Western Auto Wizard tool box

[jrevans]

Machinery's Handbook goes in center drawer. Hole in bottom to lift book out of drawer?

 

[TheGrooveking]

Machinery's Handbook goes in center drawer. Hole in bottom to lift book out of drawer?

Yep, that is the reason, a few of my old die maker and mold maker friends had these boxes and that is exactly the reason for the hole. The Machinery Handbook would fit snugly into the drawer and there was no space left to get a finger tip into grab it from the top.

A few of these guys used to work in Zenith Electronics tool room, to say they were characters were an understatement. One gave me two cigar boxes full of HSS taps for working on his transmission when I was 17, upon looking at the taps I realized they were non-standard, sizes such as 15/32-64 & 27/64-41.

I asked why such weird sizes and was told that they use to make their own special taps in their cutter grinder department because if you built a tool and it needed work you were the one with the tools to fix it. It was their weird little job security thing, needless to say they would make a lot of their own fasteners.

 

[Tool Pants]

I went on the Practical Machinist message board, searched under Kennedy, and sure enough my question has been asked before.

The responses were: (1) a pint of whiskey, or (2) a pistol, or (3) the Machinery's Handbook. Do not know what this handbook was so I searched on ebay and found a listing for one where the size was listed, and it would fit in the drawer with the hole.

Since I do not have the handbook or a pistol, I had to improvise....

Think I am going to find something to plug that hole.

 

[TheGrooveking]

Not knowing the size of the hole, but would recommend getting a plug cover for electrical box.

 

[jrevans]

Cut a piece of thin aluminum sheet to fit the drawer. Glue the felt to the aluminum. Hole will be hidden, and function will not change.

 

[Tool Pants]

Since that drawer was a mystery, I will put the mystery wrenches in it.

Edit.

Today at the flea market I saw a Kennedy 52611 which is the larger version of my 526. It has the same handbook drawer. There is a knock-out, like a metal electrical box. that you can knock-out if you want the hole. The drawer on the 52611 is taller than my 526.

But on my 526 there is no sign of a plug being removed. The edge of the hole is 100% covered in paint, as if the drawer was painted after the hole had been punched out.

I contacted 2 ebay sellers of the 526. The seller of a used one said there was a hole. The seller of a new one said there was a plug.

 

[Tool Pants]

Those Kennedys just keep following me home. 22" cantilever for $15.

No more room in the garage, so the washer and dryer have to go.

 

[superautobacs]

WOW, what a deal! $15!!