My Craftsman toolbox score with some vintage tools....

JMLangford · Jan 5, 2018

I've been needing another toolbox (don't we always... :bounce:

) to organize some newer tools I didn't have room for in my other boxes......so, I've been watching Craigslist on and off to see what comes up.
I found a couple of Snap-On boxes listed for decent prices but could never get either of them to reply to my requests to come see them.....probably scams.
Well, the other night (Thursday) I was getting ready to go to bed (at almost 2:00 am :eyecrazy:

) and right before I shut off the computer I checked over on Craigslist one last time and.....Bingo!.....there was a nice older Craftsman 10 drawer upper with a 9 drawer lower that had been listed an hour earlier for $150 bucks and supposedly somewhere close by my neck-o-da-woods!!

The ad had only 1 blurry picture and an email address for contact.....

So, I fired off an email saying, "I was VERY interested" and left my cell number and requested that they call or text me in the morning.....well this morning (Friday) I got up about 9:00 (I need my beauty rest....I'm years behind :lol_hitti

) and sent another email saying pretty much the same thing.
Around 10:30-11:00 this lady calls and tells me where the boxes are located (about 4 miles from my house) and that if I wanted to see them I could meet her and her husband at the apartments were they're at, around 11:45-12 noon.....
The boxes belonged to an 85 yr.old gentleman who is going into an assisted living home and the lady and her husband was helping to clear out his condo.....the boxes were on the second floor!!

I enlisted my youngest son to help (he bigger than me, and I'm 6'2" 245 lbs)

Here are the boxes on the carport at my shop.....the vintage tools score is "the rest of the story" to follow.....
I took a pic of the date (Oct.'80) and patent number on the lower cabinet but couldn't find the date on the top (yet)

You'll notice in the Craigslist pic above the boxes have red dyno labels on it. The lady removed them before we got there.....the boxes are near mint, all the drawers have rubber mats in them (drawers under them are pristine) It's just a little dusty.....

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JMLangford · Jan 5, 2018

The boxes have 2 separate keys....

I asked if they had the tray for the top box and the guy said he had it at his house and that he would get it to me one day next week....

Now, for the REST OF THE STORY!!.....

When the lady first called, she said that they had to get the rest of his tools out of the boxes (I jokingly said she could just throw them in for the purchase price!)
When I got there they were just tossing everything in two boxes on the floor....she asked if I was interested in any of the tools in the boxes, and I asked if there was any Snap-On in there :lol:

and the guy said "No, that most of it was Craftsman and Harbor Freight"
I quickly glanced at the boxes and really not seeing too much I asked "how much?"
The lady said she'd like to get $40 for both boxes.....when I said "Nah" she said how about $35....I told her I didn't really see anything that I just had to have, she asked what would I'd offer.....I said maybe $20 bucks? and when she said "No, I'll just take them to the Habitat Re-store" I didn't think anymore about them....
When we got all loaded up and I went to pay her the $150 for the toolboxes.....She said "O.K. I'll take $20 bucks for the 2 boxes of tools" (I guess she figured $20 bucks is better that just giving them away!)....So, I reluctantly gave her $20 thinking I might be able to find $20 worth of goodies in there....

Well.....I drug them home and started to lay out my haul and see how I did....

I started with the plastic tub first....

Got most everything laid out on my outfeed table...

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JMLangford · Jan 5, 2018

Here is the contents of the plastic tub from another angle...

Starting in this corner we have starting at the bottom right:
3/32" Craftsman pin punch...
Above it is a Craftsman drum brake adjusting tool...
To the right is a Craftsman wrecking bar...
The long breaker bar is a Herbrand S-15...
Shorter breaker is a Craftsman circle H...
1/2" drive extension is Craftsman -V-...
The speeder handle is Craftsman...
Inside the speeder handle is a Sears feeler gauge set...
A Craftsman crown logo pocket line level...
Another Craftsman plastic line level...
The tubing cutter is a Craftsman crown logo...
The 3 "C" clamps are the 2 lower ones are Craftsman and the top one is Adjustable clamp...

