# Vintage Gray/Red Craftsman Tool Boxes



## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

Hello, my name is Hack, and I'm a Craftsman Tool Box Addict…

Back in 1973, I bought my first tool box. It was the 3 drawer upper and 9 drawer lower. Always wanted the 10 drawer upper, so I found one at a pre-estate sale. It came with a 3 + bay lower. Both 1973 vintage. Cleaned them up, it was in pretty good condition, and re-arranged the stacks.










Next came the 1970 2 drawer with the 5 + bay lower. That cleaned up good, but had a bit of rust on the the lower unit. Some rattle can Rustoleum hammer tone, and put in the row.










Added a maple butcher block top to it, attached a classic Pony vice, and called it good:



















Moved the 2 drawer upper over to my wood lathe bench:










Figured I had kicked the habit…. Until this one shows up (sorry no before pics, I'm bad about that…):










1976 vintage. Rough condition (seller said 'good'....). This had led a hard life before I got my hands on it.

The last find also included a (somewhat rare) 2 drawer intermediate box:










Used 1.5 gallons of Super Clean to get the drawers/slides clean.


















Outside temps have been in the 20's, so I'm waiting for a bit of warmth before doing some serious pressure washing out in the driveway…


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

I found a before pic of the Craftsman stack I had previously bought:










Like I posted, it had a hard life before it came to me. Going to be challenge getting back into service.

So I had hopes of kicking the habit, but an estate sale about five miles from my house listed a 10 drawer top and 5 + bay drawer lower. I jumped into the car, got there, and was too late… Someone had bought them earlier in the morning. And for a pretty good price: $135. From the pics, they both looked in great condition, and both had their Craftsman chevron logos attached. I already have two of those combos, but that wouldn't have stopped me from having three… Not wanted to leave without looking at all the 'stuff', I came upon a 2 drawer box. 1976 vintage. It wasn't listed on the sale site, but had a price tag on it: $42. I already have two of the 10 drawer tops, one in service and another waiting for a full resto. And one of the 5 + bay lower. Did I need another set? No. Did I want another set? Heck Yes!

I asked if that was the correct price, since it also had a number of Craftsman sockets in it. The guy running the sale said 'Yep. $35'. I said SOLD!

Brought it home, spent a few hours cleaning it up, lubed the slides, cut some new drawer liners:










Now to figure out where to put it, and what to put in it.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

I've got a gray/red combo that the wife bought me for a birthday present sometime back in the 80's… It's a 4 drawer bottom and 6 drawer top combo, although unlike yours that has the (aluminium?) metal drawer pulls, mine are black with a red stripe. How dd you determine the age of them?

Cheers,
Brad


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

> How dd you determine the age of them?
> 
> Cheers,
> Brad
> ...


No certain about yours, but on the ones I'm addicted to, the date of manufacture is stamped into the box. On the upper boxes, it is in the front left, inside the top area. On the lowers, it is on the bottom right side (front). Will have a 4 digit date stamp: MO/YR.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

deleted


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## Bearcontrare (Oct 6, 2020)

I overstand the "Where to put it" part of the conundrum….. the "What to put in it" part is what puzzles me…... Many years of experience has taught that ANY toolcabinet/chest/box brought into a shop will fill itself usually within a 24-48 hour period….. Just seems to happen that way…...


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

> Many years of experience has taught that ANY toolcabinet/chest/box brought into a shop will fill itself usually within a 24-48 hour period….. Just seems to happen that way…...
> - Bearcontrare


Ha! Last chest I bought was one of the black Craftsman 75th Anniversary editions that I ran across on CL. Upper and lower chests in excellent condition for $200 - and they were already filled with tools! Had to have come with a few thousand bucks worth of tools; and the good news for me was that most were metric. Everything i owned up until then was basically all SAE. Now I have a chest for each, both overflowing, and absolutely no place to put a third.

But you are right about filling up space… works with workspaces as well. No matter how big a garage you build… you will find a was to fill it up eventually - usually way too soon.

Cheers,
Brad.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

> I overstand the "Where to put it" part of the conundrum….. the "What to put in it" part is what puzzles me…... Many years of experience has taught that ANY toolcabinet/chest/box brought into a shop will fill itself usually within a 24-48 hour period….. Just seems to happen that way…...
> 
> - Bearcontrare


True.

