The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

[posaune]

I have a second toolbox I picked up for five bucks at a yardsale. I has a lot of rust but I think I can clean it up. The only redeming quality is that it is a craftsman. I think it may be from the 80s due to the sticker. But for 5 bucks I thought it would be a decent project. I was able to heat the back of the drawer and then get the stickers to peel off. Does anyone have one like it, I was wondering the original colors. It has rust all over it but its not through. Here is a picture. I have the drawers out but sitting in the openings. It says it is a rally box.

Wow, I think it took some talent to make that one such a mess. I have a similar one and it is indeed from the late '80s/early '90s. Mine is wrinkle black and then the usual Craftsman satin black on the drawers. The tray inside that is attached to the lid is red.




While I'm here, I should show an updated pic (albeit not a very good one!) of my Remline top box. I got bored last week and decided to clean the slides. Somehow I ended up painting it too...

 

[crewchief888]

gonna clean these up when i get a chance

those are some tough old boxes, and will serve you well

 

[55Savoy]

Here is an Old Rem Line I picked up for cheep, can anybody date it. It is in very nice shape just needs a good cleaning and maybe some paint some day.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I just drug an old one I had from storage in my shop. Its a old wooden one that has some kind of covering on it. The covering almost looks like paper but I don't think it is. It doesn't seem to be leather either. So I am not sure of what it is. I also do not know what it was used for. Anyone have an idea of what it could have been used for? It is at least 3 feet long. Here is photos

Anyone have suggestions on cleaning it, the age, or what it was made for? My dad picked it up and I inherited this one. I didn't pay much attention to it until I got into this site. I think I will pt it up on the wall as a display.

That's a carpenter's box. He would have kept a saw in the lid - the blade went under the strap and the handle went over that block on the other end.

I'm guessing the covering is some sort of leatherette or oilcloth. Maybe you could do some looking for information on how people restore antique trunks, there may be some tips that would apply.

 

[May Pop]

About 1975 on the Rem Line . Thats the era of my boxes.

 

[jon619]

I love the handles on the old Remline boxes because of the picture of the little dude. So cool.

 

[55Savoy]

Picked this old SnapOn box today , a good cleaning and adjust the lid and it will be ready for use. Will someone give me a model and year for it, I have search the whole thing including the drawer bottoms and guides, no markings other than the logo on the front. What year did SnapOn change from the Silver/Gray to the Red paint?

 

[Outlawmws]

I think I have most of my vintage boxes in this thread (possibly missed a few), here's on more, it's an old Kennedy (looks like an MBC, who knows?). I'm actually down to just a few vintage boxes, sold most of them, this ones on the chopping block as well.

I have that style bottom box (Kennedy) in brown wrinkle, with three drawers on the bottom, and 3 full width on top, plus 2 @ 1/2 width as the top row. Very distinctive drawer pulls!

 

[Outlawmws]

My latest find...

As found:

24 hours later:

Excellent cleanup job! I have that things dark side twin. I got it as a curb PU needing a caster or two...

I used it to swap out the Powr-Kraft three drawer unit I was using for a welding bench, mostly to use the PK bolted back to back with an identical PK (Also a Cub PU needing a caster or two) and they (sanded and painted) became the stand for my 12" AMF radial arm saw. I notched a plywood section to top them smooth.

Back to the old Craftsman, It got painted red (What I had - I was between jobs at the time) Got the 1/2" steel plate top from the PK trimmed down and put on top, and a 12 X 18 side box that holds my 120V Lincoln Mig welder perfectly hooked over the right side. The left side has a fold up shelf, and has a small bench grinder, and a small but deep stroke bench vise on it, grounded to the 1/2" plate and holds 90% of my welding jobs....

 

[Outlawmws]

I have the twin of the one on the left Let me know if you find a date on yours.

The one you have is about 1954 +-. I found mine/yours in a 1954 craftsman tools catalog pdf.

