Old Union Machinist Chest Restoration

Davefr · Jun 10, 2018

Last month I picked up this old Union Machinist chest at a garage sale. It was missing a ring pull, the entire front cover/lock and most of the hardware had rust. The good news is that the wood was nearly perfect. Joints were solid, no cracks, holes or any signs of abuse. The leather handle was even in great shape. For $5 I decided to buy it.

As Found:

The next challenge was to try and find a ring pull. They're unobtainium so I decided to make one of of a sheet of brass and a rod using a couple ball pein hammers and a hole on a piece of oak.

Not perfect but better then a blank hole. The challenge was matching the patina of old worn, tarnished plated brass.

I removed all the hardware and gave it a bath in Evaporust then cleaned it up as best I could and then shot them with Lacquer. There was very little brass plating left on the corners. The original leather handle was in very good condition and just needed some Neatsfoot oil.

Finding a lock was a challenge. The front is 1/2" and nearly all old cabinet locks were for 3/4" thick drawers. I found a lot of vintage locks but had to amputate 1/4" off the barrel so it would look right:

To be continued.

Packard V8 · Jun 10, 2018

Great work! Don't know that I could make a pull come out that nice.

jack vines

Davefr · Jun 10, 2018

Now that all the hardware is accounted for the next phase was stripping what's left of the old finish, staining and applying the final finish. I chose Transtint Mission Brown die for the stain and Sam Maloo's formula of equal parts varnish, turpentine and BLO for the final finish.

The next step was to make a new raised panel front out of quarter sawn white oak and then mortise for the lock.

Davefr · Jun 10, 2018

Finally the finished project:

I decided not to re-felt the drawers. The old felt is still in decent shape and it give this old box some character.

rsanter · Jun 10, 2018

So you spent $5 so you can spent many hours and some money restoring a very old toolbox.
Yup, sounds like a GJ member

Great job, that turned out awsome

3baygarage · Jun 10, 2018

Wow that looks great. Looks like you turned $5 into much more if you ever plan on selling it.

bmwrd0 · Jun 10, 2018

Nice, I have the same issues with the lock for a George Scheer I am restoring. Now I have a better idea what to do for that.

paulm12 · Jun 10, 2018

Wow. Very nice. Ready for the next 100 years.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 10, 2018

Top shelf job on that resto, Dave. Congrats.

Oldpine · Jun 10, 2018

Davefr,
I believe these people have the union pulls:
http://machinistchest.com/site2/product_details.php?item_id=18

Tom

mattblast · Jun 10, 2018

Impressive.

Can you post photos of back of pull you made? Is ring soldered?

Ben Buck · Jun 10, 2018

Well done !

That front cover is probably nicer than the original

ganymede · Jun 10, 2018

Davefr said:
...The next step was to make a new raised panel front out of quarter sawn white oak and then mortise for the lock...
]

Davefr · Jun 10, 2018

mattblast said:
Impressive.

Can you post photos of back of pull you made? Is ring soldered?

I don't have any images of the back of the ring pull. Here's a close up of the original. I made mine the same way by cutting a couple slits and pushing it out to make the ring's hinge. The ring itself is just closed up tight but not soldered.

Oldpine said:
Davefr,
I believe these people have the union pulls:
http://machinistchest.com/site2/product_details.php?item_id=18

Tom

Thanks, I already tried that site but the rings are long gone and I'm not sure the site will re-open for business.

jdoe213 · Jun 10, 2018

5$ WOW. You ****.

alinc100 · Jun 10, 2018

Very impressive.As a woodworker,tradesman and compulsive tool buyer I applaud your work. That is spectacular.
I believe I have one of its litter mates :https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4070742&postcount=3799

after cleaning and a label:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4076841&postcount=3831

7th Kahuna · Jun 11, 2018

Wow, beautiful job, beautiful box. Thanks for posting the details.

I recently acquired a (?1970's or 80's?) Gerstner box with a dreadful dull finish. I nearly passed on it, but decided I could refinish it. I looked online for color inspiration and found several vintage boxes I liked. I just wasn't sure how to get there. The Transtint approach looks promising. For anyone curious, I found an interesting related article on the Lumberjocks website;

http://lumberjocks.com/pintodeluxe/blog/35559.

