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Craftsman Toolbox Thread

ChuHeff

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Eugene, Oregon
Thank you again for the info. There is not anything like beside the logo inside the drawer. As I get the drawers out and clean things up, I'll keep a look out for anything other markings and let you know If I find anything. Thank you for your help!
 
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Smokeshow69

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Thank you again for the info. There is not anything like beside the logo inside the drawer. As I get the drawers out and clean things up, I'll keep a look out for anything other markings and let you know If I find anything. Thank you for your help!



If you can’t find anything, don’t worry. I have the same lower 8 drawer roller and can’t find this behind my crown top logo either! I have looked over it pretty carefully so either mine wasn’t embossed very heavily or wasn’t embossed at all?


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
 

DaveT

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Feb 14, 2019
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St. Louis area
Picked up this little box for $3.50 today. It’s a bit rough but I’m thinking it would be able to hold my soldering stuff for pluming.

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outofbounds

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Lucked into this gem tonight for a song. Can't believe it lasted 45 minutes on Facebook Marketplace for the price being asked. Condition is fantastic save for a couple of drawers which are jammed presumably for stuff wedged behind them. I've looking for a great affordable e9 drawer Red/Gray roller for so long, I've sold the top chests I had planned to put on top of it. Now back to the drawing board for a 10d or 12d top chest!!
 

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JoCoSawdust

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Dave: I like that little box. Handy for special purpose stuff.

oob: Pull those drawers out! I found a flying V spinner rat behind a "bad" drawer once!!!
 

outofbounds

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Dave: I like that little box. Handy for special purpose stuff.

oob: Pull those drawers out! I found a flying V spinner rat behind a "bad" drawer once!!!

Had to move fast on this one, which took me into a less than optimal situation close to dark in a slightly rougher neighborhood. Looks like I'm going to have to pull a few drawers to sort this out by the light of day

No evidence in the other drawers of any tools of merit or value.
 

Rileysan

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No relation, and not sure if this breaks the rules but someone here needs to get this 10 drawer top box. Wish I lived on the east side of the country:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/232935738330643/?ref=search&referral_code=undefined

No rules broken - feel free to link any items for sale you think we might be interested in!

I would like to add, however, that it's best to post a photo of the item in the link as the link will no longer be valid once the seller marks it 'sold'.

Here's the box in the link for those who are curious. ca. 1958-59 Craftsman Crown logo 10d top chest for $120. Even though it's spray-bombed, it's still worth it. Someone go get it!

Brian
 

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outofbounds

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JoCoSawdust;8858616 oob: Pull those drawers out! I found a flying V spinner rat behind a "bad" drawer once!!![/QUOTE said:
Well no Flying V Spinners, but I pulled the drawers this morning to extract the offending blockages. Ironically the Panasonic MCM table speaker figures to return my investment five fold!! That said, I'd trade it for a working key. (Found a handful of keys inside, just not THE key!)

Any insight as to the best way to run down a key is appreciated! Also, I've looked all over for a date code and not seeing it. Where should I be looking more closely?
 

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JoCoSawdust

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Date code should be about where I put the yellow rectangle in this pic oob. They can be difficult to see. I use a flashlight at different angles. Sometimes the stamping has a really light strike.

There should be a code on the lock. Keep your eyes peeled on eBay as they come up a lot on there or...any locksmith can make you a key if you're not a stickler to have an original.

Nice find!

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driftpin

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A CL offering on Christmas Day, I picked it up on Boxing Day, $40. Five-drawer w/a key, and a bonus box of 30 1/4" X 3/4" stainless steel hex-head machine screws, which would cost almost $20 at The Big Orange Store. The screws were in a box in the locked top compartment. Exterior was spray-bombed, interior factory enamel. A bit of disassembly and tweaking to get everything aligned, no welding, no drilling, no pop-riveting or perforation repair needed. Ball-bearing sliders, everything works. It's very similar to the red box (stock pic) which currently sells for $159, at Lowe's. This has a single hinged mechanical strut instead of two pneumatic struts.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-...in-H-5-Drawer-Steel-Tool-Chest-Red/1002481402

Grainger lists what appears to be the same one for $252. Ouch!
https://www.grainger.com/product/60...ucid=N:N:PS:Paid:GGL:CSM-2295:4P7A1P:20501231

The manual for my box:
https://www.searspartsdirect.com/manual/5s9fb4uikh-000247/craftsman-706620260-tool-chest-parts

The bottom three drawers are 2" drawers, and are still available for $28.69 ea.:
https://www.searspartsdirect.com/product/4h9f715emd-0009-706/id-a25464a3-ebk
 

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outofbounds

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Question for the experts here.....Is this set essentially identical to a "SuperDuty" Chevron badged stack, save for the badges? Or was there any features to the Super Duty to make it truly unique?
 

