Unusal vintage toolboxes from the old world

[Aero-1946]

Hello, I have been searching for old toolboxes in Germany for the last five years. My special interest are aircraft or helicopter related toolboxes to find some idea for building my own one.
First I will show you a sample which found my wife on a flea market in the former GDR and which is the most unusual of my small collection.
It´s complete made in aircraft technology and from aircraft aluminium and riveted with these aircraft rivets, you can easy identify by the markings on them. Every sheet metal part is also marked. Originaly painted green with black and red cyrillic inscriptions ("toolbox", No. 2) it has later been painted blue I suppose by the last german owner. I removed the blue nearly completly, but rests of that history is still visible. The grip is wood.
I think, it is russian, from or short after WW2. I never saw a similar model, but it is clearly not a one of.
Has someone here ever seen a similar toolbox? Someone else collecting aircraft toolboxes?

RB

 

[mvptrukin]

Welcome to the forum! Have you been to the tools from the Old World thread yet? There are many German tool experts that follow that thread:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28952
The box is very interesting,it has design aspects like German cantilever tool boxes (i.e.Hazet)but the top looks like a U.S. "hip roof box". Snap on made one,out of steel, that most people called a clam shell box now in the Blue Point line. You might cross post on that thread.

 

[willhollin]

Pretty cool box, be interesting to translate that text on top of the box.

 

[Jarhead0408]

Welcome to the "Brotherhood" of tool aficionados.
Really liking that toolbox man!

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

I believe our AAF mechanics had Kennedy cantilever types during WWII that were similar in layout but not in construction to that. Russians probably got a bunch of those filled with the toolkits for the various aircraft we supplied them...my suspicion/flying guess is that it is a Russian design loosely based on American boxes, and that the riveted construction is based on the tooling and capabilities of the factory that made these.

 

[Outlawmws]

I agree with the similarities between the US cantilever boxes, and the supplied aircraft theory. I think the aluminum was to save weight for air transport, and the riveting was that they were used to riveting aluminum together building airplanes, so do what you know.

Cool box! Looking forward to seeing others in your collection!

 

[machine_punk]

Great craftsmanship in that box. You have to use a few tricks to get sheet aluminum stiff enough to support weight like that.

Do you have any way to measure the thickness of each of those panels? If so, I'd be interested (I can convert to inch measurements, if all you have is metric measuring tools).

I see your avatar and user name. Are you actually one of the two guys from that shop, or are you just using their name/pictures as your user name? I keep a OneNote notebook of design inspiration (things which appeal to me and I want to use as inspiration for my new rivet projects) and the Aero 1946 stuff covers quite a few pages of that notebook of inspiration.

M_P

 

[FJ 432]

I see your avatar and user name. Are you actually one of the two guys from that shop, or are you just using their name/pictures as your user name? I keep a OneNote notebook of design inspiration (things which appeal to me and I want to use as inspiration for my new rivet projects) and the Aero 1946 stuff covers quite a few pages of that notebook of inspiration.

M_P

I would also like to know if related in some way to AERO 1946.

If so you have many admirers.

 

[Aero-1946]

The thickness of the aluminium is: body 1.5mm; top cover 1.00mm. Sorry I own only metric measurement devices.
And yes, my name is Rolf and I am one of the two of "Aero-1946" from Germany. And we love compliments .....

It is still impressive, some time ago I analysed current tool boxes on the international marked for the company I am working for. (That was the moment I first visited GJ) But when I saw these Kennedy boxes I found them beautiful but have not realized the similarity. And it is absolutly plausible, a lot of russian artefacts are "inspired" by western archetyps.

 

[machine_punk]

HURRAY! We are glad you joined us. I think I can speak for most of Gj, saying that we are great fans of your work!

I enjoy building with aluminum and solid rivets too. I was a little annoyed to see your cabinet and tool carrier hit the market first, but I am absolutely stunned by the excellence in quality of your work! I've only been doing this for about one and a half years, but I plan to build aircraft-inspired furniture in the future, once I finish outfitting my shop with aircraft-inspired fittings.

WELCOME! Glad to see you here!

