Author Topic: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week  (Read 4927 times)

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Offline johnsironsanctuary

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It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« on: May 29, 2012, 03:58:42 PM »
I found a dilapidated wood machinists chest on Craigslist a week or so ago and this last Sunday spent a few hours at Maxwell Street Days here in Cedarburg. It is a good sized Flea Market with hundreds of Fleas and food. I violated JohnK's rule about never buying a toolbox at a flea market because they gain weight as you carry them. I broke the rule not once, but twice.  I spotted a metal toolchest and when I asked the price it was so good that I just paid without a haggle. I never saw one before and it is the biggest machinist chest I have ever seen. It is a bit rusty and maybe someone can tell me what else it says on the front besides Bonney. It had some stuff still in it. I'm guessing that it weighed  40 to 50 lbs.  I made it about a hundred yards to the gate and stood against a tree wheezing and perspiring. I struck up a conversation with a woman loading furniture into her miinivan and she hauled my toolchest the rest of the way to my car. I gave her money and a ride back to her car. I got home, ate lunch and thought about the Mac toolchest that I passed on in the same booth as the Bonney. He wanted a hundred for the top and bottom, but in the air conditioned comfort of my LazyBoy, going back and lowballing him at the end of the day seemed like a good idea.I hooked up my little trailer, put the hand truck in the trunk and back I went. There is no lot parking at this event, so I parked about a third of a mile away on a side street.  By the time I towed the hand truck all the way to the guy's booth, I worked up a good lather. The MAC top chest was sold, but I bought the Snap On bottom for a very good price. I flipped it upside down, there was quite a bit of junk in it, strapped it to the hand truck and headed down the gravel path to the gate. This time, when I got to the gate, I was not only soaking wet, but painfully aware of how old I and out of shape I am. I found someone willing to watch it while I hiked to the car. Loaded it, strapped it and headed home. Anyway, it has been a toolchest week.







« Last Edit: May 29, 2012, 11:04:57 PM by johnsironsanctuary »
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Offline Papaw

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2012, 09:11:27 PM »
Both are good boxes, can't help dating the Bonney.
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Offline skipskip

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2012, 09:18:45 PM »
that Bonney is a sweetie


and the 'mac 'is pretty good too.
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Offline john k

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2012, 09:29:16 PM »
Ah good, someone elses shares the pain!   The one I bought had some stuff in it, but not full, and every 30 feet it got more stuff added, why is that?   How is that Bonney on the inside?  The only all metal machinist chest I've seen is Kennedy, so this is something else again.   The lockset if its original looks newer than the 1950s, maybe 60s or even a little newer?   Now that Snapon, that is of the same series as my box, with the aluminum vertical bars.   It may have a date on the rear, stamped in, then painted over.  Is it 26 wide or a 33?   So, next time you'll be looking for anvils?   (running for cover!!!!!)
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Offline johnsironsanctuary

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2012, 10:58:40 PM »
Anvils? Not in what's left of this life!  The Bonney box is a Kennedy. The outside is painted Semi Gloss Black, but the drawers are painted wrinkle brown on the sides and back. I have never seen a Kennedy with that drawer arrangement.  Thanks to B171943E for the links that show how to get the drawers out of the SO box. The stamp on the back has been eaten by the rust moths. From the catalogs on the SO collectors site, I am pretty sure that it is a KR558, a 1974 vintage, I think. They have 73 and a 75 cat, but not a 74 and some of the details don't line up with those. I'd like to have words with the cheapskate that decided to put powdered metal bushings on steel axles in the casters. They had rusted solid.  I had to chisel them off after bending the caster forks far enough to remove the wheels. Both of the chests are rusty. I can't find any real rust damage on the Bonney, but it will take some priming and sandingto fill the pitts.  The SO box has a little rust damage to the top and bottom of the back panel.  The only thing wrong seems to be the one broken slide. I think both will wind up on Ebay.
« Last Edit: May 29, 2012, 11:10:03 PM by johnsironsanctuary »
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Offline Branson

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2012, 08:00:46 AM »
I've always got an eye out for good anvils at a price I can afford.  And if I find one, I'll find a way to get it back to whatever vehicle I'm driving!  Once at a flea market I had so much stuff in my hands that I bought a Boy Scout back pack to carry the pile -- and then I found some more that had to come home.

Offline johnsironsanctuary

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2012, 08:32:49 AM »
I thought that I would post B17's PM in case someone else is interested.

John -

I think this should work for you:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=181927&postcount=5

Or: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HatcI1ZY6Zw

This is if they are friction slides; I assume they are ...

An old hacksaw blade with the teeth ground off will also work, I think - or some of those long feeler gauges.

Dave
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Offline 1930

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2012, 07:09:56 PM »
I've always got an eye out for good anvils at a price I can afford.  And if I find one, I'll find a way to get it back to whatever vehicle I'm driving!  Once at a flea market I had so much stuff in my hands that I bought a Boy Scout back pack to carry the pile -- and then I found some more that had to come home.
If I find one at a decent price Ill pull it home in my little red wagon if thats what it takes
Always looking for what interests me, anything early Dodge Brothers/Graham Brothers trucks ( pre 1932 or so ) and slant six / Super six parts.

Offline johnsironsanctuary

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2012, 10:47:22 PM »
A bit of an update on the Snap On Toolbox. With B17's help, I was able to get the drawers out. Snap On should be ashamed of themselves for making it that difficult. I used a piece of chinese (they are soft enough to bend) hack saw blade and riveted in a new stop spring on the slider. I sanded and cup brushed everything. Primed it and rolled on two coats of Rustoleum Regal Red. It's a little darker than original, but it is getting a Craftsman logo and I like it. I used a little bondo on the top of the sides to fill the pitting. There  was only two of the drawers that were rusty on the inside. The rest were good. Scottg suggested that I find some old aluminum road signs for another toolbox project. I got some and cut one down to fit on the top. I painted the top of the box with a rust treatment and gave it a coat of red paint. I also left the yellow paint on the street sign so I should not have problems with aluminum on steel and it looks good. My paint job is good from far and far from good, but it sure looks better. I spent more on paint than I paid for the box.

« Last Edit: June 08, 2012, 10:49:53 PM by johnsironsanctuary »
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Offline Papaw

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2012, 10:53:22 PM »
Good job! Looks great to me!
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Offline 1930

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #10 on: June 09, 2012, 05:40:47 PM »
Tomato plants? and is that a Mango tree up on the porch?
Always looking for what interests me, anything early Dodge Brothers/Graham Brothers trucks ( pre 1932 or so ) and slant six / Super six parts.

Offline mrchuck

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2012, 08:34:54 PM »
A great looking box, and now to put in some drawer liners and put it to work!
Congrats on bringing it back to life!
Molon Labe

Offline johnsironsanctuary

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Re: It's Been a Toolbox kind of week
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2012, 08:59:18 PM »
Yes, 1930, tomato plants to be planted tomorrow.  The other thing is the remains of mom's Easter lily. I think it is beyond hope. RIP

Thanks Mr Chuck, the carpet remnants are waiting to be cut for the drawers. This will be the Craftsman display box in the basement. I'm running out of walls for pegboard. It is not automotive quality paint, but it will live on and I promise not to throw away the SO logo plate.
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