Waterloo Tool Box Project

[BRGMX5]

A little background about myself since this is my first post. I'm a student at a tech school and I'm about to graduate from the auto collision repair program. I started buying tools and was about to buy the 5 drawer cart from HF but I decided to look on Craigslist for any sweet deals. Managed to snag this Waterloo Tool box for 20$, not bad right!.

One of the boxes is a little bent but nothing I can't hammer back into place.

While taking it apart I found this inside..

It needs some work but I'm planning on sanding it down, neutralizing any rust and priming it before I repaint it British Racing Green with maybe a yellow stripe?

Not sure if it's "vintage" since I can't find any serial number but it looks old, that counts for something right? Also does anyone know anything about the lock cylinder that holds the lock bar? It didn't bring keys so I'm wondering if I should try to remove it, how would I go about doing that? Or if I should get a locksmith to try and make me a set of keys?

I'll keep you guys posted as the work comes along. I'm hoping to bring this thing back to 100%

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Hello, and welcome to Garage Journal. I don't mean to take the wind out of your sails, but having restored several toolboxes, my advice is to clean this one up with some degreaser, a quick sanding and give it a rattle can respray but I wouldn't put a lot of time or money in it. The quality of the box just isn't worth it. I'd recommend getting a Snap On or Mac or something along those lines if you got your heart set on restoring one.

Check out the threads in my signature for some ideas. Good luck!

 

[countryroad82]

Welcome to GJ!!! I say fix it, paint it, wear it out again! It looks good on your part when you will come into a shop with a box you've cleaned up and fixed yourself I believe. Beats the heck coming out of trade school with a tool truck bill!! Keep us posted!

 

[zkling]

I wouldn't waste the time, energy or money on that one. That was one of the homeowner boxes, bottom of the line, external lock bar. I can say with certainty you will be better served by the hf red cart. If you want a flat top, look for another bottom box.

 

[jakemac]

Pay no attention to the nay-sayers. Eventually, you'll want a larger box, but for now that will be a good starter box for you to begin making money with. Buy a more suitable box after you have some money in your bank account. Don't go too far into debt before you find a job. Your new boss will be more impressed with seeing the quality of your work than how much money you spent on something that sits in the corner.

If you take photos of the progress and put them in a portfolio, you will be able to use the restoration as an example of your work when you are at interviews.

Just like apprentice carpenters used to have to make their own tool chests to prove their skills. Let this box be your rolling example of the kind of bodywork you can do.

 

[taumac]

I'll have to agree with alittle of Zkling and Jakemac.

First Zkling. The box is a home owner addition and honestly those drawer slides can't handle anything for weight. If lend on drawers you mess up ****. Asked me how I know cause I had one of those and honestly they aren't that great so I agree that I wouldn't put a ton of money or energy into that box.

Now I agree with Jake that use it and save up for your bigger box and new boss will like the fact you fixed went the extra effort into fixing up a old box.


My 2 cents in all of this is I would go to HD or Lowes and get some ball bearing slides to replace those fiction slides. The are cheap at maybe $15 a set. The problem with that box isn't the drawers but the channel on the box itself. It's not one continuous channel and with most of the weight on the first tab which holds the slide you can easily bend it down and dislodge the whole slide.

PS I would add 1/2 or 3/8 plywood to the bottom and then attach you casters. The bottom is somewhat thin and if working in a shop rolling this around you might have alittle issue with metal bending where casters attach.

 

[mrvm]

I started buying tools and was about to buy the 5 drawer cart from HF but I decided to look on Craigslist for any sweet deals. Managed to snag this Waterloo Tool box for 20$, not bad right

Since you expressed an interest in the red HF cart, the $99 black HF cart makes more sense than the $20 tool box project. IMO get the $99 black HF cart, organize your tools for the new job and save the $20 project for later or sell it as is.

 

[taumac]

Since you expressed an interest in the red HF cart, the $99 black HF cart makes more sense than the $20 tool box project. IMO get the $99 black HF cart, organize your tools for the new job and save the $20 project for later or sell it as is.

I thought about saying something about the black cart. I believe it's worth keep the Waterloo as a project or cart after he gets a bigger box. Then he can do anything he wants to this one.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Pay no attention to the nay-sayers.

Nay-sayers?! . No, just good advice. Why spend a lot of time and money polishing a turd?

So many times I see people on here responding to a thread and trying to be encouraging when the reality is if they told the OP what they didn't want to hear but that through experience they know to be true, they'd be doing them a favor.

I'm not singling you out, Jake, just saying sometimes the honest opinion is the way to go.