I will also need to change the felt in mine. The moths have had a field day. I read that some felt (?contains chemicals that?) will cause oxidation. I need to research that further.

Username already in use · Jun 11, 2018

I'll echo the previous sentiment with my kudos as well. That's a fantastic looking restoration! Excellent job. :thumbup:

I've got an old Gerstner box that needs some TLC like this. I'm not sure if I have the skill or the patience to do it justice.

Davefr · Jun 11, 2018

7th Kahuna said:
Wow, beautiful job, beautiful box. Thanks for posting the details.

I recently acquired a (?1970's or 80's?) Gerstner box with a dreadful dull finish. I nearly passed on it, but decided I could refinish it. I looked online for color inspiration and found several vintage boxes I liked. I just wasn't sure how to get there. The Transtint approach looks promising. For anyone curious, I found an interesting related article on the Lumberjocks website;

http://lumberjocks.com/pintodeluxe/blog/35559.

I will also need to change the felt in mine. The moths have had a field day. I read that some felt (?contains chemicals that?) will cause oxidation. I need to research that further.

Thanks everyone!!

This is the third time I've used Transtint dies. I like them so much better then traditional stains because they make the colors and grain patterns really look vibrant. The problem with dies is that you mix them with distilled water which will raise the grain. The solution is to first wipe the wood with plain distilled water which will raise the grain then give them a light sanding. Now you can use the dies and they won't raise the grain. (or you can mix them with alcohol which I haven't tried)

The gerstnerforum has a ton of info on re-felting. I think the key is to use a special felt and apply it with liquid hide glue.

http://www.gerstnerforum.com/forumdisplay.php?8-Tips-and-Tricks

Gerstner even sells re-felting kits.

http://gerstnerusa.com/replacement-hardware

RedVise · Jun 11, 2018

Davefr said:
The next step was to make a new raised panel front out of quarter sawn white oak and then mortise for the lock.

ganymede said:

No ****, what he said. Not my skill set.

Brian

PugetDude · Jun 11, 2018

Dave,
Nice Job! That new front panel looks great.
If you want to double your money, I'll take it off your hands

PD

larry_g · Jun 11, 2018

That is great. Did the Union boxes ever have a felt or cardboard work surface on the inside of the front door?

lg
no neat sig line

JABgj · Jun 11, 2018

Great transformation and repair. Top notch.

Gerry Clarke · Jun 11, 2018

Excellent job and a very useful chest.

Gerry

Davefr · Jun 11, 2018

larry_g said:
That is great. Did the Union boxes ever have a felt or cardboard work surface on the inside of the front door?

lg
no neat sig line

Yes, the images I've seen show felt covering the inside of the raised panel. I'm going to leave it bare wood for now.

Was the inside front really intended as a work surface?

drivesitfar · Jun 11, 2018

Dave: well done sir!!

I still recall the big oak multy drawer oak file cabinet you restored maybe 4 years ago that was also amazing. :bowdown:

you sir have some skills and can make a turd into a diamond as you have time or want to.

keep up the hunts for these lost souls that you seem to put a lot of new life in. :thumbup:

alinc100 · Jun 11, 2018

Mine has been refinished,before I got it but it is also flat on both sides,no raised/floating panel.

jimreed2160 · Jun 11, 2018

Outstanding job, Dave. Thanks for the pictures. We love pictures.

Toolmaker65 · Jun 11, 2018

Having been in the machinist/tool and die maker trade for 35+ years, I have never seeen anybody use the front panel of their box, either wooden or steel, as a 'work' surface. I may place an indicator on it so that it is safely out of the way until I need it again, but have never 'worked' on it. Imagine how long it would last if you put a bench block on it to try to drive a broken dowel out of a 5 pound die block with a 16 oz. ball pein hammer. Bet it would be cracked nicely after the third hit.

I have seen the covers referred to as "work surfaces" mostly on ebay by people who learn what a machinist chest is, realize that they might be able to make some money off of it, but have no idea what a machinist actually does.