I'm getting old (70), so I'm in a sort of clean it up and sort it out, organization kick. I've already managed to get a lot of my drill 'stuff' organized. Also my 'saw stuff', 'measuring stuff, and 'other stuff', are all trying to find dedicated storage so I don't have to rustle around through the shop to locate something. My main tool box, has all my wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, etc. in it. So I know exactly where to go, when I need a specific tool. And I've trained myself (OCD) to put things back when done with them. Even if that means having to go back/forth a few times during a project.

I also figure it'll make it easier, if I happen to stop breathing one day, for whomever needs to inherit or dispose of 'this stuff'.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

So, I sold the 10 drawer top/9 drawer lower.










Got what I paid for it. I would have kept it, if I couldn't get anywhere close to my asking price. It just needed more cosmetic restoration than I was ready/willing to do. And the lower had a really bad repair inside on a couple of the slides. I disclosed all this to the buyer (unlike the guy who I bought it from…). And I installed new Craftsman casters and a couple of the drawer slide clips. It was all lubed with teflon spray, and ready to put to use. All things considered, I put probably $60 into the top/bottom, not including my time.

I kept the somewhat rare/hard to find middle box. Which was in not very good condition. After a couple weeks of work, I got that finished:



















Stuck it under my original 3 drawer upper and added to the 'Row of Craftsman':










The paint isn't an identical match to the OEM, but it would be close if the other boxes were new. The red paint tends to oxidize/fade over time. Matched to one of my 2 drawer uppers, it's pretty close:










The two drawer uppers are only 10" deep, whereas the larger boxes are all 12" deep.

Now to find a 7 drawer + bay lower, a 6 drawer upper, and (rare) 3 drawer middle box…


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

Finished up the vintage 2 drawer that I got for free:










I was a total cosmetic restoration. Had to wrestle with it inside my sandblast cabinet, then paint.

Finished pics:




























Not happy with the Dupli-Color Automotive Chrome paint I used on the handles. I followed the directions, but the paint just would not harden. The label says 'handle in 1 hour', but when you do, you leave fingerprints IN the paint. I tried leaving for two days, same result. And it does not like heat. Never had a problem with using the heat gun to warm up and 'flash' rattlecan paint. It just seems to stay too soft. And clear coating is a no go. Turns the shiny finish to a dull gray (I tried). Luckily, this box isn't going to see a lot of movement, so I'll go with it as is.

I've not got 3 of the 2 drawer models, and would like to get another, with the thought of gifting one to each of my three grandsons. And keeping one.


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## Bearcontrare (Oct 6, 2020)

Not Craftsman, but I ran into a Helluva deal on a Husky 4 drawer base cabinet/cart, so it came home with me. Yeah, it started pulling tools into it immediately, and I'm already considering getting another one….. the addiction is entirely understandable…..


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

> Not Craftsman, but I ran into a Helluva deal on a Husky 4 drawer base cabinet/cart, so it came home with me. Yeah, it started pulling tools into it immediately, and I m already considering getting another one….. the addiction is entirely understandable…..
> 
> - Bearcontrare


I hear ya! See you at the next 12 step meeting….


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

So another project just showed up:










1973 vintage. l already have this stack, so I don't know what I'll do with this one. It's got 'good bones', but a lot of surface rust from living in garages. A couple of bent drawers, nothing severe, but will need some 'attention'. All the slides work good, no missing clips. Both locks work, and they have keys, which saves $25 per lock at a local locksmith cutting them to the correct code.

I've got the drawers all out and I'm in the process of degreasing/cleaning them to access condition.










I really don't want to paint them if I don't have to. There's 19 total drawers. And the cases definitely will need some sort of painting. Just don't know if I want to tackle a full resto on this.

We'll see…..


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## 987Ron (Apr 9, 2020)

Always was amazed at the "tool chests". Spent 40 years in the auto parts business and many hours in shops. Seemed the better mechanics always had the biggest and best toolchests.
My stack of 3 are Herbrand Utica div. of Kelsey Hayes. Had to go look to see what they were. Acquired new back in the 80s??? Brand was one that one of my customers carried. Have no idea what I paid for them or if some sort of product swap. 
It too attracts tools and fills up just like the Craftsman.
Enjoyed your postings. The photos made the subject chests real. 
Thanks for posting.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

> Enjoyed your postings. The photos made the subject chests real.
> Thanks for posting.


