Switching drawers around

[senor fozz]

Just bought a '88 SO Kr series box don't remember the model number, Kr5xx.

edit: it is a KR527

Drawers go 3 shallow 3 med, 1 deep at the bottom. I want to sell it but modify it so that One of the medium depth drawers is in the place of 2 shallow. (Just following market trend and be able to set it apart from the pack). It looks like it works but don't know yet. Yes I know i will have to cut new grooves for the one shallow drawer if in fact 2 shallow= 1 med.

If anyone has done this please respond, or something similar.

Btw i searched and the only thread i found was on the kr1000.

I attached a pic of the box bottom is out because the slides were shot.

 

[zkling]

I don't follow. Is it missing a drawer as it sits? How did it come when you bought it (mind if I ask what you paid?)?

So are you just moving the drawers around or removing drawers and replacing them with drawers from a donor box? I personally think you would be better to sell it with the shallow, med and deep drawers, gives more storage and options.

Yes I know i will have to cut new grooves for the one shallow drawer if in fact 2 shallow= 1 med.
shot.

I would rather have a stock box than one some guy tried to modify. As soon as you start cutting that thing, me thinks are you going to decrease value. I still don't follow why you want to do this.

EDIT, how wide is it and what is the model number. IIRC the KR557 is 7 drawer 33" wide bottom. The KR555 is a much larger, 36" wide, 9 drawer box.

 

[senor fozz]

It is a KR527, looked a the SO parts catalog. I believe it is 33" wide. I want to put one of the center drawers were the 2 of top drawers currently are.


I don't have to tell the buyer I modified it. Secondly it will take 6 notches on the inner wall and one on the locking bar. I will make a template using the existing notches in the box, not that hard. Or i can be lazy and just rivet the slides into place and not cut out the notches. Besides if my theory is right i can put it back in its original configuration and no one besides me will know.

The reason for doing this is because all the new boxes on the market have a deep drawer on the top that allows you to have your deep sockets stand up on end.

The bottom drawer is not on the box because the slides were broken and i gave them to a friend to have them warrantied(not relevant for answering).

I bought it with the top box for 400.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

I don't follow. Is it missing a drawer as it sits? How did it come when you bought it (mind if I ask what you paid?)?

So are you just moving the drawers around or removing drawers and replacing them with drawers from a donor box? I personally think you would be better to sell it with the shallow, med and deep drawers, gives more storage and options.



I would rather have a stock box than one some guy tried to modify. As soon as you start cutting that thing, me thinks are you going to decrease value. I still don't follow why you want to do this.


That makes me wonder also????

 

[zkling]

It is a KR527, looked a the SO parts catalog.

Interesting I have never heard of a KR527. What are the dimensions? What year was it made? I haven't seen it in any of the older SO catalogs.

I don't have to tell the buyer I modified it. Secondly it will take 6 notches on the inner wall and one on the locking bar. I will make a template using the existing notches in the box, not that hard. Or i can be lazy and just rivet the slides into place and not cut out the notches.

That is SUPER shady and dishonest.

Rivets, great. Should be nice when someone loads it up with heavy socket and then the drawer unexpectedly falls out.

The reason for doing this is because all the new boxes on the market have a deep drawer on the top that allows you to have your deep sockets stand up on end.

Are you also going to convert it to ball bearing to compete with the other new boxes on the market? What is this contraption going to retail for?

The bottom drawer is not on the box because the slides were broken and i gave them to a friend to have them warrantied(not relevant for answering).

I bought it with the top box for 400.

Good deal, I assume it came with a KR537 variant? I personally think you would be best to replace the bottom slides and sell it as is. You may get lucky and find someone that wants that "improved" configuration, but more than likely I think you will be shooting yourself in the foot. Just my opinion though.

 

[senor fozz]

If i did do the mod I would cut the notches, for the one shallow drawer slides. The other shallow would use the existing slides for the center drawer that is being moved up. And the new top drawer would use the slides for the second from the top drawer.

It already is ball bearing they only difference between it and current KRL is depth and the drawers don't have the side locking features that allow you to move the box with the drawers opening. Plus if I mod it how I plan, I can put it back to its original configuration if someone wants it put back to it.

The only reason why I started this thread is because i don't want to remove the top slides to check if the center works with the existing second set of slides.

As for price it is what ever the buyer will pay I didn't over pay for it in fact the opposite. I would like to get 800 for the set once I'm done, likely to settle at 600 if it sits for to long.

With that said if you can't offer any helpful info on actually doing this mod, and just your opinions about morality and what you prefer. I will politely ask you to saunter off.

 

[zkling]

I really don't understand what the problem is. You have a medium size drawer, you have shallow size drawers, I assume you own a tape measure.

I think the only thing you would have to worry about is where the holes need to be to mount the runners for the mid size drawer. That is in relation to the location where the two slides for the small drawers were.. Just off the top of my head I think that they will end up over lapping or be so close that they might tear through. I kinda doubt that you will find someone that has done this in the past. Probably be much easier to take it apart and see for your self.

Actually you could probably just slide all the drawers out and stick your head where the bottom drawer was. Since the bottom drawer is out that should be real eazy. You may want to set something heavy on top or ask your roommate to hold the box as to prevent it from tipping over with all the drawers at full extension. It would at least give you a good look at what you are up against.

Interesting on the BB slides. The SO parts catalog list it as friction runners.

zkling, sauntering.....

 

[CWP1616L]

Yes I know i will have to cut new grooves for the one shallow drawer if in fact 2 shallow= 1 med.

You don't have to cut any slots at all, they're already there. You just gotta move the slides up or down however you want to accommodate the new drawer configuration. If you look at the inner wall, there's more slots than there is slides; that's so you can move the drawers around. Snap-on already thought of this.

 

[senor fozz]

You don't have to cut any slots at all, they're already there. You just gotta move the slides up or down however you want to accommodate the new drawer configuration. If you look at the inner wall, there's more slots than there is slides; that's so you can move the drawers around. Snap-on already thought of this.

That is a negative. I already had all the drawers out(sliding lock would retract down to lock the drawers). Would have already done it if that was the case. I know they do this on KRL and KRSC now, don't know about KRA though. They did not do it for this particular model(likely cost savings).

 

[ChevyEFI]

I want to put one of the center drawers were the 2 of top drawers currently are.

The reason for doing this is because all the new boxes on the market have a deep drawer on the top that allows you to have your deep sockets stand up on end.

I would have done it to keep the shallow drawers for myself so I didn't have too many medium deep drawers.

Kind of a neat project, though I'm not sure the effect on sales will be as strong as the "gotta do it because I want it that way for my own use" factor.

More pictures as you progress please.

Actually you could probably just slide all the drawers out and stick your head where the bottom drawer was.

 

[CWP1616L]

That is a negative. I already had all the drawers out(sliding lock would retract down to lock the drawers). Would have already done it if that was the case. I know they do this on KRL and KRSC now, don't know about KRA though. They did not do it for this particular model(likely cost savings).

If that's the case, then you should leave it like it is. Originality is next to godliness. The box looks like a KR557F.

 

[mds5951]

If I'm paying snap on prices, I'd want an original, unhacked box.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

Seems like a plan to make more work for yourself but selling it for the same price. If you're just selling it, leave it be and let the buyer deal with the work if they don't like the layout.