The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

[Outlawmws]

My roller Welding bench is an old mid 50's Craftsman 3 drawer, with a 1/2" steel plate cut to fit the top (including the rounded corners) and has a side cabinet with the door facing sideways, (which gives a clue how old that is...) that is about a foot wide and the depth of my box seen from the front of the tool box. My Lincoln SP-125 PLUS Mini Mig fits on the top recess of that cabinet perfectly, and I have one of those folding side extensions on the left side of the roller.

That extension has a small Lakewood exposed screw vise mounted, and the steel top and vise are grounded together with a dedicated copper wire. my welder has a magnetic ground, and that gets slapped on top of the steel top. I also have another ground wire on a crimp lug on the same bolt the dedicated wire uses on the vise, and a clamp on the other end of that wire for stuff I'm welding off the welding bench or vise.

I can set a part on the top, clamp it on the table or run the extra ground wire to wherever, so I'm almost never messing with how to ground something, because most of the time I'm welding off the vise or table, usually the vise.

The folding extension is really not strong enough by itself for the vise with any heavier part clamped, so I took a length of 1/2"conduit and flattened, drilled, and bent the ends and used that for a diagonal brace to support the outermost vise mounting hole, and bolted the bottom end to the side corner of the box. It's plenty strong for 98% of any welding or cutting use.

The Lakewood, while a light homeowners vise, opens way wider that the average homeowners vise so it makes a great "ground clamp" part holding vise.

The last thing I did to the welding bench was to makeup a heavy extension cord for tools other than the welder, with a double metal box, and one 15 A duplex outlet and one 20 A duplex, and made a sheet metal "hook" so it can simply be hung on the back edge of the roller boxes top edge, and that gives me a handy outlet for 4"mini grinders and Portabands and the like.

 

[bluebolt]

here are a few more of mine. the Homak was my very first tool box. my step dad gave it to me when I was just 13. and the Stanley tool chest I got today at a garage sale thought it was cool and couldn't pass it up.

I like the Stanley, now you have to fill it with correct Stanley tools!

 

[bluebolt]

here are a few more of mine. the Homak was my very first tool box. my step dad gave it to me when I was just 13. and the Stanley tool chest I got today at a garage sale thought it was cool and couldn't pass it up.

As far as filling it a little googling of the part number found several pics!

 

[lilredex]

Now I can finally share!


And the old-dog that I think needs a new home soon. The resto is out of my time / effort level.

Any idea who made that old dog?? Looks to be a close relative of this one..





If you were closer, I'd be interested in that one.

 

[Thumper]

Any idea who made that old dog?? Looks to be a close relative of this one..

If you were closer, I'd be interested in that one.

See if you can gently clean the paint off the ID plate above the drawers and see what it says. We all would like to know.!

 

[lilredex]

See if you can gently clean the paint off the ID plate above the drawers and see what it says. We all would like to know.!

Love to...........but it is not my box, just a picture on file.

 

[lilredex]

Update....It is my box now. And, that nameplate does little to help in the box ID field. Addressograph made mail room equipment, this box was likely an accessory to their machine and had that nameplate attached by the OEM. My guess is that Beach was that OEM. The only thing really saying otherwise, are the roller, full extension slides on the drawers........ but you never know, they could have been a special for A'graph.



The reason I wanted that box is that it is such a close match for the six drawer Beach that I recently acquired. I would have preferred more smaller drawers, but it is something else to look at come warmer weather.

 

[Ft.ValloniaStreaker]

Most likely its a base cabinet for a memo-graph (remember those purple test we took in school) . I've still got 2 Multigraphic printing presses, they are no longer made but there are so many of them out there they still make parts for us to keep them alive. The AB **** company bought them in the mid 90's. Still a good quality box from the 60's, fill it up!

 

[oilfieldtrash4]

Didn't have the time or want to to do a complete restoration. As is I spent at minimum 20+ hours with sanding, primer/paint, soaking casters in Evaporust, cleaning slides, I took the drawers to car wash and cleaned them with soap and water, etc..
Before

After

Mid project

 

[truebyrne]

Thumper - Thanks for the info, it is nice and sturdy.

I am replacing an Kolbolt 26", both the Dayton and Snapon (45 + years old) feel sturdy - cant wait to finish them. Did Waterloo also build the Conwell box? Looks exactly the same as the one at the start of the thread.

 

[briandrex]

Here is the oldest setup I have. Haven't used if for anything yet. It's just sitting there waiting for something to do

Snap On K-55-W
Snap On RK-50-W

I'm pretty sure these are from around 1946 if my research on collecting snap on is correct. I posted a thread along time ago when I got these. All drawers are as smooth as butter. I don't have keys for it unfortunately but I'm sure a locksmith could help me out. Also have both front plates with the embossed Snap On logo. I love these boxes, hard to believe they are close to 70 years old.

 

[Outlawmws]

That's a cool setup briandrex!

 

[roblouvasz]

This is a Snap-On KRA-61B my grandfather gave me last year along with some other tools. I think it's a 1968 model which happens to be when I was born. I'm not sure if I'm going to refurb it or just clean it up. The bottoms of all the drawers are covered it gunk. And by the way, this thing's HEAVY!