Next pic starting at the bottom next to the Craftsman wrecking bar is:
A small pry bar branded with "Frank Ulmer Lumber Co".....a local Greenville SC lumber yard...
Above it is a 1/2" Craftsman beam type torque wrench...
The short 1/2" dr. breaker bar is a Billings...
Small item above it is a Craftsman pocket magnet...
Right above it is a 4" Diamalloy adjustable wrench...
To it's right is a CTA telescoping mirror...
The strap wrench is Craftsman...

Next up are hammers....this guy must have really loved hammers:
Right side is a Craftsman sledge...
Then a rawhide hammer I can't make out the name...
Stanley hatchet/hammer...
Small Craftsman socket tray...
BIG rubber hammer (I think is Craftsman but can't make out the name)...
On top is a Sears/Craftsman taper-cut crosscut hand saw...

MORE hammers:
From the right....the aforementioned BIG rubber hammer...
Small rubber hammer...
Medium rubber hammer...
Belknap Bluegrass BG47-16...
Small Stanley claw hammer...
Barco claw hammer...
Another claw hammer I believe to be Craftsman...

Mostly assorted import no name tools:
Bottom row starting to the left is a tongue-n-groove pliers that I think is Beryllium...
Stilson wrench is German made...
Vaco 5/32" T-handle hex wrench...
Next row above are no name adjustables, pliers, etc.
A new Norton sharpening stone...
Top row is a Radio Shack sound level meter...
A import no name battery post cleaner...
A Studsensor (it kept going off every time I got near it :dunno:

)
No name plumb bob with chord...

Small K-mart brand 5" bench grinder (plugged it in and it ran very smooth)...

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JMLangford · Jan 5, 2018

Closing out the plastic tub items....

Small tabletop Black and Decker Workmate and a Taiwan soldering iron...

Two small tool boxes with solder and plumbing stuff...

Three items already mentioned...

A lot of plumbing items left in the plastic tub...

Next we'll see what's in the other box.......

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JMLangford · Jan 5, 2018

Here are the contents of the cardboard box....

Starting on the left of the pile there is a lot of screwdrivers....some Craftsman and Stanleys and other no name ones...in the lower right corner is a Craftsman crown logo chalk line box...

Some nice red handled Craftsman and a Craftsman crown logo jewelers screwdriver...

Middle top of the table there are a few pocket knives/money clips...
Ice pick and dental picks and a Craftsman ratcheting screwdriver...
The 2 coping saws are a Craftsman and a Great Neck...
And a Diamond brand masonry chisel...

More to the right we see a Sears/Craftsman bow saw...
A Johnson bevel gauge...
A Harbor Freight flush cutting saw (that makes 3 I own!!!)...
A crown logo Craftsman Commercial hacksaw with crown logo blades...
Just off the pic is a file card next to a small soft bristled (shoe?) brush...
Extra hacksaw blades and a Stanley drywall saw...
Upper right hand corner is a Red Devil paint scraper with replacement blades...

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JMLangford · Jan 5, 2018

Some brushes and a 4" and 7" Sears Kromedge slim-tapered files...

Top of pic there are various files...
A few small tape measures...
3 grits of Harbor Freight diamond sharpening stones...
A Acme brand oil stone in a wooden box (unused)...
a couple of oil stones...

At the bottom of the pic are 2 Lufkin wooden folding carpenters rulers next to a laminated decimal equivalents card...
A Lufkin 50 ft steel tape and a assortment of utility knives and blades....the 2 silver utility knives are Craftsman crown logo...

Top of pic is another paint scraper...
3 still in wrapper Craftsman crown logo buffing wheels next to an assortment of staples (2 boxes are crown logo)...
At the bottom of pic is a drywall blade and a Bostitch and Craftsman staple guns...

