Old Snap-On (?) three piece box

[Packard V8]

Old Snap-On (?) three piece box - who's seen one?

Greetings, GJers,

A while back, I picked up this box, full of Snap-On and a few Mac, Plomb, Craftsman, for $150. The top box is obviously Snap-On, but there is no clue anywhere on the middle and bottom boxes. Any ideas?

Interesting features of the bottom cabinet are the two pull-down trays on the sides of the bottom box. The one on the right has cup-holders for an oil squirt can and hand grease gun. The one on the left has five dividers which might be for hardware. There is a steel-framed plywood workbench which pulls out from between the bottom and second box. Anyone seen this before?

thnx, jack vines

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

I've never seen anything like those pull out sides on the bottom box!

You have some pictures of the tools you got with it?!?

 

[petty4243]

that boxset is wicked cool

 

[snapmom]

very nice, good find.

 

[eric87]

that box is really nice. good buy.

 

[91FE]

That's freaking cool.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Packard,

Back in the day, we had a box like your bottom one in our alignment/balance bay. The pullout trays with the containers were used to put wheel weights in. The other side had our rubber "hubcap" knockers/pullers in it. We kept guns, sockets and alignment tools there in one place. It was probably not what that box was designed for but it worked well for us. That was a lot of years ago though.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

I guess Ronald was a mechanic before he quit to open his own resturaunt...

 

[petty4243]

I would believe the middle box to be a snap on... drawers appear to be same as top box... the bottom, not sure

 

[Packard V8]

Thanks for all the replies. Still no guesses as to the manufacturer? I'm guessing the bottom and middle boxes are post WWII. You Snap-On experts tell me the date of the top box?

thnx, jack vines

 

[justinmc]

Man that is an awesome setup.. Tough call on that bottom box. Never seen anything like it either. Any sorts of markings, etc anywhere on it? I agree the middle box matches the top and is most likely a S/O piece as well. Any way you stack it up that is one cool set of old chests.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

I'm always repainting toolboxes...but I'd leave that top box alone!

 

[fatfillup]

That is so cool and unique. Hope someone can ID that botttom for certain. I really like the handles both side and front on that bottom box. They look so well made. I think Georgiahybrid may be on on to something. That box may have been job specific. Might have come with an alignment machine a part of a package. Just a guess.

 

[Packard V8]

Agreed, since the drawer handles match, the middle box is probably Snap-On. The thing which amazed me is when I disassembled it for cleaning, the angle iron framework and exterior galvalnized sheet metal looked like something I would have made in shop class. The drawers, slides and handles are definitely Snap-On, but from what era are middle chests made up of hand-welded angle iron and galvanized sheet metal held on with machine screws? Even the drawer slides are bolted on to the framework with machine screws. I see no evidence of a front cover or locking mechanism. Any photos of how contents might have been secured?

The bottom box has some peculiaraties. The slides are bolted onto the drawer sides with three machine screws, which were a half-inch too long. The drawers cannot be removed without removing the front two screws on each side. The two half-width top drawers have plain bearing rollers front and rear, while the full-width bottom drawer has ball bearing rollers.

As for painting it, the rat rod patina is too, too perfect to consider a restoration. I've got new stainless boxes, but this one will remain original.

thnx, jack vines

 

[snapmom]

do any of the boxes have a model number stamped on the back.

 

[snapmom]

the top box, somewhere in the 40s or 50s. If stamped on back mid to late 50s
The middle box, the only thing that looks so is the handles, but, so just about puts its name on all these boxes, and would most likely have locks on the drawers.
the bottom box, never seen a so made like this, its possible, but most likely would not have that type of handle, or screws.

 

[Packard V8]

the top box, somewhere in the 40s or 50s. If stamped on back mid to late 50s
The middle box, the only thing that looks so is the handles, but, so just about puts its name on all these boxes, and would most likely have locks on the drawers.
the bottom box, never seen a so made like this, its possible, but most likely would not have that type of handle, or screws.

Top - Not stamped on the back, so mid-40s to mid-50s?
Middle - Definitely same Snap-On handles as top box and the S-O name might have been on whatever locking cover which has gone missing. The drawers seem to be the same red-faded-to-orange as the top box, but the exterior of the middle and bottom are still red-red. Ever seen a S-O middle box with angle iron frame and painted galvanized exterior sheet metal?
Bottom - both doors have to be opened 180-degrees for the drawers to open.

Thanks for the info.

jack vines

 

[chad s]

Regardless of who made the bottom box, im pretty sure that the front handle is a replacement taken from a 30's car.

 

[Packard V8]

Hi, Chad,

Regardless of who made the bottom box, im pretty sure that the front handle is a replacement taken from a 30's car.

I'd agree. The lock cylinder was trashed and I'm trying to find a locksmith who can put in a new one for me.


GeorgiaHybrid said,

Back in the day, we had a box like your bottom one in our alignment/balance bay.

The more I look at the five-bin tray on the left side, it makes sense. I'll have to shoot a photo of the "cup holders" in the right side tray to see if you recognize them. Do you remember the pull-out plywood workbench on the top?

thnx, jack vines

 

[MOPARHOUND!]

You might try this website to identify the model of your boxes:

http://collectingsnapon.com/Site/ToolStorage-743.html

I have heard some guys with the late 40's style boxes have found month/year dates stamped on the side of the drawers in the drawer slide areas. My late 40's smaller version of your top and middle boxes did not have the date stamps.

Here is a couple of shots of another example of your top chest, and it's matching bottom box (not mine):

 

[Packard V8]

Thanks for the photos. I've been through that connectingsnapon.com link before and without more photos, the dates and dimensions are problematic.

The dimensions of my boxes are:
Top - 31"x15"x17", which most closely match the 1958 KR361 Super Chest
Middle - 31"x15"x9", which most closely match the 1960 KR461


I've had mine completely apart and can't find anything stamped on them anywhere, which theoretically means a mid-40s build.Your thinking and mine are the boxes are from the 1940s, but I can't find anything else in that table which is a match. What did I overlook in that table?


thnx, jack vines

 

[thundermug]

Hi, I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to know if you still own these boxes.