Show us your Kennedys

[INSP380]

Somedays, things are just ment to be. I’ve been watching this box on FBM for a few weeks now. I was putting together a desl on a 526 & a MC28 that just never came together. I had this sitting on the back burner as a next in line. It really should have been first! To say I was familiar with a Red 520 would have been a understatement. What I did know, was they were offered. Before pulling the trigger, I reched out to Kathy @ Kennedy. Her customer service & knowledge is incredible. My biggest concern had to deal with the missing ID tag. I learned that on this model box, for a short time, they used a white paper tag that hardley stuck. Kathy settled my fears there. Next we looked at the drawers and pulls and mstched them to the suspected time period…. Check. The Kennedy tube lockset was discussed, but that could be changed or added if someone was “cloning” one. Then I asked about the lack of a signature & mentioned how the lid was marked. She replied, this is a government issue 520G. It was built between 2007-2015. I was now confident it was a legit military Kennedy. On a side note, she also told me they are done making Machinist boxes…

Fast forward, I buy the box off a retired Gunsmith. He boss actually bought him the box at auction , but he did not use it because he had another 520. He started at $150 for the box but had zero hits on it. I started watching it at $80, then he dropped the price to $60 shortly after I lost the 526. He did say, BTW the auction number must be written on the side. You should be able to wipe that nonsense off.

Once I got home I couldn’t believe how clean this box was. I’d go as far as to say it’s practically N.O.S. Those numbers on the side kept eating at me…. hmmm, could I find out when it was auctioned? Turns out, that number is a NIN ( N.A.T.O Identification Number) … U.S. Gov, D.O.D or Military use. This positively identifies this box as a 520G.

This Box is COOL…Hope you enjoy it!

 

[INSP380]

More…

 

[INSP380]

More…

 

[INSP380]

What that Sharpie number on the side is…

 

[Max]

Nice score. You got an awesome price on a great box.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

Here’s a couple of my set-up at work. Kinda hard to get anything close to good photos when it’s wedged between a couple of VMCs. I personally love the wrinkle brown paint because it hides machine shop dirt so well. It’s never been cleaned in five years and still looks brand new. My gloss paint Craftsman I started with would have to get wiped down every few weeks due to all the **** that would accumulate on it.

I also have a side shelf attachment for the tablet and my water bottle. It’s been holding up really well and I’m happy with my Kennedy.

 

[INSP380]

Spent the afternoon cleaning up this 270 I just picked up.

Steve

 

[elmer]

Here are my 2 Kennedy boxes. The smaller one is pretty old I believe.

 

[INSP380]

Here are my 2 Kennedy boxes. The smaller one is pretty old I believe

That 520 looks to be in great shape!

Steve

 

[JustVicingIt]

Recently picked up an early 80's case and this was inside. Figured y'all would enjoy perusing it. 1983 Catalog

 

[JustVicingIt]

continued

 

[JustVicingIt]

last batch



bonus parts catalog brochure

 

[AJHD]

One of these days I want to buy a Kennedy. My father had a rolling cab and top box when I was a kid. My mother bought it for him. He kept in the hall closest in our apartment. There is just something nostalgic about them for me.

 

[KnurledNut]

Thanks for uploading the catalog @JustVicingIt
That’s a great resource.


I have a few of the Kennedy boxes shown in those pages.

 

[rust in the eye]

Saved this poor old guy (a #260 I'm guessing is late 50s vintage) that lost it's lid and front panel.
After cleaning up all the friction slides the drawers are working smoothly. Still a quality box.
It will live in the bottom of my tool cart holding stuff for auto electric repair.
I have the original hinges for the lid if anyone needs them for a restoration send me a PM.

 

[amgent57]

Two roller cabinets
Two mid boxes
Two full width top boxes
Two shorty top boxes.

If it ain't brown krinkle,
It ain't a Kennedy.

 

[JustVicingIt]

My recent find all cleaned up.

Thanks for uploading the catalog @JustVicingIt
That’s a great resource.


I have a few of the Kennedy boxes shown in those pages.

not a problem! I’ll get around to doing a proper scan and turning it into pdf for better perusal too

 

[dr_clyde]

Y'all gotta post some interior drawer pics!

The boxes are cool, but machinist tool setups are always interesting to see.

 

[JustVicingIt]

I use mine for woodworking tools, but the tools that need to be protected more are in it.


Still filling it out, but you get the idea.

 

[dr_clyde]

Here’s my Kennedy setup. Mine is a mid- 80’s Journeyman setup with a 2 drawer riser. I have it on a Snap-on KRA 4107.