Lastly, 2 circa '80's Craftsman mini catalog/handbooks...

With all of these new tools I've gotten, I'm going to need to look for ANOTHER tool box..... :lol_hitti

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jonshonda · Jan 5, 2018

JMLangford said:
reserved for pic..................................................

reserved for ban :dunno:

jdoe213 · Jan 5, 2018

He means a guitar pick for his avatar.

JMLangford · Jan 6, 2018

The guy brought the tray by today like he said he would...

I'll post more to this thread as I clean up the boxes and find a place in my shop for them.....as far as the tools go, if you see anything you're interested in, PM me...
I know there are a few Craftsman crown logo fans out there! (Yoo-hoo Bluebolt...

)

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davethorik · Jan 6, 2018

You could definitely do worse for $170! That box looks clean. Nice score!

bluebolt · Jan 6, 2018

You ****! So much Crown logo Craftsman goodness! :beer:

JMLangford · Jan 6, 2018

bluebolt said:
You ****! So much Crown logo Craftsman goodness!

If you'd like, PM me for a possible trade opportunity.....

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apollo11 · Jan 6, 2018

I had that exact same box as a young mechanic.

woody 73 · Jan 6, 2018

Note to self...before I kick the bucket and they are throwing dirt on me, be sure and sell off all my tools.

Hexen · Jan 6, 2018

JMLangford said:
...
Small tabletop Black and Decker Workmate and a Taiwan soldering iron...

...

Cool, I think that's the smallest mini Workmate I've seen! "Hobbycrafter Type 1". I have a Dremel-branded one that's of the slightly more common benchtop size seen in a few posts in the huge Workmate thread. You might want to share yours there - I don't remember seeing anything like it in that huge thread when I looked through the whole thing just a couple months ago.

Outlawmws · Jan 6, 2018

JM, great score! Suckage indeed!

If you google it the instructions for the sound level meter are available on line. If you can't find them, PM me with an Email and I can send a copy.

JMLangford · Jan 6, 2018

Outlawmws said:
JM, great score! Suckage indeed!

If you google it the instructions for the sound level meter are available on line. If you can't find them, PM me with an Email and I can send a copy.

Thanks Outlaw....I haven't had a chance to look it over to see if it still works.
I appreciate the info and the "suckage" :beer:

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JMLangford · Jan 7, 2018

woody 73 said:
Note to self...before I kick the bucket and they are throwing dirt on me, be sure and sell off all my tools.

I know what you mean woody!.....

I was thinking the same thing as I picked up the boxes and tools....I even told the lady that I wasn't looking forward to the day when someone would be doing the same thing with all my tools.

I'm 65 and hopefully I'll have (At least) 25+ more healthy years (The good Lord willing) and when I'm gone, I hope whoever acquires my tools will enjoy them as much as I have.... :rocker:

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dkroth · Jan 7, 2018

Looked up the patent for the heck of it. The patent covers the design of the sides of the cabinets. Check out one of the suggested uses:

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JMLangford · Jan 7, 2018

dkroth said:
Looked up the patent for the heck of it. The patent covers the design of the sides of the cabinets. Check out one of the suggested uses:

Yep.....I had to look it up too............. :thumbup:

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JMLangford · Jan 7, 2018

Started a little clean-up on the top box tonight......

I wish the sellers would have left the dyno labels on for me to remove....This is the bottom drawer of the chest and I hope it's the worst looking one...

Here is the rubber mat out of the bottom drawer....needs cleaning!...

Here's the bottom drawer wiped down (without mat)...

And with the cleaned mat...

I wiped the dust out of the inside of the chest...here's a glamour shot...

I took the rubber mats out of the top of the box, to start wiping it down and found the date the chest was made.....Nov. 1980....One month later than the bottom...

