Restoring my Grand-dad's Toolbox. HELP

[hailwood1965]

My mom bought a box off a truck in the 1950s and gave it to my grandpa for his birthday. 50 + years later I am trying to give it a light restore, but am stuck at trying to get the drawers out of the box. I've cut off the rusty bottom and have a lot of the drawer guides exposed--I just cannot figure how to get them out even after hours with a feel gauge, screwdriver etc. I can't find the retaining clip to release ANY of the drawers.

My son is a welder and my friend is a painter. I feel this box will come together pretty well IF I can get the drawers out, bead blast them and clean up the guides.

Any help appreciated.

My grandpa was a WWII Bronze Star man, I'd like to get this box together to remember him.

 

[930dreamer]

What brand is it, how about a picture of the front.

 

[zkling]

Possibly an old Huot? You need to make a long shim tool to slide in between the slides and the channel.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=238554

I'd be careful cutting the bottom out so quick, you need to keep reference dimensions so the slides don't bind. When you weld the new piece in I'd put the slides and drawers in to act as a jig keeping the channels parallel, and insure the drawers will not bind. Also it looks like you blasted a portion of the slides, you may want to polish them up a bit for smooth gliding.

Sounds like a good project and welcome to the forum.

 

[hailwood1965]

We measured the bottom, and kept the bottom piece, presuming we'd have to bend and cut a replacement. I also have a friend who bends sheetmetal for a HVAC place. He's confident that he can make another one.

There's no ID on the box anywhere.

Thanks for any and all help.

 

[zkling]

As 930 said, take a picture of the front of the box with the drop cover down as well as a pic of the box open.

 

[hailwood1965]

Bummer. I just submitted a bunch of text via "preview" and then it was gone.

 

[bonneyman]

Nice Kawasaki triple! What size is it? 350, 500, or 750?

My dad owned a mach 3 when I was a teenager. Dang if that thing wasn't quick! Though it made you half deaf and would vibrate your teeth loose!

 

[jakemac]

At first I was thinking Hout, but then I noticed the remains of a round badge in the center of the cover = not Hout. Proto perhaps ?

 

[1foxracing]

Forget the toolbox, let's see more pics of the bike!

 

[hailwood1965]

Triple is a 400 S3A that I started last Fall with my youngest son. We're about 90% finished with sort of a restore. I bead blasted the frame and had it powdercoated, my ex-Kawi mechanic did the engine, I spent about 3 nights in the garage steel-wooling the rust off the wheels. Etc. I'm not a big Kawasaki Triple guy--at all--but it is/was a pretty simple bike to work on. Hope to be finished in Feb.

 

[hailwood1965]

Thanks for the comments.

In the message that I typed out that disappeared ... I was asking ...

How does the top and front cover come off--do you pull or pound that rod out of the long hinge? And the handles on the drawers--do you just drill them out from the backside in order to get them out?

Lastly, the top of the inside of the box was very rusty and I had it sand blasted. How can I make this slightly like the surface of the moon surface smooth again? Paint with leveling? Bondo? Cut in a new piece of tin and lay it over it? Ideas?

 

[hailwood1965]

He's confident that he can make another one.

My friend who is a sheet metal HVAC guy is confident he can make a new bottom piece. I can take stuff apart with the best of them but custom work is not my skill at all.

Here is the WWII Bronze Star certificate of the original owner, my grandpa. I want to keep the certificate in his old toolbox when and if I get this finished.

 

[930dreamer]

To remove the top, the hinge rod would need to be removed. That might be more trouble then it's worth.

 

[lbgradwell]

A noble & very worthwhile project!

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

 

[Outlawmws]

Did you get the drawers out? two possibilities:

In post one pic one it almost looks like there is the tip of a lever on one slide? these are rare, but were made: "lift and separate!"

Otherwise, you need to open the drawer fully, hold the slide and push in the drawer a quarter to half inch or so, and slide a strip if metal in behind the slide. You want it to have the slightest bend up at the tip so it doesn't catch on the piece of metal spot welded on the drawer to catch a spot on the slide. then pull the slide out.

 

[Outlawmws]

To remove the top, the hinge rod would need to be removed. That might be more trouble then it's worth.

not recommended.