 

[taumac]

Maybe the OP just wanted to do a project? Well if he came to use asking should I buy this or a HF cart maybe then we could have advised him different. The OP bought it and started working on it. IMO the box isn't worth much and it's gonna get him much more then what he already has in it. That being said what does he do in meantime. I believe my suggestion is the best considering the situation. Get some better slides and use the hell out of it until you get money saved up for something better. He's gonna have to find what works from him anyway once he gets settled.

 

[jakemac]

I'm not singling you out, Jake, just saying sometimes the honest opinion is the way to go.

It's all good. He needs to hear experience from more than one side.

My point wasn't so much about the longevity of the box, it was more about the experience the OP would get from working on it, and the fact that the box could be used until he could save up some money from his paychecks working out of it for something more appropriate and better built later.

The box itself will never earn him any money, only the tools he puts into it can do that. I see no reason for a new tech to sell their soul to the box trucks for something pretty to show off when they can't even pay off their tuition yet. A less expensive box (and tools in some cases) will allow him to stand on his own two feet faster. He can always upgrade later once he's proven his skills to a long term employer and earns better pay.

Not to mention the fact that most graduates don't end up working in their studied field for long. Buying an expensive box, and tools, will only leave him at a financial loss if he ends up doing something else. By being frugal, he can avoid the worst of the expenses until he's certain that he'll stay in the field for longer than a year.

 

[beatcad]

i believe everyone so far is right.

i usually aint so cocky, but when i'm right i'm right

there is a date(month/year) stamp on that box on the bottom panel just above the right front castor. it maybe faint but its there.
i'm guessing it's 90s. w/ the square folds i guess it could be 80s or 2000..i'm giving my self a window

you just came out of school to be a bodyman so this should be a good project for ya to do. you'll learn a lot. and put yer new skills to work(hammer&dolly).

please do fix up/restore/customize this box and show us pix.

but when you do keep it as a home box. you'll still need tools at home.
this box is great for that.
if you redid that box perfect and used it in any production shop(body or mechanic) that youd need to be in & out of the drawers 8 hours a day 5 days a week that box will be trashed in a year or less.

for 20 clams you cant go wrong. fix it up. clean it up.

and get something else when you get yer first gig at a body shop. usually i woudnt say HF but your young so do it to start..
youlle get tool truck envy soon enough..
no need to into debt just yet

 

[zkling]

O zkling, you *******, how dare you piss on this guy's project......

It was my understanding that he will be using this for his job. Every day, many hours a day, loaded with air tools and other bodyman tools. We all know how hard a body shop is on a box. Sure it could be a good practice project, but in the end I truly feel he will get better service out of the hf red cart or a better quality used bottom box.

Completely redoing a box to show his skills is a great idea for a bragging rights/possible resume help; on a better box. When the drawers fall out and the thing caves in, at least he will be able to say the paint job looks great. Not to even mention the lack of security locking bar that is easily removed.

 

[PelicanPines]

Beautiful project. Keep us updated. I took a box in worse shape... it's now my angle grinder and Dremel station. I keep a black and decker benchtop workmate on it.

My box had rust holes I backed with plywood and fixed with bondo after grinding off the rust. Primed and painted rattle can Apple red.

 

[CastleBravo]

I'd love to see this box brought back to life.

I think too many folks don't appreciate the quality of older metals and the products made from them.

If I had this box I'd be restoring it rather than replacing it with a product designed to yield the greatest profit with the least expense.


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[jn503084]

I'm going down this road with an old Snap On box and these things will try your patience and skills if you're not fully invested in making them look nice. The biggest problem with getting a box in poor shape is sticking to a budget that won't be more than say a Harbor Freight box or cart, which in my opinion is the finest choice for a beginner tech or homeowner.

But, if you're a body guy, its great practice!

 

[BRGMX5]

I decided I wouldn't fix every single little imperfection. I just want a nice little paint job that will last so I sanded the box down with my DA and shot some 2k primer over the face of the drawers/box and anywhere bare metal was showing. I think the guy I bought it off tried to give it a rattlecan job without even preparing it for paint. Everything was flaking off so it was difficult to feather it out. It won't be 100% but I didn't want to spend an enormous amount of time and materials on it.

I bought some casters from Harbor Freight and slides from lowes. Entire project should come right under 100$

 

[jn50308401]

Looks good, can you possibly see if you could get some paint booth time at your school? When I was in tech school the body shop classes were always looking for projects. It beats straightening junkyard fenders!

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[Hammer1963]

Your project is great! As a working owner of a body shop, what you a undertaking shows me that you have the passion to learn and excel at this trade and that's what I look for in prospective applicants. Keep the faith and make it NEW NOW!

By the way, I am currently reworking 3 boxes myself that were flatout abused and plain old ugly. I look forward to see updates on your project.