The sole function of the front cover is to keep the drawers from flying open when you move your box around in the shop or from job to job. It also keeps your tools safe from those thieving SOB's that work on the shifts that you don't when you lock it.

Excellent job on bringing it back to life Dave!

larry_g · Jun 11, 2018

Davefr said:
Yes, the images I've seen show felt covering the inside of the raised panel. I'm going to leave it bare wood for now.

Was the inside front really intended as a work surface?

Considering that these boxes were/are used by jewelers, optometrists, and other trades that may travel yes they were used.

lg
no neat sig line

Private Lugnutz · Jun 12, 2018

Davefr said:
Was the inside front really intended as a work surface?

Yes.

Common sense dictates that you can't pound on it, but there are plenty of tasks performed by machinists' in the course of their work that don't involve pounding or any other type of blunt force.

I don't know about Union, in particular, but the front drop panel/hinged lid on a machinists' tool chest, often either cork- or felt-lined, is most definitively described as a work surface, or tray, secondarily to its lid function, in vintage catalogs and advertisements. H. Gerstner & Sons still advertises it as a "work surface" on current models, saying that it "affords ample room for small projects or organizing hardware."

Wartime machinists' chests, which I hesitate to even show in the magisterial presence of your oaken beauty

)), even had various recesses for retaining small tools and parts intentionally built into the panel.

I own one by an unidentified OEM with a 2-inch recess that runs the length of the panel, and another Kennedy Big Horn Line with three round well-placed dimples for this purpose.

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rlitman · Jun 12, 2018

larry_g said:
Considering that these boxes were/are used by jewelers, optometrists, and other trades that may travel yes they were used.

lg
no neat sig line

Also used for cosmetology, and theatrical makeup kits for example. In these cases, it might make sense as a work surface.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 12, 2018

Dave,

Have you seen "The Guide for Wood Machinists Chests" site, which includes scans of several wood-era brochures, including Union? Link here.

jimreed2160 · Jun 12, 2018

"Work surface" is a broad phrase that covers a wide expanse of waterfront. Of course it can be used when working. And it will remain in good shape if the user is mindful of its limitations.

Davefr · Jun 12, 2018

Private Lugnutz said:
Dave,

Have you seen "The Guide for Wood Machinists Chests" site, which includes scans of several wood-era brochures, including Union? Link here.

Thank you!!!

alinc100 · Jun 12, 2018

Private Lugnutz said:
Dave,

Have you seen "The Guide for Wood Machinists Chests" site, which includes scans of several wood-era brochures, including Union? Link here.

Great resource. thanks for sharing it...now something else to ponder,wander and read.

7th Kahuna · Jun 13, 2018

Davefr said:
This is the third time I've used Transtint dies. I like them so much better then traditional stains because they make the colors and grain patterns really look vibrant. The problem with dies is that you mix them with distilled water which will raise the grain. The solution is to first wipe the wood with plain distilled water which will raise the grain then give them a light sanding. Now you can use the dies and they won't raise the grain. (or you can mix them with alcohol which I haven't tried)

The gerstnerforum has a ton of info on re-felting. I think the key is to use a special felt and apply it with liquid hide glue.

http://www.gerstnerforum.com/forumdisplay.php?8-Tips-and-Tricks

Gerstner even sells re-felting kits.

http://gerstnerusa.com/replacement-hardware

I almost asked if you had used water or alcohol with the dye. I think I'll experiment with alcohol. First I need to get the remainder of the existing finish off.

How did it not occur to me there would be a forum . . . :lol:

and replacement parts too . . .

Interestingly the felt they sell is acrylic. I'm assuming the felt in mine is original but it is clearly wool. I wonder if there is an advantage to one over the other.

davewo · Jun 13, 2018

Wow, what a fantastic restoration, and that new drawer pull looks great! Looks like it ready for a few more generations.

leg17 · Jun 13, 2018

When you think 'work surface', think:
"Where can I set my mike/indicator to keep it up out of the mess?" (thanks toolmaker)
or "Now what can I do with these screws so I don't lose them?"

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