I also recently got the same year "Cadillac" roller at an estate sale recently for about $15. - Also from 1954. No major dents, and the only serious damage was one drawer front had about 4-5 spot welds popped loose and was sagging. I de-rusted between the break, and sanded both sides to bare metal, and spot welded it back in place (God it's nice when you have the right tools...)

We spent part of the past weekend sanding and painting, and my kids finished sanding the last three drawers today, and tomorrow AM I paint the three drawer fronts, all else has been painted Hammer-tone Grey, and almost perfect match to the original color.

This roller is interesting because it has an aluminum trim piece on the top edge, and a black Masonite top insert (It was still there, and in decent shape), also with an aluminum trim piece.

The drawers are also interesting no drawer pulls! Each drawer is inlet to allow catching the lower edge of the drawer above to open it! sort of art deco considering its mid fifties.

 

[Outlawmws]

I've been waivering on a resto on this one.
A little body work, a bead blast, and a rattle can finish.
Anyone know what paint would be a close match to the original?

It should be Rustoleum Hammer-tone Grey. it was near perfect for my 1954 roller, similar style/age and yours appears to be also 1954 +-

 

[Outlawmws]

Re: Just picked up this Remline / Wards Powr-Kraft today

That is the nicest PK top and bottom set I've seen. usually they are 3 drawers on the bottom...

I think I may have paid too much for this ($140), but when I saw it in the local second-hand shop, I had to have it. I was looking for a vintage Kennedy to house my machinist tools, but when I saw this, I liked it even more.

I don't know whether to try to preserve the original patina, or completely tear it down and re-chrome the drawer pulls, paint it, etc.

It even has the original lift-out tray in the top:

What vintage is this logo? 1960's ??

 

[Outlawmws]

I was so happy with how this one turned out I bought two more this weekend.

The plan is to match them to the first and then build a workbench around them. A steel framed bench with 3 bays that the chests can roll into place underneath.

Oddly enough I passed up a very cool largish Plomb chest for $40 and several Kennedy cantilever boxes for these lowly craftys. Crazy? Sure but honestly I could use these old craftsmans as kitchen cabinets I like the look so much.

If you look closely you can see the advancing years. The first box with it's wide strap drawer pulls is obviously earlier, then the rusty box is identical but with narrow stamped pulls. The third and nicest chest has the same drawer pulls but the back corners are square instead of rounded indicating more modern construction.

The one on the left appears to be 1957 +- the one on the right throws me. the box style would appear to be 1954 +-, but the logo says 1960's, also the 1954 box had a raised area to frame the logo, and was dead center on the bottom drawer above the drawer pull.

Maybe they resurrected the design in the 60's? - a 66 catalog does show one similar, only its 2 drawer bottom with a 2 drawer top; by 68 the design was gone, but it might have been used earlier in the 60's, although the 1960 catalog does not show any bottoms or tops with those drawer pulls.

I could not find your first box with the wide drawer pulls, and I checked 49, 54, 57, 60, 66, and 68 catalogs. Possibly it's not a Craftsman? The earlier boxes usually had a raised embossed frame for the log plate. It may have been made by whoever was making Craftsman boxes though...

 

[Outlawmws]

OK, I have Before and After pics of the 1954 Craftsman!

And there were really no major, or even minor dents in it anywhere!

I'm happy with how it came out. All the Drawers were painted inside and out, and all the rust is gone, primed, and painted Hammer-Tone Grey (Rustoleum).

I did about 1/2 the prep and the kids did the other half. in the before pics, the red corner on one drawer was where I used spotting putty to smooth out the damage the sopt welder did when I re-welded that corner.

All the spot welds in the vertical edge were popped loose as were a couple on the bottom edge. The side "collapsed" a bit and the damaged drawer would hit on the bottom drawer front. All better now!