Now, I'm a bit confused....when I saw the date on the lower cabinet of W 10-80 I assumed the "W" meant the box was made by Waterloo on Oct. 1980 but the top box has an "S" and the date....Does that mean the top was made a month later by Snap-On???? :lol_hitti

Anyone know what the letters stand for?....Days of the week maybe?...

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JMLangford · Jan 7, 2018

With the rubber mats removed I wiped down the inside of the top and lid....I'm amazed at how pristine this 37 yr.old chest is....

Took some glamour shots with the flash to make the red "POP"...

Got the mats all cleaned and re-installed...

Here's a pic with the tray in place...

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earthmover1980 · Jan 7, 2018

How cool is it we are able to score these quality tools for a fraction of there value. Better yet, they went to someone who will enjoy them, and keep them presentable for future generations! Nice score!

JMLangford · Jan 7, 2018

earthmover1980 said:
How cool is it we are able to score these quality tools for a fraction of there value. Better yet, they went to someone who will enjoy them, and keep them presentable for future generations! Nice score!

Thanks....I joking told my oldest son one day...."I sure am building somebody a nice set of tools".....He laughed and said "Why have you got to be so morbid?"

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McFarmer · Jan 7, 2018

Good deal.

Why don't I ever stumble into that type of thing ?

I don't know, when the guy brought around the tray I might have given him the balance of the $40 she asked for. Karma, and all that.

JMLangford · Jan 7, 2018

McFarmer said:
Good deal.

Why don't I ever stumble into that type of thing ?

I don't know, when the guy brought around the tray I might have given him the balance of the $40 she asked for. Karma, and all that.

Actually, he must be an early riser.....he left it on the front porch before I got up!....never heard or saw him

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McFarmer · Jan 8, 2018

JMLangford said:
Actually, he must be an early riser.....he left it on the front porch before I got up!....never heard or saw him

.

Well I thought about it, and in that fellow's situation maybe it's just as well. Just get rid of the stuff.

After paying my mother's bills at a care facility I know that they would just take whatever he had and then the government would start paying.

Better you have the bargain.

Hexen · Jan 8, 2018

McFarmer said:
Well I thought about it, and in that fellow's situation maybe it's just as well. Just get rid of the stuff.

After paying my mother's bills at a care facility I know that they would just take whatever he had and then the government would start paying.

Better you have the bargain.

Yeah, the difference wouldn't make a dent in the $150-$300 a day those places run. :eyecrazy:

It's more about just finding a new home for stuff at that point.

Dennis Leigh Henry · Jan 8, 2018

JM, nice score. That tool box is a gem..

Did I miss something or isn't there any Harbor Freight stuff in it? Way oversold it ... LOL....

JMLangford · Jan 8, 2018

Dennis Leigh Henry said:
JM, nice score. That tool box is a gem..

Did I miss something or isn't there any Harbor Freight stuff in it? Way oversold it ... LOL....

Honestly Dennis, I really expected that there would be more HF stuff....

Of all the items, I've found only ONE Harbor Freight item....and that would be the Flush Trim Saw, of which I already own two of and they are fairly decent little saws!

Of course, there are several no name import tools, but I never expected that there would be so much Craftsman stuff.....

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Outlawmws · Jan 8, 2018

JMLangford said:
Actually, he must be an early riser.....he left it on the front porch before I got up!....never heard or saw him

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JM you are retired. isn't EVERYONE not also retired an early riser? :evil:

Empty Pockets · Jan 8, 2018

Nice score, I am a fan of those older CM boxes, right now however, I need to find more space in the shop.

JMLangford · Jan 8, 2018

Outlawmws said:
JM you are retired. isn't EVERYONE not also retired an early riser?

You've got a point there!......When I worked, I use to feel guilty if I "slept in" on like days off, etc......But, not no more :bounce:

I'll snooze away and let the rat race do it's thang....It'll all still be there after I've had my second cup-O-coffee :thumbup:

Empty Pockets said:
Nice score, I am a fan of those older CM boxes, right now however, I need to find more space in the shop.