M_P

 

[north]

Very interesting that russian(?) alu box. Thanks for the pics. Do you have any close ups if the seams and rivets?

And consider me a fan of Aero-1946 as of today. Awesome idea and work fellas.

 

[alex71]

Pretty cool box, be interesting to translate that text on top of the box.

Russian. Literally, "For Instruments". "For Tools"

you have a toolbox with toolbox written on it.

 

[Rust]

Has someone here ever seen a similar toolbox? Someone else collecting aircraft toolboxes?

RB

That is an awsome box..I like the cantilever trays. That would look really good on my roller chest

Heres my favorite. I've been planning on restoring it, when time allows.
My father made this in early 1950's when he was an apprentice sheetmetal mechanic at Sikorsy Aircraft. 100% aircraft aluminum, bent, formed and riveted.

My plans are to strip it down and buff the hell out of it.

 

[Aero-1946]

Third chance

 

[Aero-1946]

Hello,
next I will show a well known toolbox ... but what is unusual: Made in USA and used by the German Air Force. On both sides you can read: WERKZEUGSATZ F. FLUGZEUGMECHANIKER = Toolset for aircraft mechanics. On the top there are rests of the name of the former user: JOHANN ...BAR. On one side is a label of the Italian Helicopter producer BELL AGUSTA.
Why is an official US-toolbox in use by the German Air Force? Well, the government bought a lot of US equipment. I think the box was a spare part or used and aquired by a training program. But I am fare from feeling sure.
Normaly in Germany we use differeent typee of toolbox.

 

[nine4gmc]

nice box, welcome to GJ and thanks for sharing!

 

[north]

Thanks for the close-ups Aero-1946 and very cool werkzeugsatz box.

Rust, that is an awesome piece of family history.

 

[Aero-1946]

German Air Force:
"WERKZEUGAUSSTATTUNG, FEINMECHANISCHES GERAET, Luftfahrzeug-Instrumentenausstattung" = tool equipment, fine mechanic device, aircraft instruments workshop
1970/80s, in stock until 2011.
Untouched and complete with the original tools from government stock. Box is the usual type. Each tool is marked by the unit. A nice example of one of the different special tool kits for different specialist. Normaly the surplus dealers take the best tool away and sell them separatly.

 

[Aero-1946]

Next one is a German WW2 Air Force toolbox. Very heavy: 18kg. Flugmot. Schlosser = Flugmotor Schlosser = Aircraft engine locksmith. Produzed by BELZER

 

[Monte]

very nice tool boxes !

 

[nine4gmc]

18kg, WOW! those are sweet!! I can't believe you got a complete set of tools in that other box too, good score!

 

[Aero-1946]

Yes 18kg!
Sheet metal is 1.0mm thick and you have a strong grip on each side. No idea what the weight has been when it was full of tools.

 

[Aero-1946]

Beside the heavy and big German aircraft toolbox there has also been a smaller example in WW2.
You will find them normaly in khaki or black color. Often with labelling: Kl. Flzg. Mechaniker = small aircraft mechanic; Kl. Flzg. Klempner = small aircraft plumber; Flugmot. Schlosser = aircraft engine locksmith. Black tool boxes without any labelling are found as part of other (and greater wooden tool boxes) I will show you next time.

Somtimes with a specification plate also inside. Normaly there is a producer embossing, but not always. Producers are: Tyka, efs, Fli-Mo, VBW, Rheidco.
Normaly you find a catch as you can see on the pictures, but sometimes it is similar to the one on the great box.
There is a drawer which will be fixed by a bar and by one of the lids.

 

[Aero-1946]

A black German aircraft toolbox without any markings or labellings. But typical shape, drawer and other details.

 

[Aero-1946]

At last I will show a sample of a "great" German WW2 Airforce tool box for aircraft mechanics. They are difficult to find with the nearly complete tool set. Most of the tools were marked by the former airforce member.
The fact, I have only military boxes depends on the fact, they were often more easy to identify and also, classic aircrafts were widely used by the forces in times, flying was a thing mostly of the upper class. Until now I have never seen an aircraft toolbox from an airline of the 1940s.
For my opinion, these aircraft tool boxes are underestimatet. They are a part of the history of planes and other flying machines - and you can use some of them in your living room.