4 rollers on 2 drawers were replaced with washers by the PO, and I didn't like that. The rollers were 1" diameter bearings, and the local hardware stores were of no help, nor was my collection of misc. bearings. What I did get was some shower door rollers that were 7/8" and other than having to make and install 4 drawer stops for the 3rd and 4th drawers, they work great!

Enough talk; here are the pics:


Before overall:

Logo

Drawers, before and after:

And After!

 

[ZRX61]

Thanks for the date on mine

 

[oak_park]

Great Job Outlawmws. It looks new. What a great piece.

 

[Outlawmws]

Thanks Oak,

General question: for a vintage box, and since I'm planning on keeping all my vintage tools in this box, what is appropriate? I like the new "woven" rubber mats, but I don't think that was around in '54.

Paper? Ive seen that in some old boxes, and I have a roll of heavy painter's paper (sort of a reddish brown?) and I did use that in a set of drawers I used to store hardware.

Opinions or ideas?

 

[Outlawmws]

Well, I remembered that I had seen old tool boxes with their drawers lined with cork, so we went to Lowe's and got three 48" rolls of 1/16" cork mat. My Daughter helped cut them out and now we need to train them to lay flat. I have a bunch of wrenches and what not out of my old tool collections setting on the top two drawers as these were all cut to fit the divided compartments, as being small, they want to curl up.

But it is looking good! I'll try for pics this weekend.

 

[Tim Cowan]

This red SO box was used to hold guide tools and grinding stones for a valve seat grinder set. I have one much like it only a little taller. I bought mine in 1964 and it was old then from a former auto shop.

 

[Amitygravel]

Got this a few weeks ago at a garage sale. Strange enough it was in the 'free' pile !

 

[Outlawmws]

Well, I remembered that I had seen old tool boxes with their drawers lined with cork, so we went to Lowe's and got three 48" rolls of 1/16" cork mat. My Daughter helped cut them out and now we need to train them to lay flat. I have a bunch of wrenches and what not out of my old tool collections setting on the top two drawers as these were all cut to fit the divided compartments, as being small, they want to curl up.

But it is looking good! I'll try for pics this weekend.

Pic of of the top drawer - cork lined, with some tools "training" it to be flat...

 

[dittle fart around]

Here is my Kennedy Kits box.

Is that polished or painted? Looks very cool thanks for the post.

 

[mrgm]

You guys are doing some nice work

 

[Outlawmws]

Got an SK Box with a tray and a matching small 1/4" socket set box, Need to figure out what gets put in there and where in the garage it will go...

Not planning on repainting this one. It's in pretty good shape as is, (And where would I ever get the right shade of green wrinkle paint?) I cleaned it well, and carefully knocked out a few dings and dents, mostly in the tray sides, and its handle.

This second box I've had a while. I dug it out to start using to store some small vise's and anvils, and get them off the Garage floor and work room shelves.

I'm undecided if this is a factory made box, or something built by a sheet metal worker, possibly as a school/apprenticeship project. I'd say it's not a manufactured box, except some details are pretty advanced for shop made. not impossible, mind you, but tricky. these include:

• The bead about 1/2" below the lower box edge.
• The wrapped metal handle, and its "keepers"
• not one but two inside trays
• The "Mortised" hinges
• The two sets of lips to hold the two trays at different levels so they can be slid past each other.

It's also very heavy gauge sheet metal, and is not galvanized, so maybe not a sheet metal worker; possibly an Iron Worker?

In either case, I'd place this box into the nineteen twenties at least, possibly older, based on weight of sheet metal and the workmanship.

Anyone else have one similar?

 

[Amitygravel]

Outlaw ,
You come up with the neatest stuff.
Something about that box in your last post looks familiar.
Seems to me my Father had one with a very similar lid.
I have it ......, somewhere. It will be several weeks before I can look for it.
Dad bought most of his stuff a Montgomery Ward , Sears or J.C Penny.
That box does have a look to it that just seems Depression era to me.

Regardless , very cool ! Thanks for the photos.