Thanks EP.....While I was still looking for another toolbox, I really didn't have any room in my shop either, but I thought about moving some stuff around (and giving one of my sons, some stuff) and I decided on a spot (based on just measurements) but, now I physically have a box, I don't like the spot I chose.....So, now I'm looking at moving around some other stuff for a new location.... :lol_hitti

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JMLangford · Jan 13, 2018

I got stuff moved around to get the toolbox in it's new location...(still got a lot of clean-up left to do, but getting there)...

Put a few stickers on to dress it up a bit...

What do you guys think:

Flag on the left...

Or...Flag centered...

The flag is magnetic, so it can be moved....in fact I've got doubles of the other stickers, I may buy some thin magnetic sheet and make all the stickers movable!! :beer:

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Hexen · Jan 13, 2018

JMLangford said:
I got stuff moved around to get the toolbox in it's new location...(still got a lot of clean-up left to do, but getting there)...
...
What do you guys think:
Flag on the left...
Or...Flag centered...

The flag is magnetic, so it can be moved....in fact I've got doubles of the other stickers, I may buy some thin magnetic sheet and make all the stickers movable!!

I like it centered. And I love the idea of making movable stickers by sticking them on magnetic sheets!

JMLangford · Jan 18, 2018

Well, stopped in at Wally World the other day, I needed more WD-40.....

so, while I was there I looked in their craft section and found some small 2 pack of magnetic sheets.....they are 5" x 8" and you get 2 for $1.97 (I bought 3 packs)...

I did the Dunebuggy Warehouse first....it had both straight cuts and curves...It was pretty easy and I think it looks great...

So, next I wanted to see how easy the oval or round cuts would go....laid it out on the remaining first sheet and spaced it close to the edge to save material...

Peeled back the paper on the magnetic sheet halfway....work area must be clean cause you don't want trash, dust, etc between the magnetic sheet and the decal/sticker....

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JMLangford · Jan 18, 2018

Usually, I peel the backing on the sticker halfway, but the STP sticker's backing was cut in two....so, I peeled off one side....

I carefully placed the sticker as close to the leading edge to insure that the rest of the sticker would fit on the sheet...and gently pressed down and worked my finger to the right, making sure I was squeezing out any bubbles on the way....and removing the remaining backing paper from both pieces....

Then, I use the blunt, rounded edge of a pair of scissors and burnished all around the edges to insure a good bond and to workout any bubbles, creases, etc....

After that, I use some small curved blade scissors to trim the excess....

When finished, I laid the sticker on a white background to spot any places that still needed trimming (still a bit at the top) although once it's stuck to the red of the toolbox....the little bit of brown would just blend in, but my OCD wouldn't allow it :lol:

....

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JMLangford · Jan 18, 2018

The JEGS sticker is a bit too big for 1 sheet....I may try using 2 sheets, or wait until the next time my wife want to go to Hobby Lobby....they may have larger full magnetic sheets?.....

The little MATCO stickers were pretty easy.....cut down 4 straight sides and trim the corners....Done....

Once done, you can place your stickers anyway, anywhere you want....and IF you ever decide to re-sale your box :scared:

then you can remove the stickers in case the buyer doesn't like stickers (or your choice)...

I think they look great and you'd never know they were magnetic and easily removed...

Here are some magnetic ones I had on one of my other boxes (I didn't "make" these)....

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jywilli69 · Jan 18, 2018

How much for the Shorter breaker is a Craftsman circle H. I started my 1st Set, so let me know when you can.

Jayson

JMLangford · Jan 21, 2018

Does anyone know what these number stickers mean?

65257 is in the top right hand small drawer in the chest and the 65059 is in the small upper right hand side drawer of the cabinet......Are they Waterloo numbers or Craftsman numbers???

Some of these drawers look like they never had a tool put in them....

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My Craftsman toolbox score with some vintage tools....

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