 

[FJ 432]

I agree with your statement that these are important parts of history that are tied in with the aircraft industry.

That Tyka box is just awesome.

 

[Monte]

At last I will show a sample of a "great" German WW2 Airforce tool box for aircraft mechanics. They are difficult to find with the nearly complete tool set. Most of the tools were marked by the former airforce member.
The fact, I have only military boxes depends on the fact, they were often more easy to identify and also, classic aircrafts were widely used by the forces in times, flying was a thing mostly of the upper class. Until now I have never seen an aircraft toolbox from an airline of the 1940s.
For my opinion, these aircraft tool boxes are underestimatet. They are a part of the history of planes and other flying machines - and you can use some of them in your living room.

which hand tool brands came with the box ?

 

[Aero-1946]

Will have a look for the brands at the next weekend and take some pics.

 

[Aero-1946]

Have examined my great wooden WW2 German aircraft toolbox to see, which brands were inside. The sheet metal toolbox is Rheideco, and that´s also the brand on a few other tools. But most are without brand, only marked LDK 15 or LDK 10 (seemed to be the airforce-unit). I found also R.H.&C.

 

[Aero-1946]

"Werkzeug Kiste Flugzeug-Schlosser" = tool box aircraft locksmith. At moment offered in Germany at an international auction. There is also from the same guy a "Flugzeug Schreiner" toolbox. Unusual complete. Asked him to show some of his pics here at GJ.

 

[Monte]

thanks for the pics !

 

[Aero-1946]

Same background as the toolbox above, but Flugzeug Tischler = aircraft cabinet maker. World War 2, German air force.
A lot of aircrafts from the 1940s were partly or completly made of wood.

 

[Aero-1946]

A new toolbox from Russia (from 1985) for my collection. Until now I have no translation, but the seller wrote: technical instruments for radio Equipment.
Suitcase made from aluminum with two plywood panels (not visible on the pics) and textile.
A similar box has been published as been used in a MI8 helicopter. But instead of textile, there were a lot of clamps for fixing the tools.

 

[bonneyman]

All I can say is, "WOW!"

Now I want one....or two.

 

[Aero-1946]

Hello,
I got two more aircraft toolboxes. One possible a German air force from WW2, the other also from Germany, but from 1962.
The older one is the usual type with the drawer above the bottom, normaly connected with German air force. But, and that is a feature I have never seen before, with two attachments at the side to transport something. Maybe small oil cans. The toolbox has also a place for a plug-in module under the lids. Producer was Fli-Mo = Bernhardt Werkzeuge G. m. b. H., Berlin.

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The other is a very simple model, with no marking exept D.B.G.M. = Deutsches Bundes-Gebrauchsmuster, which is the abbreviation for a type of copyright.
You see the red FOD label which is surrounded by “Vollzähligkeitskontrolle” = control of completeness. A label often seen on aircraft toolboxes because the danger of lost tools. The box was for “Flugzeughydraulik” and used for maintenance of the Challenger CL 601 at Köln/Bonn (former seat of the German government).

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[Stuart in MN]

Have you ever come across a Derby toolbox, made in Poland? I bought one at a swap meet last year, and it's similar in construction to some of the toolboxes you've shown here. There are a few photos of it in this thread: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=169950

 

[Aero-1946]

Hi Stuart,

sorry but the Derby toolbox from Poland I have never seen before. With his two grips it is more different than similar to the aircraft toolboxes I have come across in Germany. But that means nothing. The aircraft mechanics in Poland may have used such a model - but without a sample we will never know for sure. That´s why I like to search for old toolboxes with embossing or inscription and a visible history. For me that´s more interesting than a perfect or restored item.

 

[nine4gmc]

Love the old boxes, thanks for posting!

 

[Arne73]

Rolf-
You've mentioned "aircraft engine locksmith". Can you share some information on what that is?

Awesome boxes, thanks for sharing!

 

[Aero-1946]

Arne73, I found a translation: Aircraft engine fitter and an other one: aircraft engine mechanic. I think, it a person who is repairing the aircraft engine.