Craig

 

[Outlawmws]

Outlaw ,
You come up with the neatest stuff.
Something about that box in your last post looks familiar.
Seems to me my Father had one with a very similar lid.
I have it ......, somewhere. It will be several weeks before I can look for it.
Dad bought most of his stuff a Montgomery Ward , Sears or J.C Penny.
That box does have a look to it that just seems Depression era to me.

Regardless , very cool ! Thanks for the photos.


Craig

Definitely like to see pics of your dads old tool box.

I once had my dad's old tool box, once of those big "hip roof" box's with the two sided top and the big tray with a pipe-like handle. I can't remember exactly what ever happened to it, I think I gave to to a friend to use as a job site box. The are **** as tool boxes, but that one would have had some history...

 

[Outlawmws]

I came up with two more tool boxes; one last Sunday, and another this AM.

First up is the old Hip top box from last Sunday:

I'm pretty sure this one was factory made. If it was shop built, it was made by a Master Tinner!

Both the top and the upper edge of the box are reinforced with wire. the sides are NOT going to flex on this one! Heavy wire handle solidly attached to the top. the Hasp was formed around the sets or wire reinforcement, and the corners of the box at the wire reinforcement are mitered perfectly.

The top has additional reinforcement inside, and that tray was found in the bottom after I got it home, I had no idea it was even there! When I was looking at it, it was full of junk, which I told the seller I didn't want, he dumped that into a bucket and here we are.

The tray is unique as I've never seem one with finger hooks like that. An interesting approach that keeps the tray accessible.

Here is the tray and you can just see the tab of one of two reinforcement straps that go lengthwise on the box bottom, providing both reinforcement of the bottom, and wear rails to keep the bottom from being scrubbed away on concrete and other abrasive surfaces.

Next up is a three drawer Craftsman top box, an early edition as it is just under 25" wide. I think this to be a match to my 1954 craftsman 3 drawer roller based on the emblem and drawer pulls, which is doing duty as my welding bench.

It will need some TLC as the top has separated from the piano hinge, and the box is about 1/2 separated from the hinge. I'll probably fully detach it from the box, strip it and the box and top to bare clean metal and spot weld it all back on.

The top drawer slides are good to go, the other two will need cleaned and greased, and the front face of the bottom drawer is starting to separate, so will also get re-spot welded.

You don't see corners reinforced like this anymore!

The top had two sets of reinforcements: the usual ones across the top flat and additional reinforcement at the sides. This box has the drawer lock mechanism, near the front and on the sides instead of the back, so this may allow me to date the box better.

I'll probably start with a power wash on the old hip box, and see what is under the gunge, ultimately it will probably get an electrolysis bath, and new paint.

The Craftsman is already on its second paint job. I'm pretty sure it was red to begin with, but I'm undecided if this won't get a Hammertone gray paint job and placed on top of my other 5 drawer 54 Craftsman I recently re-did (see above...)

 

[Outlawmws]

Well, I verified two things: the latest 3 drawer top is ~1954, and it did come in "machinery gray" in '54 which was what Craftsman called Hammertone gray. I posted the page for the 54 roller boxes in this post of this thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1672355&postcount=532

And now I have all three, the "best" 5 drawer, the 3 drawer bottom which is my welding "Bench" and now the 3 drawer top!.

If I ever find the Carpenters box, I'm have all the boxes on that page!

The latch for the top of this top box is not what I was expecting however; it is an external latch similar to the ones used on the more conventional boxes. I was expecting a cylinder latch and pawl arrangement. Not sure if I can find a similar replacement...

 

[Amitygravel]

Outlaw ,
Again with some cool stuff !
Well , I finally was able to dig out the old box of my Dads that I thought was similar to the box in your previous post.
Not even close.
I think it's actually a cooler for home milk delivery. My Dad just had odds and ends stuffed into it.

I did dig out one of his actual toolboxes its in the second and third photos.
When I opened the box up , it was the first time in about 6 years the tools inside had seen the light of day.