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Rileysan

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I see a SuperDuty top chest advertised as 33" wide, and I can visualize that extra width now upon a closer look. Do you know if that was a size truly unique to the Super Duty box?

"Super Duty" (ca. 1967), "Craftsman Commercial" (ca. 1968-76), and lastly "Sears Best" (ca. 1976-82) - which utilized the same rectangular badges as other Craftsman boxes from that era - were all the same width (33"). Personally, I think they are instantly distinguishable from the standard 26" wide boxes like those you posted.

Here's a photo of my "Super Duty" stack. The drawer configuration is a little different from later years, but imagine these with the rectangular badges and compare to the stack you posted. The size alone jumps out at you!

Brian

Edit:

I also have a 1970 "Craftsman Commercial" stack, which is on loan to a buddy of mine. It's my creative way of finding a place to live for uncommon or rare tool boxes I can't pass up! :lol:
 

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Rileysan

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Here's a capture from the 1977 catalog, showing the "Sears Best" along side the 26" wide stacks.

It's worth noting that the 33" rolling cabinet is never depicted in any year of catalog as having any half-width drawers, unlike most of the other models. I would say it's safe to use that as a litmus test for determining the possibility of a Craftsman 33" roller.

Brian
 

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outofbounds

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Here's a capture from the 1977 catalog, showing the "Sears Best" along side the 26" wide stacks.

It's worth noting that the 33" rolling cabinet is never depicted in any year of catalog as having any half-width drawers, unlike most of the other models. I would say it's safe to use that as a litmus test for determining the possibility of a Craftsman 33" roller.

Brian

That's terrific information, and appreciated!
 

Hoorn

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May 19, 2020
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Location
Glendora, CA
Here is my stack. Bottom is 11/75, top 2/75. I painted the top chest yet decided to leave the bottom alone.
I got "lucky" in that, when I painted the drawers last summer we had days in SoCal where it hit 120 degrees. I'd paint early in the morning and set out the drawers, and the sun literally laid down the paint as there is virtually no orange peel whatsoever.
 

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zippi

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Dec 31, 2020
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Location
Southern Indiana
I've had my Craftsman tool box for many years and used it when I worked in a steel fabricating shop. My older brother used it when he worked as a machinist years ago.
 

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Zrxrunner

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Surprisingly made it on facebook over a week for $15!!! Thanks i guess to a poor picture by lister. Think i have thae waterloo made machinist upper to match, but have to check later.
 

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jeffmoss26

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These are in my “gonna clean and restore someday” pile
 

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Zrxrunner

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So, heres one if the 2 waterloo made machinists i have on top of the new find. Is the bottom meant for a different top? I guessed it woukd have matched right up, but theres about and inch of space front and sides on both of them i have. They both have the dimples next to the key, which i undstand signifies waterloo productuon? Maybe i need to be on the search for another top box?
 

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ed4banger

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Virginia
Managed to accumulate a bunch, here are some of my favorites.
 

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zippi

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I just purchased the CRAFTSMAN 2000 Series 26-in W x 19.75-in H 16" D 5-Drawer Steel Tool Chest. I am looking for a middle tool box or riser we used to call them. Does Craftsman make a riser for this 16" D tool chest?

Didn't realize this was in the Vintage forum. Disregard guys.
 

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ShadowBoxer

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Jun 25, 2019
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Los Angeles
Hi,
Short Story:
Anyone interested in selling a smaller 1960s era box?

