Tool Box Question

[Ugly Truck Nut]

I don't have a pic yet because I'm trying to clean up the box some. But I have the Craftsman 3 drawer Rally Box, as seen in the following pic. I also happen to have the 2 drawer version. I'm having a hard time removing the drawer and was wondering if anyone had done it, or can offer suggestions. I want to remove the drawer so that I can add side handles to the box to make it a little easier to carry when weighed down, since the handle is held in place by 2 small rivets on each side.

TIA

 

[Ugly Truck Nut]

Here is a picture of the box.

And this was kind of the best shot I could get with the slide.

It doesn't have bearings. I tried slipping a thin blade flat tip under the slide to try and push against that small black ridge, but the slide binds with the drawer. Don't know what else to do.

 

[Mr_B]

push the tab in through the oval slot ...
If you open drawer fully then push it in a fraction you will clearly see the tabs through the slot and the stamped stop it runs into ...

 

[whateg01]

The newer boxes don't come apart as easily. Used to be the retaining tab on the slide was a separate piece that you pulled outward to release the drawer. Somewhere along the way they started using a couple of stamped in nubs that will slide past each other going one way but are very difficult to get to go the other way. I made a block that I can drive in the end of the slide to help it over the drawer side thing. It works but it's still not ideal. A screwdriver can be used to do it but it scratches things up and can deform the slide or the side of the drawer, so if you are trying to restore something it's not ideal.

 

[subroc]

Slide a long feeler gauge inside the slot past the tab and give it a pull.

 

[logical]

Like a lot of things, it's obvious once you do it and see it apart. A small flat blade screwdriver can be pushed in as shown and used to pry the black tab in so it can slide past the v nothch in the bare metal slide.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Bradc1989]

I’ve always just pushed the tab in with a screwdriver, through the slotted hole and when I put it back together I will stick the screwdriver in through the drawer side and push the tab back out a wee bit to make sure it still catches. Done several craftsman’s, Waterloo’s and old protos like this

 

[Ugly Truck Nut]

Like a lot of things, it's obvious once you do it and see it apart. A small flat blade screwdriver can be pushed in as shown and used to pry the black tab in so it can slide past the v nothch in the bare metal slide.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Cool, thanks. I've kind of tried that but worried about exerting too much force on the slide. I'll give it a try when I get home from work in the morning.

 

[Mr_B]

^
You better off pushing the tab in from other long slot .

 

[Gunfixr]

I have a top, center, and bottom craftsman box set from the late 80s that's exactly like this.
From the above pics, you can see what you need. Pull the drawers all the way out, until they stop, then, holding the slides, push them in just a bit, maybe an inch. You can then push the locking tabs in through the long oval slots, using a screwdriver.
To make them lock again, pull out the slides, insert the drawer into them, until the tab goes just past that divot that's in front of the long oval slots. Insert a flat screwdriver into the divot, and push the tab back out again.
You can do this a fair number of times without any of the tabs breaking.

 

[Ugly Truck Nut]

Didn't have time to take pics. This morning I tried to wedge my small blade screwdriver inside the slide to try and pry the tab out of the way. I still felt uncomfortable doing that so I quit.

When I got up I got out my big flat tip from my electrical tool box and tried again. I could not get the tip on the peak of the tab to press it down. I noticed a drift punch sitting there, not sure if it was 3/8 or 1/4, but it fit right into the slot in the slide. I held the drawer and pressed on the tab and it worked. Got the top drawer out. Had to get ready for work, so later I'll remove the 2nd drawer and get some photos.

 

[subroc]

This is the way it is done.

The first image shows the rail and drawer.

The second image shows the size of a feeler gauge in relationship to the recess in the rail or slide.

The third image show the feeler gauge pushed past the tab.

All that is left to do is push the rail into the tool box. If you have 2 feeler gauges you just pull the drawer out. If you use shorter feeler gauge stock or those from a set, bend the end a bit away from the drawer and toward the rail.

At one time these boxes shipped with a small tool that was just a piece of sheetmetal, might have been some form of spring steel with a small bend for using it in just that way.

Anyway, here is the way it is done. You can do what you want.

View media item 111508
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View media item 111510

 

[lardy1]

I just cleaned and lubed an old one I've had banging around since the 80's for my girlfriends basement studio/shop. Once you get one of them to release you'll see how simple it is. I can't add to what's already been suggested other than to say it works. Unless you get stupid tough with it you aren't going to hurt it.

 

[Mr_B]

This is the way it is done.

The first image shows the rail and drawer.

The second image shows the size of a feeler gauge in relationship to the recess in the rail or slide.

The third image show the feeler gauge pushed past the tab.

All that is left to do is push the rail into the tool box. If you have 2 feeler gauges you just pull the drawer out. If you use shorter feeler gauge stock or those from a set, bend the end a bit away from the drawer and toward the rail.

At one time these boxes shipped with a small tool that was just a piece of sheetmetal, might have been some form of spring steel with a small bend for using it in just that way.

Anyway, here is the way it is done. You can do what you want.

View media item 111508
View media item 111509
View media item 111510

no need for any of that
just push the tab in through the long access slot in the rail and pull drawer forward past the stamped stop then repeat on other side and slide drawer out .

 

[subroc]

chuckling.

Apparently you believe a feeler gauge is "all that" and a screwdriver or prying is the easy way.

