Craftsman Toolbox Thread

[ALLFAST]

Is 27 dollars a good deal to have an eBay source provide me with 1 keyed vintage key for my 73 Chevron 6 drawer top box? This will match my LL64 Code lock.

I've never had any Vintage simple locks rekeyed.

Thanks ! Shawn

 

[Smokeshow69]

Is 27 dollars a good deal to have an eBay source provide me with 1 keyed vintage key for my 73 Chevron 6 drawer top box? This will match my LL64 Code lock.



I've never had any Vintage simple locks rekeyed.



Thanks ! Shawn

It’s not great but it horrible either. If you factor your time of taking a tool box or lock cylinder to a locksmith to have them cut the key to the existing lock cylinder that could be worth it. I think I paid $25 per set of keys and I had to take it to the locksmith


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[ALLFAST]

Thank you Smoke , much appreciated, and I was thinking the same with regard to ones time and running around.

 

[ALLFAST]

I just double checked and it's 2 keys ! Done Deal

 

[Smokeshow69]

I just double checked and it's 2 keys ! Done Deal[emoji38]

Nice work


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[jeffmoss26]

Is it 27 bucks just for keys, or to rekey the cylinder and with 2 keys included? big difference.

The shop I work at charges 6.75 for a single-sided key made by code, on a generic blank.

To rekey most wafer locks 10-15 dollars

 

[ALLFAST]

Hello Jeff,
As I understand it, it's 2 era correct keys, matched to my lock , precut and ready to roll.

I appreciate your input !

Shawn

 

[JG Owens]

New to vintage Craftsman.....
This is for sale locally, what would you pay?
Thanks

 

[Smokeshow69]

New to vintage Craftsman.....

This is for sale locally, what would you pay?

Thanks

Tool box value varies based on region. I would pay up to $150 on that? But depending on where you are at could be either worth more or less? How much are they asking?

Also- is your avatar from bullit?


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[JG Owens]

Yes, the avatar is the driver of the Charger in Bullit.
The seller is in north Jersey and asking $350. I thought it was high but as I stated, I'm new to Craftsman collecting.
Thanks.

 

[dodge610]

Yes, the avatar is the driver of the Charger in Bullit.
The seller is in north Jersey and asking $350. I thought it was high but as I stated, I'm new to Craftsman collecting.
Thanks.

For $350 those boxes better be gold

 

[Smokeshow69]

Yes, the avatar is the driver of the Charger in Bullit.
The seller is in north Jersey and asking $350. I thought it was high but as I stated, I'm new to Craftsman collecting.
Thanks.

I love that movie and most importantly that car[emoji41]

In terms of your tool box- I think that is too much . I wouldn’t pay over $150 but maybe some east coast guys can weigh in. That stack is from the late 40’s but doesn’t look exceptionally clean or rare to merit that price! Hopefully others will confirm or deny?


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[JoCoSawdust]

Vintage Craftsman treasures will fall out of trees and hit you in the head in PA. I live in NC and periodically travel up there expressly to hunt tools, boxes, and machines. I invariably have a truck load on the return trip. That stack doesn't even approach 350 bucks for that area. Half of that, tops. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll find a better deal.

 

[outofbounds]

The original finish of that stack is a plus, but I agree with the assessment of about $150-175 complete on the high end. It all depends on what your end game is though. If you want a "rat rod" stack that would be a perfect candidate to knock off the rust and stabilize whats left for a terrific look, If you're looking to restore something to a mint condition, maybe you're patter off finding some overpsrayed piece for peanuts, as you're going to remove the finish anyway.

 

[outofbounds]

My humble contribution to this thread (with questions, naturally)
Ran out on my lunch hour today to snag this "lunch pail" Heritage logo carry box. My two curiosities are: Is this an original lift out tray to the box? and there is an embossed oval and stripes on back. Should this also be bearing a metal badge such as the front? Maybe the guy from North Carolina with 20+ of these boxes might know......