Longer Story:
I guess I am feeling nostalgic after the obstacle course of 2020. Maybe I'm just tired of looking at my father's old tools in my box.
He might have got them as some kind of wonderful set back in the day. He might have only bought the sets he needed and not the rest. I don't know.
Now I want to clean them up, give them a proper home and use them more.

So my plan is to find a vintage Craftsman tool box (not too big, not too small) to be dedicated to what's left of his tools. I've been buying a few more to fill in the set from what has been lost or stolen over the decades. I'll probably just stick with the ratchets. I don't need any more Fractional wrenches (or sockets for that matter) and I don't need more screw drivers.

What he left was a set of 1/2" =v= sockets, a breaker bar for same and a few odds and ends like a 3/8 ratchet and some tiny wrenches like for carb work. I'm not sure all this was bought at the same time. The tiny carburetor wrenches are -v- instead of =v= and not raised panel, but I'm no expert. I think the breaker bar and socket set probably came together. Probably with a nice 1/2" ratchet but that is missing. The 3/8" ratchet he left behind has a "V" shaped selector switch so those are the ratchets I'll be looking for to complete the 1/2" set and then maybe the 3/8" set. I haven't decided if I want to go for a 1/4" drive set since I haven't found any and he might not have bought them originally. Plus I don't need more fractional sockets. I actually hunted down a few =v= metric 1/2" sockets for the set, just to make it more useful to me at the moment. Nothing is written in stone though. Who knows what the future will call for?

In the end I want to put this collection of sockets and ratchets together with a few of my other modern tools like pliers, a ratcheting screwdriver, etc. and make some kind of basic tool box for the road that I'll keep in the back of the truck. In cleaning them up I was amazed at how thin they are! I'll probably use them at home but I'll keep them in the truck. That's the fantasy at this point, we'll see.

So back to the Craftsman Toolbox Thread:
I've been looking around a bit and I've settled on something called a 6520 (unless you more experienced folk can steer me in a better direction). I like that it's a little deeper and wider than the smaller version and I like the removable tray idea. However it's hard to visualize it. I'm pretty sure one of those rectangular boxes would be too big.

I've seen a few online and one thing I noticed was the handles switch from (I presume) first being anchored on the outside of the handle to later being shackled inside the handle space (which is probably a better design if only to clear up the top of the box for stacking, but I'm just guessing).

I think I prefer the older outside configuration because I like the way it looks and I don't like the cheaper and cheaper looking plastic handles that followed.

So my question is does this sound like the correct box and does anyone have an extra one they might consider letting go?
I could (and might) post this in the Classifieds but I figured my target is quite specialized and this thread is speaking just to those who both know the answers to dating these and may have some extras. I have looked on eBay and CraigsList but there are not a lot that meet these older criteria.

Something like this but taller with a tray:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7970107&postcount=354

Thanks for any help and information.
P.S. - Does anyone here have any tote trays that are orphans? Do you hoar... I mean collect just the trays. I ask in case I find a box that is missing a tray.
 
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JoCoSawdust

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Eastern NC
I think new finds tend to get segregated onto the Heritage, Crown or Vintage Tool Box thread. Send me that Crown 8d roller and I'll post it here!
 

My Junk is Stuff

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Jun 27, 2013
Messages
94
These are the older ones I have although would love to pick up a few more... Never enough! I'm always worried about getting them so full the wheels collapse but then again I managed to stick a bare 302 engine block in bottom roller for a moving trip across country and that didn't kill the wheels so maybe I shouldn't be too worried lmao.
 

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ooba tooba

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I grabbed a nice lighted sign that used to hang in an Ace Hardware in Taylor I’m told. 3 foot long by a foot and a half tall with hooks to hang. It’s only 12 years old and in excellent shape.
 

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ed4banger

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Virginia
Question for the Craftsman Toolbox aficionados.....I've picked up a few blue crackle boxes like this one pictured in 2nd pic. No Craftsman logo, but assumed it had worn away. I see some differences in this box, and others I've seen, such as in the first pic, which is a pic originally posted by JoCoSawdust I believe. Note the different method of attachment of the hardware, welded in one, riveted in the other. My question is, do I really have a Craftsman box, or were there other blue crackle boxes out there? Dimensions would appear to be identical. ThanksIMG_9935.jpg


D7I_0090.jpg
 
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