Today's thrift store goodness

[Fugio]

I was so busy looking over the piles of junk in the thrift store today that I didn't notice this beauty sitting over in the junk furniture section among some old beat up luggage. My wife gets credit for this one.

Picked it up for $7. It's a vintage Kennedy 520 machinist's box. Missing 2 drawer pulls and the front cover. Needs a good cleaning and some TLC on the bottom due to some minor surface rust. But overall in solid shape and working perfectly!

This is my first Kennedy. Worth bringing home and fixing it up, isn't it?

My wife is gonna clean it and leave it in vintage condition to use on her work bench. She's been playing Fallout 4 a lot this month and is really into old apocalypse looking stuff right now.

Anyone have a source for a used front cover? Or maybe a link to building a new one myself? Or does anyone have a source for the 2 missing pulls? I hate to have to buy 4 from them. Seems a bit pricey!

 

[jakemac]

Replacement parts can be pricey.
http://www.kennedykeys.com/

 

[drink]

Interesting find for $7 buckaroos. Being able to match up finishes on the new cover with the old sounds complicated. Have you considered finding your own custom pulls and painting it? When I saw the cost of the parts I thought you might find another one for the same price as parts and shipping. I would recommend cleaning it up, fixing the pulls with used parts if eBay has them, and painting it with a rattle can. That way the cost will be minimal.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

Great find for $7.00.

I'd forgo getting the replacement cover and try to replace/fabricate the missing pulls , clean it, Paint it if you must, re-felt the drawers and use it.

I've been lucky to find boxes with no missing pulls - I am short 1 cover though.

Cheers

Jim

 

[Packard V8]

Steal deal! I'd buy every one of those for $7. That's why I have five and use them for drills, punches, chisels, reamers, taps, dies, small files and small hole saws.

I'd just clean that one and use it. If price is in the equation, the pulls just need be functional, not necessarily matching. They can even be made of wood. I once found a random piece of extruded aluminum approximately the same contour, cut, drilled, tapped and an hour later, had perfectly usable pulls. How much is an hour of your spare time worth?

Somewhere, there's a elephant's graveyard of Kennedy front cover panels. There are often boxes without covers, but I've never in fifty years seen a cover without a box.

jack vines

 

[Fugio]

Somewhere, there's a elephant's graveyard of Kennedy front cover panels. There are often boxes without covers, but I've never in fifty years seen a cover without a box.

jack vines

That's da fact, Jack!

 

[espyking83]

Nice. Im restoring one off and on that I traded guys at work a large one topping. Almost have it done and only have a few drawers left to paint. With the exception of my Taco Box, Kennedys are my favorite boxes/carts by far.

 

[1950mercury]

I garbage picked one. Toosed some tools in it and brought it to the cottage.

 

[Jim Pelosi]

I have the same box. Always wondered what the purpose of the large gap under the bottom drawer on machinist boxes serves.

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[Farleyfan]

How worn are the felt liners in the drawers ?
Id take the 2 pulls off the bottom drawer and put them on the other 2 that are missing.
Then find a couple of toy wheels (the rite proportion) and mount them to the bottom drawer. Ive seen that done before and looked pretty good.

 

[Karl_B]

I have the same box. Always wondered what the purpose of the large gap under the bottom drawer on machinist boxes serves.

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On mine, it is a fine place to store that cover that likes to go missing.

 

[bubinga]

l would make a front out of wood and prime and paint it to match as close as you can.

 

[Jim Pelosi]

On mine, it is a fine place to store that cover that likes to go missing.

On mine it's a place for drill charts to slip where I can't reach.

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