I on the other hand think of prying as some sort of fiddle fooling around and considerably less effective and a feeler gauge is the simplest, easiest and fastest method.

Well, to each their own.

Best of luck to you.

 

[CJ7VFR]

chuckling.

Apparently you believe a feeler gauge is "all that" and a screwdriver or prying is the easy way.

I on the other hand think of prying as some sort of fiddle fooling around and considerably less effective and a feeler gauge is the simplest, easiest and fastest method.

Well, to each their own.

Best of luck to you.

It would be as you said, if we all had feeler gauges that were that thin, that wide, and that long.

Most of us do not have those, so we use a simple screwdriver to push down on the tab, thru the slot, just enough to release the slide. No prying necessary. Just pushing down a bit.

But I may have to look for some long thin feeler gauges when I go to garage sales now because that is a slick way to do it!

Jim

 

[subroc]

It would be as you said, if we all had feeler gauges that were that thin, that wide, and that long.

Most of us do not have those, so we use a simple screwdriver to push down on the tab, thru the slot, just enough to release the slide. No prying necessary. Just pushing down a bit.

But I may have to look for some long thin feeler gauges when I go to garage sales now because that is a slick way to do it!

Jim

Interesting. For some reason it just never occurred to me that the average user of a forum like Garage Journal, General Tool Discussion wouldn't have feeler gauges in their tool box. At 66 years I expect I am a bit of a dinosaur here.

Then I will amend my position. It isn't "the way" or only way or best way, just another way that those with feeler gauges could give a try.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[richfinn]

Interesting. For some reason it just never occurred to me that the average user of a forum like Garage Journal, General Tool Discussion wouldn't have feeler gauges in their tool box. At 66 years I expect I am a bit of a dinosaur here.

Then I will amend my position. It isn't "the way" or only way or best way, just another way that those with feeler gauges could give a try.

Thanks for the clarification.

I'm a bit of a old codger too, I have feeler gauges/micrometers/verniers and all that stuff

It's very rare I need to use them though, even spark plugs are pre-gapped nowadays

I did set the points gap on a VW air-cooled motor last week for a young dude, but I haven't adjusted a valve clearance in donkey's years

 

[subroc]

I had several VWs when I was younger. 2 different 1963s as well as a 1968 bug.

 

[LNKMK8]

I love the feeler gauge idea, I had not thought of that. I've had some that have been a real buger to get out and I end up bending or scratching things that I would rather not with a screwdriver. I'll have to try the feeler gauge out next time. Those are my least favorite drawer retainers... such a pain compared to the clips.

 

[Mr_B]

chuckling.

Apparently you believe a feeler gauge is "all that" and a screwdriver or prying is the easy way.

I on the other hand think of prying as some sort of fiddle fooling around and considerably less effective and a feeler gauge is the simplest, easiest and fastest method.

Well, to each their own.

Best of luck to you.

Never had to pry, just push tab in very slightly and done, use a wood dowel or punch rather than a screwdriver, screwdriver can be used if tabs need setting further out on fitting rather than removal ... the large slot is purposely cut out for tab access .

 

[subroc]

Never had to pry, just push tab in very slightly and done, use a wood dowel or punch rather than a screwdriver, screwdriver can be used if tabs need setting further out on fitting rather than removal ... the large slot is purposely cut out for tab access .

Outstanding!

Sounds great.

 

[Gunfixr]

I never really expected something this simple to get so overcomplicated..................

 

[Mr_B]

^
Nor did I, your explanation in post #10 was perfectly short but detailed in how they generally done and how I done them for decades .

 

[Bradc1989]

Yea you push the tab not pry it.

 

[Ugly Truck Nut]

The problems I had, was that I didn't want to bend the slide by prying from the inside and the screwdriver sliding off the peak of the tab. The thing that worked for me was to use a drift punch.

This one worked out great, I think it was roughly 9/32". The feeler gauge idea was good too, but I'm not sure where mine is and it is not anywhere near as long as the example posted.

Now, the reason I wanted to remove the drawers was because I wanted to see what the inside looked like. I removed 2 and this is what I saw.

There is a secondary wall inside that the slides are attached to.

I had hoped to add a handle to the side and wanted to use a piece of sheet steel as a backer to spread the load across the side.

But, with the added wall on the inside and where the top of the handle was going to line up for a centered handle, around the base of the top floor. I decided against the handle.

My alternative, I have two of these boxes that I bought individually when I started collecting tools.

Living in an apartment, and getting the second box, where to store them became an issue. So, one day at work I was rummaging around the workshop when I came across a piece of cut plywood. I found a couple of cut 2x4's and made this.

The other box is unavailable at the moment, but it works with any tool box combo, like this.

So, I guess, I will fall back onto a secondary plan and install the handle on this box.

I want to make it easier to carry when loaded with tools, also less stress on the rivets in the top handle. And, when carried in the back of my Jeep, it will be easier to grab the side handle and drag the box to the tailgate from outside the vehicle.

I've also been drooling over these three boxes, and this is just way cheaper.

https://boxousa.com/collections/hand-carry-boxes/products/copy-of-3-drawer-hand-carry-tool-box-white-body-with-gray-drawers-black-drawer-trim

https://shop.snapon.com/product/Metal-Boxes/Metal-Box/KRA21G

https://shop.snapon.com/product/Metal-Boxes/Small-Metal-Box/KRA25D

Thanks for all the replies and ideas.