 

[taumac]

I decided I wouldn't fix every single little imperfection. I just want a nice little paint job that will last so I sanded the box down with my DA and shot some 2k primer over the face of the drawers/box and anywhere bare metal was showing. I think the guy I bought it off tried to give it a rattlecan job without even preparing it for paint. Everything was flaking off so it was difficult to feather it out. It won't be 100% but I didn't want to spend an enormous amount of time and materials on it.

I bought some casters from Harbor Freight and slides from lowes. Entire project should come right under 100$

That's great. I think your making a wise decision going the direction you are.

 

[bfm336]

My FIL picked up the same box but was rusted worse. Used my angle grinder to cut off the rusted on wheels. Did some light grinding to remove the heavy rust, hit the rest of the rust with rustoleum rattle can rust converter, and topped it off with black rustoleum hammered spray paint. Only painted the outsides and drawer fronts, served him well, and cost was about $40 to fix. FWIW


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[Ponchoguy]

As others have alluded to, this is a bottom barrel, homeowner quality tool rollaway which is also sold as a Sears Craftsman unit (Waterloo makes them for Sears). Bearing that in mind:

1) Go for it and restore it. Put a budget to it (in materials) and stick to it.
2) It can always be flipped for something better. I'd suggest an old Craftsman with an INTERNAL lock bar. They are much better quality.
3) Waterloo still supports these as the parts are the same as most Craftsmans that they make for them.
4) I have a few of these and I use them for NOS part storage. They are fine for that. I paid $120 for a full three piece set of them many years ago at Sears. At the time, it was $240. Mine was a floor model.

As an aside, that inspector "K. Wolfe" must be a veteran. I think I have one that was inspected by him/her too. LOL.

 

[dcooper830]

Sometimes its fun just to do a project even if it isn't necessarily worth it. If it were me.. as long as I could do it for around $100 or so.. I would totally restore/repaint and make it look nice and shiny. Even if it's not that great a quality box.

But that's just me. I like to do stuff like that for fun.

BTW I've had this old Waterloo box for about 10 years or so. It's been great!

Oh.. and here's an example of a totally ridiculous project I did... spent $60 restoring a mower my sister got for $20.... totally worthless endeavor... but I really enjoy doing stuff like this:

 

[BRGMX5]

Finally finished it up. The slides I bought didn't fit the first drawer so I left the old slides on it (not installed in picture). I fitted a craftsman lock and overall am very satisfied with the box. I started loading it up and realized that it might be too small for all my needs but it will do for now.

Looking back at it now I wish I went ahead and bought the harbor freight box. This thing took a lot of work, time and patience.

 

[z28ke]

Looks good! Something you can keep and be proud of regardless of the initial quality, and look back on years from now and remember when you were just starting out.

 

[countryroad82]

Looks very good man!

 

[Two Door]

This thing took a lot of work, time and patience.

Exactly. But you did learn quite a bit about how to balance initial excitement against the reality of the possible result, and the work needed to get there. Not to mention how to assess the worth of internet opinions.

Life is an optimization problem - about where to invest your attention, time and money to get the results you specifically want. Seeing how this works at an early point in your life is valuable.

 

[jn503084]

Finally finished it up. The slides I bought didn't fit the first drawer so I left the old slides on it (not installed in picture). I fitted a craftsman lock and overall am very satisfied with the box. I started loading it up and realized that it might be too small for all my needs but it will do for now.

Looking back at it now I wish I went ahead and bought the harbor freight box. This thing took a lot of work, time and patience.

Looks great! I think you can look at it and say "yes, I did that and I'm proud of it". The Harbor Freight boxes are really good, so save your loose change in a jar, spare dollars and you'll have enough for a HF box before you know it. I have a 44'' with 2 side cabs and love it, plenty of room.

good luck in your career!

 

[Ponchoguy]

Looks great! I think you can look at it and say "yes, I did that and I'm proud of it". The Harbor Freight boxes are really good, so save your loose change in a jar, spare dollars and you'll have enough for a HF box before you know it. I have a 44'' with 2 side cabs and love it, plenty of room.

good luck in your career!

You did a good job and learned something in the process. The only other thing I would have done is set a budget and not gone over that. Forget your time, if you factored that in, you probably wouldn't do anything.

I know a woman at Waterloo and she sent me an old Craftsman tote box that she got at a yard sale and sent it to me, "just because". She's a good person and a veteran over there, so I will eventually clean it up and send her photos.

 

[Hammer1963]

Finally finished it up. The slides I bought didn't fit the first drawer so I left the old slides on it (not installed in picture). I fitted a craftsman lock and overall am very satisfied with the box. I started loading it up and realized that it might be too small for all my needs but it will do for now.

Looking back at it now I wish I went ahead and bought the harbor freight box. This thing took a lot of work, time and patience.

Looks good and the best part is .......... you did it and learned in the process!

 

[Mr_P]

BRGMX5,

This project reminds me of a quote which I always liked. I don't remember where I read it but here it is....