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Hey I haven't quite hit 20 yet, I'm not a hoarder! Nice find there. They didn't have logo badges on the reverse side and yes, the red tote is correct. At some point they changed from crinkled dark gray to hammered bluegreenishwhateverthehellcolorthatis gray on all their tool boxes and chests, including the dome boxes. Along with that change, the totes went from gray to red. I believe that was around 53 (best guess from anecdotal evidence). Your particular box was sold with the 3/4" drive socket wrench set in it (look at the width of those socket partitions). That was offered in this box in the 55-57 catalogs. 57 was the last year this box appears in the catalogs although I'd bet they were in brick and mortar stores until they ran out of them. Nice use of your lunch hour!!

 

[outofbounds]

Hey I haven't quite hit 20 yet, I'm not a hoarder! Nice find there. They didn't have logo badges on the reverse side and yes, the red tote is correct. At some point they changed from crinkled dark gray to hammered bluegreenishwhateverthehellcolorthatis gray on all their tool boxes and chests, including the dome boxes. Along with that change, the totes went from gray to red. I believe that was around 53 (best guess from anecdotal evidence). Your particular box was sold with the 3/4" drive socket wrench set in it (look at the width of those socket partitions). That was offered in this box in the 55-57 catalogs. 57 was the last year this box appears in the catalogs although I'd bet they were in brick and mortar stores until they ran out of them. Nice use of your lunch hour!!

As always, JoCo, I am humble and grateful for your insights!

 

[JoCoSawdust]

My pleasure oob. Now you have to find the socket set to go in it! I'm looking for a pointy A =V= set for mine but no luck on a decent shape one yet.

 

[Smokeshow69]

My pleasure oob. Now you have to find the socket set to go in it! I'm looking for a pointy A =V= set for mine but no luck on a decent shape one yet.

Agreed! That was a great use of ones lunch hour!


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[DaveT]

My humble contribution to this thread (with questions, naturally)
Ran out on my lunch hour today to snag this "lunch pail" Heritage logo carry box. My two curiosities are: Is this an original lift out tray to the box? and there is an embossed oval and stripes on back. Should this also be bearing a metal badge such as the front? Maybe the guy from North Carolina with 20+ of these boxes might know......

OOB: Nice lunch run! I had an after work/before dinner run to pick up this long handle “lunch pail” box tonight. It’s a little tougher that yours! And some previous owner thought it would be a good idea to spray bomb only a 1/3 of it but for $15 I will take it. This is the first long handle box I have found.

 

[Parksman]

I fetched tools for my dad from a Craftsman tool box my mother bought him in 1962. The best I recall it was a 2 or 3 drawer box with a lift up top. He was a mechanic and I was always the tool boy. Would anyone have a photo of a box from that era? I’m trying to get one for myself. I wanted my dad’s when he died but a wicked stepmother wouldn’t let me have it so I’m just looking to get one like his.


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[JoCoSawdust]

Do either of these look familiar? They would have been gray body/red drawers. Shouldn't be too difficult to find on the second-hand market if you're diligent in looking.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Here's a thread dedicated exclusively to Craftsman boxes of that era. It's long but undoubtedly has a pic or two of the box you're looking for.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=289206

 

[Parksman]

Yes sir. The one on the right in the black and white ad looks like it.


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[dodge610]

Yes sir. The one on the right in the black and white ad looks like it.


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I have either 1 or 2 of those nice boxes both need a little restoration

 

[66Charger67]

Parksman,

There is one on Facebook Marketplace in Clinton TN. Here's the link.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/621000288561573/

Edit: Not mine. I've just had it bookmarked for a while.

 

[Parksman]

Thank you! That’s not far from where I’m at. I’ve reached out to them for additional information.


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[ChuHeff]

Hello,

Can anyone Give an approximate date of birth for this tool cabinet? I bought it at an auction, so know nothing of it's history. Thanks!

 

[JoCoSawdust]

58 or 59, the last of the AMD-made boxes for Sears. That's a real beauty, congrats! If you look on the inside of the drawer behind the Crown logo, you should find the Advertising Metal Display embossing along with a two digit date code. Great find!!!

 

[DaveT]

Hello,

Can anyone Give an approximate date of birth for this tool cabinet? I bought it at an auction, so know nothing of it's history. Thanks!

That was a great purchase ChuHeff. Many here will be jealous. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Count me as one that is incredibly jealous!

