kick myself for trading it in. Congrats on it

joel63 · Nov 28, 2016

dsimatt said:
You just bought my unicorn tool box, I had one when I first started wrenching and I kick myself for trading it in. Congrats on it

I have learned the hard way about selling tool boxes and tool sets that I

started with. Regrets, regrets. :sad:

Cope · Nov 28, 2016

joel63 said:
I think I would use a white lithium based lube.

I use Tri-Flow (Rem Oil).

dsimatt · Nov 28, 2016

joel63 said:
I have learned the hard way about selling tool boxes and tool sets that I

started with. Regrets, regrets.

So true but I paid $400 for the top box and bottom in tech school and got $2K trade in for it.....but regrets stick with you.

MikeF2316 · Nov 28, 2016

I don't think I'd paint that either. There's just something about original paint...

jd_1138 · Nov 28, 2016

Cool decals. I wouldn't touch those.

JMLangford · Nov 28, 2016

Well, this evening I just started to clean a little on it to see how well the outside would clean up......I wiped down the front panel with the stickers and it doesn't look to bad from a distant (pics make it look real good) but up close you notice all the dings, scratches, and chip in the paint.......
But dem Stickers look cool!

I also cleaned the warning labels......

I found a small roll of flashing and made myself a drawer slide removal tool!
Cut a strip, clipped the ends, bent them up a little, smoothed it with a 1x30 belt sander and a needle file.....

VOILA!......

I removed the bottom drawer hoping to maybe find a Snappy treasure that had fallen to the bottom but I got another surprise altogether......a DRY and dusty (rust free) bottom plate! :willy_nil

Both the big lower drawers had a decent amount of grease/lube on them and the slides, but the other surprise I discovered, is that the small drawers appear to have NEVER had ANY lubrication since 1984!!!.....dry as a bone for 32 years and showing hardly any wear......

It ain't gonna take long to clean dem slides!! :rocker:

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dsimatt · Nov 28, 2016

This may sound stupid but as long as there's no rust spots needing attention then I'd leave it as is and let all the little marks stay to tell its history and the stickers are cool as hell.

IMO making the paint all perfect on it kinda kills its legacy and at that point why not get a new tool box.

JMLangford · Nov 28, 2016

dsimatt said:
This may sound stupid but as long as there's no rust spots needing attention then I'd leave it as is and let all the little marks stay to tell its history and the stickers are cool as hell.

IMO making the paint all perfect on it kinda kills its legacy and at that point why not get a new tool box.

I know what you're saying but for me ANYTHING I get I usually clean it....if nothing more than wiping it down. Call it a flawed personality or whatever but I don't consider it "mine" until I've clean it..... :eyecrazy:

When I was younger I was a "perfectionist" but soon became a "frustrated perfectionist" because the world is not perfect......Now that I'm long in the tooth I find myself accepting imperfection more but I still have that "need" to "freshen up" pre-owned items!

Years ago, first thing I would have done is peel the stickers off and start sanding and stripping but this box has scars, charm and history and I can live with it's dings and dents......but I can't leave it dirty! :lol_hitti

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HMCFab9 · Nov 29, 2016

That looks EXACTLY like the box my old high school shop teacher had in his home shop.
SAME stickers even! He was in Wisconsin though.

JMLangford · Nov 29, 2016

HMCFab9 said:
That looks EXACTLY like the box my old high school shop teacher had in his home shop.
SAME stickers even! He was in Wisconsin though.

May well be his!......The guy I bought it from was selling for a friend of his who had been thru a divorce.
He said the husband left his stuff after the split and was told several times in 2 years to come and get it but never did.....so she selling it!
I don't know if the divorced couple ever lived in Wisconsin?....Possible!

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dsimatt · Nov 29, 2016

JMLangford said:
I know what you're saying but for me ANYTHING I get I usually clean it....if nothing more than wiping it down. Call it a flawed personality or whatever but I don't consider it "mine" until I've clean it.....

When I was younger I was a "perfectionist" but soon became a "frustrated perfectionist" because the world is not perfect......Now that I'm long in the tooth I find myself accepting imperfection more but I still have that "need" to "freshen up" pre-owned items!