You are welcome! It's an addiction…

I'm going to try some auto polish/cutter on the drawers to see if that turns out acceptable. We'll have to see how it works.

I really like the 'old junk'. But if anyone is looking for a tool box, I'd direct them to Harbor Freight for a US General. I recently purcased two 'stacks': A 26" for my lake house garage, and a 44" for my son:



















Very nice tool boxes, great pricing, ball bearing slides, and exceptional finish. They come with pre-cut drawer liners, so that saves a bunch of time/hassle.

- 987Ron
[/QUOTE]


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

So, I use some rubbing compound on the 10 drawer box. There is a bit of a difference, but I'm still uncertain if I'll go all in and re-paint them.

Before:










After:










Haven't had a break in the weather to scrub/pressure wash the two cases. It's been in the teens-twenties for the past several weeks. And it seems to snow every day. Got a prediction for 5"-8" today….

In the meantime, a little baby showed up at the house:



















Somewhat rare to find in good condition. This has a bit of rust, and a small ding in the lid. No key, but I can get one made. But otherwise in good condition for 50+ years old (12/70 mfg).

Being it's smaller, it may jump to the head of the line for cosmetic restoration. Should be no problem wrestling with it inside my blast cabinet. It's going to take a lot of masking off the handle and latches, as they are riveted on, and I'm not going to remove them.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

So I got the 2 drawer 'baby' box restored:










Here it is sitting next to the full size 2 drawer I restored:










Then I went on to the 10/9 drawer combo and got that one done:










Here it is in the row:










The 10/9 drawer combo was a lot of work sanding/priming/painting. So, I'm going to be a bit more discerning with any more that I acquire. I hope….


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

So another Vintage Craftsman stack showed up in my garage last night:










March 1974 date of manufacture. It's got the 6 drawer upper box that I was missing (so far) in my collection. I've already got two of the 9 drawer lower boxes (sell above post pic), so I might sell just the lower. It needs a new set of casters, as the swivel ones have lost all their ball bearings, making it extremely difficult to wheel around. And that's empty. Full of tools, it would be a real PITA.

I'll most likely pull the chevron logo off the lower and use it on the upper. I don't know how far of a resto I'll be doing on the upper box. It's got a few stickers/labels that need to be removed. And there's a bit of rust that goes beyond what I consider 'patina'. All the drawers work good, nothing sticks, so a good cleaning and some Teflon lube should make it like new.

Weather is too crappy to do any pressure washing outside, so a cleanup will happen later this week. Hopefully.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

So I decided to hang on to the 9 drawer lower box. But I didn't want to put a great deal of work into it, so it got a full cleaning, and the case got some sanding/rust converter on the bad areas. I touch-up painted those areas with gray hammertone. Came out good, with some original 'patina' still left on the box. It needed a new set of casters, as the swivel ones, were missing all the ball bearings. $22 on eBay for a set of genuine Craftsman casters.

The 6 drawer upper got the partial Monte with me sanding the entire case, rust converting, then painting it. The drawers on the upper were in very good condition, so only a good scrubbing was needed. I took the chevron logo from the lower and put it on the upper. The lower drawers were decent, but not as nice as the uppers. But I didn't want to go all in, and sand/paint them. Spraying red paint is a full blown mess. And there is a lot of prep work to do the drawers, even though I only spray the fronts. So they got cleaned and look 'okay'. They had the usual black goo, of unknown chemical composition, splattered in/on them. I have no idea what that stuff is, RTV? Undercoating? What???? But it seems to be in just about every toolbox that I've acquired.

I cut new drawer liners for the upper/lower and slapped it all together.

Pics of the stack:



















In the 'Wall of Craftsman':


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

You sure do a fine job of restoration….cheers, Jim


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

Thanks Jim!


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## EarlC (May 9, 2021)

I would like to share my dad's old craftsman toolbox I believe was purchased in the mid to early 60s. Can't figure out how to do that. Any help appreciated. I'm looking for the correct gray and red paint to restore it. The gray seems to have a blue tinge to it.