My Dad and Mom were tenant farmers on the same property for over 50 years , we were given short notice the farm was being sold and had one week to get over 50 years worth of possessions moved out.
In the fast and furious move out that box went to my place and got stuffed into a closet and covered up until I dug it out.

Craig

 

[Outlawmws]

That blue box could easily be a milk box. Can you show a pic of it open?

The Parks were decent boxes. I'd guess about 60's era for that one. I always found it interesting that Park used riveted name/model No. plates on their small boxes. A class act.

A shame about your family being bumped out on short notice. Probably more Corporate America shenanigans... I'm getting to hate Corporate America. They helped make this country great, and now they are destroying it one dollar of profit at a a time... [/rant]

 

[Amitygravel]

Outlaw ,
I didn't even think to get a shot of that box open. It seemed to be double walled which lead me to think it is a milk cooler. I'll get a shot of it when I'm back down there next time.

I have more boxes to dig out and get photos of too.

The farm was an 80 acre tract that had been in the same family for around 100 years.
Dad knew more about that property than the landlords could ever hope to know.
Flat , rich black soil on the prairie of central Illinois. Some of the best farm ground in the world. An individual farmer bought it , and it wasn't cheap either !

Craig

 

[930dreamer]

1968 KRA455 and a Cornwell I found on CL for $120. I haven't found any markings on the Cornwell box yet.

 

[Outlawmws]

Yes, the latch is going to be difficult..t

I can find similar ones, with and without keys, but the latch loop appears to be reversed, compared to the original... and I haven't even tried to match bolt patterns.

http://www.swanflight.com/flightcas...ightcase-hardware-briefcase-draw-catches.html

We have two old fashioned hardware stores in town, I think a visit may be in order...

 

[johnnybentwrench]

My Snap-On Rolla Bench. I added the three lower drawers from a beat up donor Rolla Bench. Took some time to figure out the lay out still working on it. I bought this off the original owners daughter packed with all of his aircraft tools.

 

[Steevo]

While I'm here, I should show an updated pic (albeit not a very good one!) of my Remline top box. I got bored last week and decided to clean the slides. Somehow I ended up painting it too...

That looks great!

 

[bluebolt]

My Snap-On Rolla Bench. I added the three lower drawers from a beat up donor Rolla Bench. Took some time to figure out the lay out still working on it. I bought this off the original owners daughter packed with all of his aircraft tools.

Nice!

 

[in_a_silent_way]

a very entertaining and informative thread - i needed some tool storage earlier this year and this thread helped me to know what to look for - i now have matching top and bottom Waterloo, roller Kennedy with hanging sides, large Kennedy-made Craftsman machinist chest, Huot roller, Snap-On KRA top, small oak Union machinist chest, large Craftsman carpenters box, two drawer Kennedy 220, some small Craftsman mechanics boxes, some small Kennedy mechanics boxes, handbuilt carpenters tool tote, and a Gerstner journeyman - now i am looking for more tools to fill them

i am stumped on this one though - i haven't found anything that looks quite like it - maybe i am blind - hoping someone will know what it is

















some Williams boxes looked close, but this one doesnt have the ogee detail on the edges of the handles - this came to me on top of another Waterloo roller - i cant find any markings on it anywhere - there are holes in the fold down front where a handle was mounted about 1/3 of the way down from the top - the lift out tray is a little loose for the space and may or may not be original to the box, although the paint underneath is bright and shiny so it has been with the box for a long time - if you fold the front in and close the top down, it doesnt close with the tray in the top - any ideas? - thanks for any suggestions or help to identify it

 

[1restorick]

I have this same box with a round Mac Tools emblem on the front. I beleive that it is a 1950's box.

Rick

 

[mkirkpatrick]

Picked this up at an estate sale, for 10 bucks, it's a keeper

 

[Outlawmws]

Picked this up at an estate sale, for 10 bucks, it's a keeper

OK you definitely ****!

Great deal!