The Kennedy boxes my dad bought new when he was a tool and die maker somewhere around ‘84 or so. He changed careers to commercial construction in the early 90s, so these boxes got mothballed. I remember them sitting in my dad’s shop in our barn on the farm growing up. He gifted them to me when I got into machining shortly out of high school.



I use this box for most of my basic measuring and gaging tools. Because it sits next to my CNC lathe, it also holds the tooling for that machine. Because I use this box in my shop and not at my day job, it doesn’t need to hold many general tools like sockets or screwdrivers. Those are in my mechanics box.

Up top is where I keep transfer punches, a set of metric and inch hex wrenches and a few 123 blocks. I also have a bottle of tool oil and a bottle of air tool oil up here.



Top left has small hole gages, some quoins, and toolmakers balls.



Below that is a bunch of hand ground HSS tool bits and a few blanks. I use these a lot, most of them are in a different box now, I should probably move these and use the drawer for something else.



Next drawer down has chuck keys, Morse taper drifts and some tap wrenches.



My dad’s machinery’s handbook. I have a current version on my desk, but it’s handy to have out in the shop occasionally.



Top right is full of gages for threads, drills and other check gages. I also have a set of weld fillet gages here too.



Below those I keep mirrors, magnets and my nail clippers. Mirrors are super handy to inspect a weird feature or read an indicator in a hard to see location.



Next down is a drawer of misc taps and tap extensions. This mostly is to save a trip to the vidmar, I really should clean this drawer out too.



Last of the little drawers is mostly transfer screws and countersinks. There are a few extractors in there and some center drills.



To be continued, hit the max upload per post.

 

[dr_clyde]

The first full width drawer has all my rules and scales, as well as several other common machinist hand tools like edge finders, deburring handles, a sine bar, etc.



Next down is my mic drawer. Mitutoyo carbide faced tenths mics up to 6”, and a pair of depth mics. I also keep my tool setting indicator in here.



The next drawer down is my indicator drawer.
I use indicators frequently and have a broad selection to choose from. Some I bought new, most were inherited or bought used. I’ve had a few rebuilt, but most are still perfectly working despite being decades old. Interapid, Starrett, Mitutoyo and a Federal or two. Theres also a Lufkin ID Mic set here, it just fits better here vs the mic drawer.



Moving down to the top drawer of the riser, this is probably my most used drawer. I use the telescoping gages and the 12” calipers daily. I manufacture a product line that is mostly turned diameters and bores, but with pretty loose tolerances so I can just quickly measure with a telescope gage and caliper and easily hold .005”.



The bottom drawer of the riser is mostly heavy things that I don’t use often. Two sizes of letter/number stamps, some shell mill arbors, the box to the big depth mic with the rods I don’t use and a set of long transfer punches for common SHCS clearance holes.



Before we get into the bottom box, there side of the box has some commonly used tools.

I use these two indicators daily, so I keep them out and mounted to NOGA bases. The Interapid is a vertical style I use to sweep in bores on the CNC mill, as I don’t have probing. The Mitutoyo 1” dial I use all the time on the Bridgeport so I don’t have to count dial turns as that machine doesn’t have a DRO yet.


The vise is a 6” Polish FPU that belonged to my great grandfather. He died before I was born, but my dad gave it to me and I had it bolted to my bench on our farm. At some point maybe 15 years ago I stripped it, gave it a paint job and put copper jaws on it. It’s bolted to a 1/2” thick steel plate that I had laser cut back when I worked out of a similar Heritage box.

The impact wrench I use to change lathe chuck jaws.

 

[dr_clyde]

The Snap-on box on the bottom is mostly for the CNC lathe, but I do keep some general machining tools in it for now.

I strongly dislike Kennedys roll cabinets, I think they’re very light duty and the slides fail way too early. They are also not wide enough to hold stuff like 24” calipers or other long machinist tools. So I went with a 40” snap on. I’d prefer a classic or something a bit heavier duty, but this works.

First drawer is most of the tool holders and turret tooling for my lathe. Boring bars, threading tools, that kind of thing. Most of the tooling stays in the turret, so this is mostly just stuff I use occasionally.



This drawer holds all the inserts and small fussy bits for the lathe, as well as the jaw boring ring. I also keep the programming and operating manual here, as I occasionally need to reference a parameter or something and it’s faster than going into the office.