Years ago, first thing I would have done is peel the stickers off and start sanding and stripping but this box has scars, charm and history and I can live with it's dings and dents......but I can't leave it dirty!

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I completely agree and would clean it up like you did so it didn't bug me having a someone's dirt in there.

JMLangford · Nov 29, 2016

Found some more "history" on the underside of the lid behind the front panel....left side has a date and some initials and a date and a time and on the right side there's a date and two phone numbers (I reversed the two phone numbers and they came up as valid numbers for the mid part of SC - Columbia & Sumter) ??.....I'll just leave them and let the mystery be......

When I removed both right side drawers I found (like most all Snap-On boxes) that I can reconfigure the three small drawers to the left, center, or right of the box.....I like it the way it is! (nice to know I still have that option)

Polished up the lock.....

Let me know if you guys are getting bored with my ramblings and discoveries...... :Sleep:

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JMLangford · Dec 8, 2016

Well, the keys came in the other day.....

Got all the components "shined" up and re-installed

Then, I wiped down the entire inside.....I shore wished the outside looked this purdy!

Picked up some Easy Liner with Clorox Mold & Mildew Protection at wally world to line the drawers

I put down two strips of blue tape front and back of the drawers so when I paste waxed the inside rim I wouldn't wax where I'm going to put the double sided tape.....

Now, it probably won't matter to much on these little drawers like it does in my bigger Matco box.......but I'm just making sure they stay put and won't bunch up toward the back.

All seven of the small drawers are done.....the two big ones are next then it time to clean up the slides....

It's slow going but I'm ready for this box to be back together!!

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anndel · Dec 8, 2016

Nice score!

MikeF2316 · Dec 9, 2016

JMLangford said:
...

...
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Now I think this is an awesome picture. Think of how many times stuff must have been scraping as that drawer opened and closed! :thumbup:

JMLangford · Dec 10, 2016

MikeF2316 said:
Now I think this is an awesome picture. Think of how many times stuff must have been scraping as that drawer opened and closed!

Yeah, that's the middle top thinnest drawer.....he must have kept some thick tools in there or had it stuffed so full that the top of the pile scraped every time!

:beer:

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Empty Pockets · Dec 10, 2016

Nice box..... the stickers are growing on me, and I don't even own the box... They give it character

bsg1 · Dec 10, 2016

you are doing a nice job on cleaning without compromising the integrity of the box, and i like the liner job that you've done.

JMLangford · Dec 10, 2016

Empty Pockets said:
Nice box..... the stickers are growing on me, and I don't even own the box... They give it character

Thanks, I have to admit they're growing on me too!

bsg1 said:
you are doing a nice job on cleaning without compromising the integrity of the box, and i like the liner job that you've done.

Thanks......I really wanted to find some short, tight napped, gray carpet but this liner material will do great......If I find any carpet remnants in the future, I'll swap it out.

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JMLangford · Feb 15, 2017

Well, the holidays are over and vacations too......I finally got back to finishing up on cleaning this box.
I've got it all wiped down and waxed and all the slides cleaned and lubed.....finished all the drawer liners.....now all that's left is to show y'all what tools I've put in it.

I've pretty much got all my loose Snap-on (and related brands) in this box.....except for my 8 pc. Orange hard handled screwdrivers w/tray and a metric wrench set that is still in the tray. (won't fit in this tiny box

)

On to the pics!

Top of the box I've got ratchets, 1/4"dr set, punches, and random pieces....

Top 3 drawers...L to R....Assorted small screwdrivers - Blue Point items & a vintage J.H.Williams ratchet - Small box of assorted spark plug sockets, adapters, extensions, etc & 2 Williams ratcheting wrenches....

Next 3 drawers...L to R...Brake tools - 1 lonely pair of pliers - 3 ratcheting screwdrivers....

Last of the 3 little drawers...Long shank hex bits and assorted loose ones I need to put on a socket rail....

First big drawer...Std & metric deep sockets & wigglers & assorted wrenches....

Bottom drawer...Screwdrivers & Torx drivers....

And, to closeout this thread (finally :lol:

) a parting shot of the box....opened and closed!....

Thanks for watching! :beer:

Comments welcomed

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My New (To Me) Baby.......

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