 

[briandrex]

Very nice box rob. I bet you could just clean that up really well and she would look good as new. If you do plan on completely rehabbing there is plenty of great information on this web site to help out. Got me through two of my rehab projects and I'm very happy with the final products.

These older boxes are heavy!! More bang for the buck!

 

[Thumper]

Thumper - Thanks for the info, it is nice and sturdy.

I am replacing an Kolbolt 26", both the Dayton and Snapon (45 + years old) feel sturdy - cant wait to finish them. Did Waterloo also build the Conwell box? Looks exactly the same as the one at the start of the thread.

Yes Waterloo did build some Cornwell boxes. I have a 6 drawer that I bought new that was built by them. My six drawer Cornwell looks just like the other one you talk about.

 

[truebyrne]

Very Cool, thanks for the info.

 

[Ralphy]

First, let me just say this is an awesome thread! I'm very envious of the boxes posted here!

Here's an old craftsman I got from a buddy.

I was told it was originally a radial saw cabinet. I took it apart, sanded and painted it, and added a sheet of metal to the back to cover it. My brother uses it for his tools now.

 

[Ralphy]

Here's the first box I ever bought, an old Park.

I got it for 10 bucks at a swap meet, all tools included. Note the Proto double open ended in the bottom drawer

 

[briandrex]

Ralphy I like that craftsman! Any pics after the sand and paint job??

 

[bisley45]

Ralphy I like that craftsman! Any pics after the sand and paint job??

yes Pics please I have that same box setting under my 1968 radial arm saw .

 

[bisley45]

As far as filling it a little googling of the part number found several pics!

Yep found them pics also very cool . I think I am going to modify it some what and hang some hammers in it but not sure just yet.

 

[bluebolt]

First, let me just say this is an awesome thread! I'm very envious of the boxes posted here!

Here's an old craftsman I got from a buddy.

[I was told it was originally a radial saw cabinet. I took it apart, sanded and painted it, and added a sheet of metal to the back to cover it. My brother uses it for his tools now.

Yes that is a radial arm saw cabinet, probably early 1960's.

 

[Cjreyes0101]

I finally have something to contribute to this thread! My new to me Craftsman box! Picked it up at a swapmeet for $70. I think I did good, just a little surface rust, not sure if to use it as it is or try and restore it.

 

[bluebolt]

I finally have something to contribute to this thread! My new to me Craftsman box! Picked it up at a swapmeet for $70. I think I did good, just a little surface rust, not sure if to use it as it is or try and restore it.

Look like an early 70's box, date code should be on bottom right. For $70 you did fine.

 

[softailgarage]

$70.00 puts you in the "you ****" zone

 

[Cjreyes0101]

Look like an early 70's box, date code should be on bottom right. For $70 you did fine.

Thanks! Took a look at it, looks like 1070. So I'm guessing October 1970?

 

[Cjreyes0101]

$70.00 puts you in the "you ****" zone

Thanks! That's my first You **** here on GJ!

 

[nine4gmc]

Thanks! That's my first You **** here on GJ!

In that case, have another...YOU ****!! I would have paid twice that

 

[Cjreyes0101]

In that case, have another...YOU ****!! I would have paid twice that

Thank You Sir, I actually talked the guy down from $100.

 

[bluebolt]

Thanks! Took a look at it, looks like 1070. So I'm guessing October 1970?

Yup that's the date!

 

[bisley45]

just a update pic on my craftsman restored tool box . and she is all done

 

[nine4gmc]

Excellent job!!

 

[Outlawmws]

Looks nice!

Emblem is a sticker?

 

[spotco2]

I'll play along.

This Snap-On set was purchased new in 1967

I have not found a date on these old Mac's

 

[bisley45]

Looks nice!

Emblem is a sticker?

yes it vinyl sticker like a car wrap.

 

[RCL]

This is a great thread and has helped me a lot in restoring my 78 and 79 Matco boxes.
I would really like to repaint original color, however Matco has discontinued the orange.
Can anyone let me know what has been used in place of the original paint?
All help appreciated.

 

[crewchief888]

I'll play along.

I have not found a date on these old Mac's

the squared handle style was around in the early-mid 80's, as well as that style of logo. i believe they also used that handle style in the late 70's as well.

top box with the curved handles and different logo must be earlier boxes.

 

[crewchief888]

This is a great thread and has helped me a lot in restoring my 78 and 79 Matco boxes.
I would really like to repaint original color, however Matco has discontinued the orange.
Can anyone let me know what has been used in place of the original paint?
All help appreciated.

those boxes werent originally orange.

mac and matco had paint fading issues well into the late 80's.

 

[RCL]

I have read of the paint issue. Would like to know what others have done on these boxes.
My bottom is a MB520 with a MB510 top.

 

[crewchief888]

I have read of the paint issue. Would like to know what others have done on these boxes.
My bottom is a MB520 with a MB510 top.

if the boxes are in good shape,

and the paint is in good condition, clean them up and put them to use

if not i'd paint them orange just for the hell of it.

or do a "custom" color, contrast the box shell and drawers, or paint it to match the garage, or car/truck/motorcycle.

endless possibilities