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## 1thumb (Jun 30, 2012)

That two drawer craftsman tool box is cool


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## EarlC (May 9, 2021)

Does anyone think there might be a date code on this old box. I've looked all over it. Plus as I said in the previous post I would like to restore my dad's old toolbox. Looking for the correct red and the correct gray blue color


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

> I would like to share my dad's old craftsman toolbox I believe was purchased in the mid to early 60s. Can't figure out how to do that. Any help appreciated. I'm looking for the correct gray and red paint to restore it. The gray seems to have a blue tinge to it.
> 
> - EarlC


The dates of manufacture on that combo should be stamped on the cases. On the upper, it is inside the top, on the left side. Should be a four digit code. First two numbers are month, last two year. On the lower, it will be stamped into the bottom right front of the case. Same four digit coding.

The paint I've been using is Rustoleum. Hammer tone Gray for the cases, and Sunrise Red for the drawers. It's not a perfect match to the OEM. The gray is close, but it difficult to spray and get a good hammer finish, without overdoing it. The red is just a bit too red, but I'm also comparing it to 50 year old faded paint.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

> That two drawer craftsman tool box is cool
> - 1thumb


Thanks!

The baby box is a somewhat rare find. Especially if it's in decent shape for a resto. The larger two drawer tops, seem to be everywhere.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

So I ordered a couple 3D printed chevron emblems off eBay. They came all the way from The U.K. They aren't exact duplicates of the OEM ones, but close. I may contact the seller and see if he can 'tweak' his program to get the letters just a bit (1mm) smaller. OEM on left, repro on right:










They don't have the mounting pins, so they need to be double side taped to the box:










Looks good, and no one other than a true 'addict' would notice the difference.


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## sansoo22 (May 7, 2019)

The first tool box I bought when I split with the ex and had to start all over again. Served me well for quite some time and now happily resides with a local Craftsman nut. He fully restored it but unfortunately I don't have that pic.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

> The first tool box I bought when I split with the ex and had to start all over again. Served me well for quite some time and now happily resides with a local Craftsman nut. He fully restored it but unfortunately I don t have that pic.
> - sansoo22


I never thought I'd like the lowers with the 'garage' or 'bay' opening. Until I got one. Then two. Now I'd jump at the chance to get another 5 + bay lower. Or a somewhat hard to find 7 + bay lower.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

So I fed the monkey on my back, and drove four hours each way to get another addition:



















Manufactured 9/72. Has both locks keyed alike, which is unusual for these boxes. Original owner must have ordered new matching locks, separate from Craftsman. It's also got a period correct side shelf, although there is no stamped date of manufacture on it, the paint looks to be vintage correct.

This six drawer upper is different than the last one I acquired:










The top drawer configuration is different, and it doesn't have the 'security' lock feature on the center drawer like the last one does. Which is sort of an annoyance (on the previous one), at least for me.

Unfortunately, the upper box had a couple previous owner 'modifications': An acrylic handle was attached to the upper box lid. And he didn't do a very good job of centering it (I've removed it already). Plus, some sort of document sleeve was pop riveted to the side (also removed). Now I have four small holes in the box. I'm debating whether to fill them in, which would be more work that I want to do. Or just live with them. The side holes don't bother me as much as the holes on the lid. But for something that is almost 49 years old, it's in extremely good condition. Only going to need a thorough cleaning, and some fresh Teflon lube for the slides. The lower may need a few areas spot sprayed with hammer tone gray. But nothing major like a few of the other boxes I have. I already have another 5 drawer + bay lower, but it's a 1969 vintage and the bay door is painted gray. I really like the bay for stashing larger tools.

Took half a day to thoroughly clean the upper box. The drawers are all in extremely good condition for being 49 years old. Lubed all the slides with Teflon, cut new drawer liners (I need to order another roll for the lower), and I'm calling it done:



















I'll be cleaning the lower box today. Not certain how much touchup paint it might need, so pics when that happens.


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## Fourthgencarp (Feb 16, 2016)

Looks like your pretty knowledgeable about these boxes I'm trying to date my lower box looked all over it can't find a number anywhere. It has ball bearing roller slides the side of box has no indent like yours do appreciate any information! Your boxes look great!


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

I'd date your lower box in the 1960's. The mfg date should be stamped on the front of the case, lower right side, bottom. It is (at times) somewhat hard to read. It should have a xx (month) xx (year) date. eg: 05 65 = May 1965.

