Unmarked vintage box - odd drawer release

[mick85]

Since Covid I have been refinishing old boxes that are really abused - mostly SO...see last pic - a fishing weight box for trolling weights. Advice here has been a lifesaver....
i sourced a box today - the make is unknown to me and it that is bafling me to get the drawers released. I got one out as it was dislodged. From attached pics - I am guessing you depress the slide through the hole on the drawer and pull it through, but there has to a trick for this old guy - i cant figure that out?
thank for your advice in advance

 

[y'sguy]

You may need to make yourself a tool as I did out of a hacksaw blade OR I used a Sawzall blade and ground it to shape. Check out my link to the Blackhawk boxes I did. Yours look like slides similar to my boxes and several other brands, not roller tracks. Cool old box BTW.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Pretty rare cornwell box

 

[slowtwitch73]

That's a cool old box... I wouldn't refinish it.

 

[Jacobs976]

Probably try the hole first with a small punch. Had to do something similar on my old craftsman box(slide stop mechanism flipped around compared to yours, clip on drawer and stop on slide with hole on slide) and didn't have much fun. Seemed like it was just luck based whether it worked or not.

If that doesn't work out it looks like you can probably slide something in the gap between the drawer and slide and depress the clip like y'sguy is talking about. Had some luck with a piece of 12 gauge wire myself but it was rough getting the hang of it. Took a few tries before I could tell when the clip was depressed.

Also Snap on box looks great, what did you use on it?

 

[mick85]

Jacobs976 - yes - i think you are right about the punch. Been playing with it for an hour and havent released one yet. but have invented some new words yelling at the box.
i am sure there is some trick and someone on here will be like....do this and tada it will work.

i have been finding really suffering SO boxes, pull out dents, grindem down, skim coat with bondo, prime and then start rattle can spraying them with rustoleum hammer paint - learned it all here. finding the paint is an adventure but old hardware stores are a good place to find older colors - blues and greens. Motorcycle stores also have good selections of rare ratttle cans. My favorite place to buy cheap is ollies - alot of **** but some jackpots...

THis is one that goes with the K60 and base i just found out in a dairy truck garage from the 40s...

Found a guy who had maple bowling alley wood from the 40s from japan and using that as tops....

 

[1982fxr]

More pics please!

 

[bryanrj]

May not help in your drawer slide situation, but I have used the metal hanging strips from vertical file folders. They are not as "tall" as a hacksaw blade, so fit easier into the drawer slide gap. The strips from a legal sized file folder are just over 14" long, but standard ones should be plenty long.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Very cool. Love the "bowling lane" top.
I recently went to a workshop down on 38th Street and one of their work tables was a one-off home-made affair that had a bowling-lane top. Fabulous work table!

 

[Shelbylex]

Nice, Mick85. Please post more pictures of your boxes!

 

[mick85]

 

[mick85]

 

[mick85]

 

[ZRX61]

I have an old (1950's) Craftsman box with the same kind of release, pushing a punch through the hole is the trick.

 

[Shelbylex]

Thank you! Got to love it!!! Keep them coming! I love your different perspective on colors of some of the boxes - makes them shine in a very different way!

Now I am really interested in your final take on this Snap On K60 and K200 combo!!!