Next down is a blend of lathe specific hand tools and some measuring tools that don’t fit upstairs. Radius gages, a tri-lobe mic and a metric dial caliper live here, I also keep an assortment of stones here. The wrenches and other hand tools are dedicated to this machine or the mill behind me, and I don’t want to go looking for a crescent wrench or a pair of pliers when I need to change out a tool or some loc-line.



Next down is all my chuck jaws. Nothing fancy here, just a lot of jaws.



Next down is a drawer of long or awkward shaped tools. My 24” calipers, a small height gage, my torque wrench for CAT 40 collet chucks, and my precision levels. Plus a random tape measure apparently.



Next floor down is mostly bore gages, but I have a set of parallels in here as well as a tramming indicator for the Bridgeport. And a box of loc-line fittings plus the assembly pliers. I also keep some large tap wrenches here, but they probably should be in another drawer.



Basement floor is heavy stuff. A small rotary table that doesn’t get used anymore, some big vee blocks, a right angle plate and a swivel base for a Kurt vise. When I’m not taking a picture of this drawer, the front cover for the Kennedy also lives here.



So that’s my machinist setup.

Mostly used to run a 2 axis lathe and a 3 axis VMC, as well as the usual compliment of manual machines.

If I ever took a job machining for someone else I’d probably get a new box for the lathe specific stuff, or just get a different bottom box and move my stuff over. For what I do, it works good for me. It’s central to all my machines, and I don’t need to walk more than a few steps from any machine in my shop to get a caliper or whatever.

 

[INSP380]

Spent some time today down in the shop. Got the box's finally lined up and starting to organize. Left to right…Kennedy 520 G, Kennedy 620, and (2) Waterloo Craftsmans. Once I get my 270 / 5150 / MC28 / 526 down there I can start to load them up.

Steve

 

[jmarkwolf]

Full disclosure, the bottom right box is a craftsman.

 

[driftpin]

I liked dr. clyde's comprehensive pics and details.

I started collecting tools as a teenager in the 1960's. In the 1970's I used to visit 2 or 3 Miami FL flea markets each Sunday. I got some decent Kennedy boxes. A couple of machinist's chests, and a hip-roof box are still around. I also have a Kennedy workbench I got for free, it was on a waste heap outside a warehouse south of Ft. Lauderdale. A bit of work reinforcing things w/2x4's and a lower open shelf, and disassembling everything to build it properly, because evidently the O.P. didn't read the directions.





Much-more sturdy w/the 2x4's!



In a storage garage.



I looked on CL after I'd done my mods and stuck it into use, and found the same basic workbench, asking price of $500.

 

[engineer2]

My dad's old Kennedy from the 1950's. He was a tool and die maker before he became an engineer.
Lots of lathe bits, Starrett and some B&S tools. He worked for Chicago Forging in the 1950's, maker of hood hinges and such for General Motors. I could probably part with it since I don't have room (or a lathe). Are they worth restoring?

 

[50of4064]

Over the years, I have picked up a few Kennedys.. I am not an machinest, but when the price was too good to pass up...and I needed some storage for my shooting/reloading bits...so 4- 520 7 drawer and a 206vc 6 drawer.

 

[rust in the eye]

Free hinges for Kennedy tool chest
I recently bought an old Kennedy mechanic's chest, #260 that is missing the lid, see post # 95 this thread. The hinges were still there but now removed and offered to anyone willing to pay for postage.
send a private message if you'd like them.

 

[OldDoItAll]

Picked up this Kennedy cabinet from a CraigsList seller the other day. I was rather disappointed that it didn't have ball bearing glides but the drawers opened and closed fine. Even without the ball bearing glides I didn't hesitate giving the seller his $75.00 asking price.
Does anyone know if Kennedy's replacement ball bearing glides will fit this 297R cabinet?

 

[Tom Graham]

What’s a fair price for this VERY nice mid 2000’s era, small Kennedy 3-piece set with a:

• 526 box
• 2600B riser and
• 275B base (standard friction drawer slides)

…too bad it doesn’t have the middle box!

 

[Tom Graham]

I have recently purchased this used 3-piece Kennedy set and will be picking it up on Wednesday of this week.

• 27″ 2-Drawer Machinists’ Chest Base: 5150
• 29″ 5-Drawer Mechanics’ Chest: 2805X
• 29″ 7-Drawer Roller Cabinet: 297XB

(instead of the set in my post immediately above.)

 

[elmer]

Got a great deal on this bottom box at an auction a few months back. $80.00.
Didn't think I would like the wheels but man it really rolls around easy.

 

[paulsomlo]

I don't have any Kennedys - can I post a picture of my Johnson, instead?