Some time in the late 60's (1969?), Craftsman changed over to the I-frame construction on their boxes. And the logo placement moved from the right side, to the left side of the box. Not certain when that happened. They then started painting the lower 'bay' door red to match the drawers. Probably in 1970 sometime. I have a 1969 5 + bay lower, and it is I-frame (although it is a smooth back), but the bay door is still gray, and the logo is on the left side.


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## Fourthgencarp (Feb 16, 2016)

Took a little sanding but I found it 5-62. I was also wondering why it has ball bearing drawer slides I have never seen this on a craftsman box. I have one from 58 and it has normal slides. Thanks for the info!


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

Yes, the ball bearing slides are unusual, which would lead me to believe they were an 'owner modification' at some point. Take a picture of the mounting on the drawers and inside the case if you can.


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## Fourthgencarp (Feb 16, 2016)

They're definitely original


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

Very Nice! I've never seen one like that! IMHO, you've got something definitely unique!


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## tschisler8579 (Jan 7, 2022)

Hello,

I just received a Craftsman Tool Box from 1975. It was a Christmas gift from my grandmother to my grandfather.










The top is stamped 10/75 65282. The bottom is stamped 9/75 65033. I used Simple Green to clean up as much as I could. I plan to do a full restoration in the Spring.

I have a bunch of questions:

Can you send the info on contact that makes the replica badges? 
What paint colors did you use to match?
Have you updated the casters?

I think that's it for now, but I'm sure I'll have more as I get further into the process.

Thanks, 
Tom


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

> The top is stamped 10/75 65282. The bottom is stamped 9/75 65033. I used Simple Green to clean up as much as I could. I plan to do a full restoration in the Spring.
> 
> I have a bunch of questions:
> 
> ...


Nice looking combo! I don't think it's anywhere near the need for a full resto, unless there is a lot of rust in the areas not shown by that pic. But I like a bit of patina on them.

I got the 3D printed badges off eBay. They shipped from the UK, so it'll take a couple of weeks to get them. https://www.ebay.com/itm/363338418099. You will need to either use double sided tape, or some other method to get them on the box. I used double sided tape. Seller is good to work with, so reach out to him for what your specific needs might be. Like I posted, they are slightly larger than the OEM, and I never got back with the seller to see if he could 'tweak' his program to get them closer.

Rustoleum Gray Hammertone and Rustoleum Sunrise Red. The Hammertone is difficult to spray with a consistent finish, but somewhat matches OEM. The red is a bit too red, but when compared to OEM paint that hasn't seen a lot of sunlight it's fairly close.

I only updated casters on a couple of the larger (5+bay and 9 drawer) lowers. This was due to ball bearings that had fallen out over the years. The 3+bay lower has smaller caster wheels. Unless they are totally FUBAR, I'd try to clean them up, grease (I used spray lithium for the ball bearings, etc.), and go with them.


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## tschisler8579 (Jan 7, 2022)

> Nice looking combo! I don t think it s anywhere near the need for a full resto, unless there is a lot of rust in the areas not shown by that pic. But I like a bit of patina on them.
> 
> I got the 3D printed badges off eBay. They shipped from the UK, so it ll take a couple of weeks to get them. https://www.ebay.com/itm/363338418099. You will need to either use double sided tape, or some other method to get them on the box. I used double sided tape. Seller is good to work with, so reach out to him for what your specific needs might be. Like I posted, they are slightly larger than the OEM, and I never got back with the seller to see if he could tweak his program to get them closer.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the information and quick response. I'll take a look on ebay at those badges.

I like your idea of working with the original casters. I was toying with the idea of having swivel casters on each corner to move the box around with ease. Then again, I don't plan to move it around too much so it may not be as important as I initially thought.

From what I've seen the box is in pretty good shape compared to some out there. I don't want to rush into anything with it as I'd love to pass it on to one of my kids one day.

I do believe I've been bitten by the bug after reading through this entire post though. I'll be sure to post back once there's more to share.


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## 1thumb (Jun 30, 2012)

https://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/tls/d/atlanta-old-school-1970s-sears/7460843472.html


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## IanMurdock (4 mo ago)

Found this thread and wanted to share my grandpas old tool box that is mine now. I recently added the modern center section because I ran out of room for tools. Would love to restore it one day and love seeing the other similar boxes!


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

Nice combo!

I'm still looking for a period correct 3 drawer middle box for my collection. They come up for sale every now and then, but a too far for me to travel.


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