"THOSE WHO SAY IT CANNOT BE DONE, SHOULD NOT INTURRUPT THOSE WHICH ARE DOING IT!"

Continue with that attention to detail throughout your life, and you will not regret how far you can get.

 

[zkling]

BRGMX5,

This project reminds me of a quote which I always liked. I don't remember where I read it but here it is....

"THOSE WHO SAY IT CANNOT BE DONE, SHOULD NOT INTURRUPT THOSE WHICH ARE DOING IT!"

Continue with that attention to detail throughout your life, and you will not regret how far you can get.

There is a big difference between cannot and should not typically termed practical. All those that criticized me, well it looks like I was right from the beginning.

Looking back at it now I wish I went ahead and bought the harbor freight box. This thing took a lot of work, time and patience.

 

[Mr_P]

zkling, I understand the practicality side, but It's just time and effort being burned. What else would he be doing with his time?

 

[Ponchoguy]

There is a big difference between cannot and should not typically termed practical. All those that criticized me, well it looks like I was right from the beginning.

What were you right about?

 

[justanengineer]

Nice job OP, that box will serve you longer than most here would think and given the money invested compared to similar new boxes I'd say you made out well. Personally I'd view this project another way since toolboxes are often viewed somewhat as a tradesman's business card. While that might not be a high end box, the before and after pics show you have some basic skill and common sense. You polished a turd to a reasonable extent without going overboard as many do, if you think about it that's what the collision end of the body business is all about. If youre going into the trade I'd show before and after pics to employers, explain you wanted more tool storage, didnt have a ton of money to spend on new, and wanted a challenge to help improve your skills - that shows honesty and motivation. In the end you've also got an American made box which wont catch you a ton of **** from colleagues in the trades like even the higher end Asian boxes will.

 

[Ponchoguy]

zkling, I understand the practicality side, but It's just time and effort being burned. What else would he be doing with his time?

I agree. If you counted your time on everything, you'd never do anything. I'm sure most of make enough that we could have our lawns cut, but there are some of us (me) that don't believe in paying someone for something I can do.

I'm sure if you net out the economics, it would make sense to have it done, but if that was the case, you wouldn't do much around your house or cars.

However, like the OP (and like me), he took lemon and made it lemonade. Bravo and hats off to you, I'm the same way.

As I have said several times before: Send me your old, send me your weary and send me your unwanted USA tools. I will put them to good use.

 

[zkling]

What were you right about?

Dude, you honestly can't be this stupid. Read read this entire thread from start to finish, hell I even put it in bold for folks like you.

I wouldn't waste the time, energy or money on that one. That was one of the homeowner boxes, bottom of the line, external lock bar. I can say with certainty you will be better served by the hf red cart. If you want a flat top, look for another bottom box.

Finally finished it up. The slides I bought didn't fit the first drawer so I left the old slides on it (not installed in picture). I fitted a craftsman lock and overall am very satisfied with the box. I started loading it up and realized that it might be too small for all my needs but it will do for now.


Looking back at it now I wish I went ahead and bought the harbor freight box. This thing took a lot of work, time and patience.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

BRGMX5,

This project reminds me of a quote which I always liked. I don't remember where I read it but here it is....

"THOSE WHO SAY IT CANNOT BE DONE, SHOULD NOT INTURRUPT THOSE WHICH ARE DOING IT!"

Continue with that attention to detail throughout your life, and you will not regret how far you can get.

I hate to burst your bubble, but no one here said that box couldn't be restored. It would be instructive for you to reread the thread.

 

[taumac]

Finally finished it up. The slides I bought didn't fit the first drawer so I left the old slides on it (not installed in picture). I fitted a craftsman lock and overall am very satisfied with the box. I started loading it up and realized that it might be too small for all my needs but it will do for now.

Looking back at it now I wish I went ahead and bought the harbor freight box. This thing took a lot of work, time and patience.

Looking back at original pics the PO rattle canned the box red and right over that silver trim in the drawers. It would have looked before if striped paint off them or repainted them bright silver or something.

 

[michellewilkerson218]

Sometimes its fun just to do a project even if it isn't necessarily worth it. If it were me.. as long as I could do it for around $100 or so.. I would totally restore/repaint and make it look nice and shiny. Even if it's not that great a quality box.

But that's just me. I like to do stuff like that for fun.

BTW I've had this old Waterloo box for about 10 years or so. It's been great!



Oh.. and here's an example of a totally ridiculous project I did... spent $60 restoring a mower my sister got for $20.... totally worthless endeavor... but I really enjoy doing stuff like this:

Could you take pictures of how the fold down panel is assembled inside the Waterloo toolbox. I have recently
bought one at a yard sale and can't figure out how to assemble it