 

[INSP380]

Spent some time today down in the shop. Got the box's finally lined up and starting to organize. Left to right…Kennedy 520 G, Kennedy 620, and (2) Waterloo Craftsmans. Once I get my 270 / 5150 / MC28 / 526 down there I can start to load them up.

Steve

Finally got mine down to my inside shop and all stacked up..

Steve

 

[Ultradog MN]

I upgraded my tool cabinets and boxes from the hodge-podge I had this fall. Got rid of several Kennedy machinist boxes and risers. Was surprised Nobody wanted them - couldn't even get a call...
But they needed to be gone so I kept renewing the ads and dropping the price till they finally sold.
I did keep one - an old 520 that I have on the wall by my drill press. I use it for center and spotting drills, chucks extra chuck keys, drill drifts, stray bits and the like.

 

[Tom Graham]

How is the model number depicted on the Kennedy sticker on the 297XB (29″ 7-Drawer Roller Cabinet)? (with a serial number or date?)

Mine Is missing and I’ve asked @mattblast to help recreate it.


On my 27″ 2-Drawer Machinists’ Chest Base - SKU: 5150, it is shown with a serial number: 5150 - 00318977

Whereas on my 29″ 5-Drawer Mechanics’ Chest - SKU: 2805XB, is shown with a date: 2805XB 07/07/04

But the original sticker on my 29″ 7-Drawer Roller Cabinet - SKU: 297XB is missing.

 

[Tom Graham]

Can the serial number on a Kennedy directly (or indirectly) help to determine the year of manufacture?

As examples, I’ve seen some (520 or 526’s) with a 3, 4, 5 and 6 digit serial number.

At least in some cases, do the first two digits depict the 2 digit year within the 21st century?

 

[Tom Graham]

How is the model number depicted on the Kennedy sticker on the 297XB (29″ 7-Drawer Roller Cabinet)? (with a serial number or date?)

Mine Is missing and I’ve asked @mattblast to help recreate it.
…
But the original sticker on my 29″ 7-Drawer Roller Cabinet - SKU: 297XB is missing.

GJ user @mattblast has recreated these (out of production) Kennedy decals for me. As usual, they’ve turned out perfect. IF anyone confirms that the style no. sticker on the 297XB (29″ 7-Drawer Roller Cabinet) should have been issued with a serial number (rather than a date), please do update me.

Now with a 520 top box from the same period (approx 2004), my Kennedy set of 4 is complete (even protected by new drawer liners and top mat).

Tom

 

[Tom Graham]

For those of you collecting or restoring Kennedy 520 7-drawer machinist top boxes far longer, can you confirm whether this decal (green and gold Kennedy Kits) would be the correct era decal for this vintage 520 sample (shown in the images later below)?



And wasn’t this decal affixed on the upper inside face of the drop panel (between the pull rivets and detent)?

These are all of the feature elements that I could identify to cause me to attribute the era…

• Lid (square corners, two horizontal reinforcement ridges on the underside, Kennedy signature, pivot support (left side only))
• Leather handle (u-shaped)
• Hinge (typical piano style - 5 rivets)
• Latches (Plated, late Excelsior lock)
• Friction slide rails (no patent number stamped on any)
• Drawer pulls (smooth faced plastic (Bakelite?), two split-rivet attachment)
• Drop panel (pull and attachment identical to drawer pulls)

Here are a few “Before” photos.

The box had been well used. One of the former owners, Bill Gordon boldly (spray?) painted his name on the end of the box. The name appeared worn, very faded and illegible when dirty, but when cleaned with some Murphy’s Oil Soap (and before dry), it still tells the story of its owner. It has the typical few small dents, dings and scratches. But essentially no rust at all. The original green felt in the drawers reflected use the most. Much was gone; the rest covered with what appeared to be floor tiles cut to size.

The vast majority of the patina will remain. It has been well cleaned, especially the slides which were re-lube, the felt gently removed with warm water (and the drawer interiors primed and painted.)

(I’ll reserve a placeholder post for some ”After” photos to be added as soon as I’ve installed new felt (incoming) …using hide glue.)

 

[Tom Graham]

AFTER: And now here are a few “after“ photos of this vintage 7-drawer 520 Kennedy. Other than cleaning, the only thing that is not original are the new brown felt drawer liners from Kennedy (and an extra key). Even though I was about to cover the drawer interiors with new felt, I did prep all them with Rustoleum primer and then the Rustolemum Camo “Flat Earth Brown” (that I had seen recommended as a close color match — it’s not.)

It will keep its original patina and is ready to go back into service.