 

[DaveT]

Sometimes a toolbox is more than a toolbox
This toolbox was a little treasure chest. I seen the ad listed $20 for the box but when I picked it up I couldn’t believe how many nice finds were inside it.

And on the inside was a really nice Craftsman Bit Brace, Irwin Micro-Dial Expansive bit, and a bunch of nice auger bits. 7 nice vintage socket chisels, a really nice Stanley Bailey No 3, a Stanley HEX-MATIC, and a few other cool items.

 

[DaveT]

Sometimes a toolbox is more than a toolbox
This toolbox was a little treasure chest. I seen the ad listed $20 for the box but when I picked it up I couldn’t believe how many nice finds were inside it.

These are some of the other items that was in the toolbox. Not sure why they didn’t upload in the first post.

 

[JoCoSawdust]

Great find. Did you keep your poker face on until you got out of eyesight of the seller?

 

[DaveT]

Great find. Did you keep your poker face on until you got out of eyesight of the seller?

Yes it was kind of funny. I seen the chisels and auger bits in the poorly taken picture that was listed, but when I got there he proceeded to open the box in his driveway and show me the rest of the items i had to keep my poker face on!. I was almost feeling a little guilty walking away, almost...!

 

[ChuHeff]

58 or 59, the last of the AMD-made boxes for Sears. That's a real beauty, congrats! If you look on the inside of the drawer behind the Crown logo, you should find the Advertising Metal Display embossing along with a two digit date code. Great find!!!

Hello, I looked behind the crown logo and did not see a thing. Is there another place to look?

 

[JoCoSawdust]

You're looking inside the drawer? If it's stamped, that's where it'd be. Your roller only appears in the 59 catalog with that logo on it but there's examples of 58s wearing that logo floating around out there as well. They went to the Waterloo gray/reds in 60 so there's a very short span for that box with that logo. I'm really surprised it's not stamped.

 

[ChuHeff]

Hello Again, Nothing stamped inside the drawer, behind the logo. Would it have been stamped on another plaque of sorts or directly into the drawer? I have not had all of the drawers out yet, but will soon and let you know what I find if anything. This box is in pretty good shape for being as old as me! I'm jealous off it. The handle on the right side top is missing and a homemade handle installed. The layer of grease and dirt on this thing is tenacious, Any suggestions for removing it? It appears someone started and gave up. I am thinking of just cleaning it up and then waxing to prevent rust. Also, the drawer liners need some work, any suggestions for replacements or should I simply vacuum and brush the best I can and leave as is. There appear to be only lightly adhered. I have never attempted clean or preserve a tool cart before!

 

[Rileysan]

Hello,

Can anyone Give an approximate date of birth for this tool cabinet? I bought it at an auction, so know nothing of it's history. Thanks!

Outstanding purchase! If I had seen that up for auction, I most certainly would have bid on it. Eugene is a regular stop for me when hunting for Craftsman tools and tool boxes!

-Brian

 

[Rileysan]

Hello Again, Nothing stamped inside the drawer, behind the logo. Would it have been stamped on another plaque of sorts or directly into the drawer? I have not had all of the drawers out yet, but will soon and let you know what I find if anything. This box is in pretty good shape for being as old as me! I'm jealous off it. The handle on the right side top is missing and a homemade handle installed. The layer of grease and dirt on this thing is tenacious, Any suggestions for removing it? It appears someone started and gave up. I am thinking of just cleaning it up and then waxing to prevent rust. Also, the drawer liners need some work, any suggestions for replacements or should I simply vacuum and brush the best I can and leave as is. There appear to be only lightly adhered. I have never attempted clean or preserve a tool cart before!

There will be an embossing (not a stamping) into the drawer, directly behind the badge. Advertising Metal Display Co, who made that box for Sears, was fastidious about putting their name on their products. That is, I have never seen a box from that era without their name on it.

Open the drawer with the badge. Using the camera on your phone, focus in on the area inside the drawer directly behind the badge and snap a picture.

This is what you're looking for:



The embossing on yours will be shaped like the Craftsman crown logo but will contain the exact same information. Look for a 2-digit year close to one of the rivet holes.

-Brian