Project Craftsman Toolbox Restoration

[Treburkulosis]

I had a snap on and a couple beech? I think for years, and sold most of the tools and boxes when I sold out, then I needed something for the basement shop, mainly wood/ guns, but you got to have tools, So Canadian tire had a sale you know. about 12 yrs old now.
PS, back in the day, 90% of my tools where craftsman/ sears, But while there are craftsman tools sold buy a few different stores, there is no sears in Canada for last few years .

Good luck with the rebuild.
One thing I like about the new ones, all the drawers are lined with a thin rubber liner , helps a bit keeping tools in place and cuts the noise way down.

That’s really cool! Craftsman tools are still being built great. They hit a few years where quality dropped. They closed all of our Sears here close to 10-12 years ago. Luckily I was just checking last night and since all of my stuff was purchased online, All I have to do is just punch in the serial number on their site and register my tools. It is going to take a minute since I haven’t done any yet lol. It still appears that the hand tools are lifetime, but the drills and impacts are have a limited warranty.

 

[Treburkulosis]

I gave my Craftsman Box like that to my neighbor, as a loaner
It had a fair amount of assorted tools in it.
He gave it to someone, likely for Drugs.
He moved with his wife to Las Vegas & had a Heart Attack, shame cause he was a very good Shade Tree Mechanic.

I still have my other Roll A ways

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Have you noticed who Made Craftsman Tool Boxes ??

While facing those boxes, look at Right bottom structural Lip, the Stamping faces the ceiling.
By the way, WATERLOO made the CRAFTSMAN Tool Boxes

Interesting I see that. That is the trim they no longer make. Are those drawers roller bearings?

 

[Grams]

My Craftsman tool boxes were bought in 1971 when I was starting out as a new Toyota dealership mechanic. (That job no longer exists. Now they have parte-replacers and call them “technicians”.)

Anyway, I still have ‘em and they’re like most pictured here already.

@OP : Are you sure those handle-covers are stainless steel..? …not Aluminum extrusions?

 

[Treburkulosis]

My Craftsman tool boxes were bought in 1971 when I was starting out as a new Toyota dealership mechanic. (That job no longer exists. Now they have parte-replacers and call them “technicians”.)

Anyway, I still have ‘em and they’re like most pictured here already.

@OP : Are you sure those handle-covers are stainless steel..? …not Aluminum extrusions?

They are aluminum just like old car trim. Very flimsy.

 

[GTyankee]

My Craftsman Tool Box Drawers are on Slide Rails
I Looked at the 2 Roll-A-Way Tool Boxes & the 2 Top Boxes

 

[Treburkulosis]

My Craftsman Tool Box Drawers are on Slide Rails
I Looked at the 2 Roll-A-Way Tool Boxes & the 2 Top Boxes

Mine are the early easy pull and shut drawers from the late 90s. Kind of when the transition went towards more comfort vs just a place to store your tools. The wheels are even roller bearing.

 

[Treburkulosis]

A little update. I got around to degreasing and pressure washing it this morning before the storms roll in a little bit. It actually cleaned up nice. I do need to use some Tar X and get some stuff out of the drawers. Other than a very small amount of surface rust the dang thing looks great. I won’t need to sandblast it, so hopefully tomorrow I can get rolling on the sanding. I would like to have it done by the end of the week. I don’t like all of my tools scattered across the garage. My current dilemma. I have a clean car and I would like to get a week out of this detail as its been filthy for a month due to the weather.

 

[Treburkulosis]

Update: Yesterday I was able to dedicate about 6 hours to working on it. I got all of the rust spots sanded down and I used Eastwood rust converter over those spots and I got the rest of tool box sanded down. The plan today is waiting until our severe weather gets out of here so that I can start priming what doesn’t need further body work. My second lock for it is supposed to be here any day. China is the only place that still makes the original style locks. I will take some pictures later today of the progress.

 

[Treburkulosis]

More updates. I was fighting the wind all day yesterday 50-60 mph winds all day. I was able to get most of the cabinet painted. I still have a few things left to paint, and a few fish eyes to fix, but for the most part it is turning out great! Here are a few pictures I took.

 

[Treburkulosis]

It is all painted and I started reassembling it yesterday. I am still working on the lower door. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with that so I have some body filler I need to sand down on it either today or tomorrow. I put a feeler out on the group email for my Camaro club about the trim piece and I am getting another tool box that needs work. I will steal that trim piece off and then I am going to order the harbor freight trim pieces for it. I plan on restoring this one as well since they are both about the same age. I should be done with it by Monday! I have will have roughly 48 hours in the resto and about 100 bucks in materials. Not bad at all when this same one new is $800+

 

[Treburkulosis]

I also ordered a ton of organization for it. Looks like it will all be here tomorrow. Just in time. I am still waiting on my last lock to arrive. It should have been here days ago, so hopefully today or tomorrow. I went ahead and ordered a new lock for the next one I am going to restore.

 

[Treburkulosis]

I got the front bottom door sanded down, primed and painted. I also got the whole thing put back together minus that door. I am trying to remember how it went on. I am sure I am missing a piece, but I have the door and the locking arm. From what I remember that is all it had. I will start messing with that tomorrow afternoon or Sunday depending on how quickly it cures. Im kind of excited to start the next one. I definitely need more room with all of my tools.

 

[Treburkulosis]

Well the guy kinda lied to me, but it all turned out ok. He gave me a drawer instead. The locks I ordered were not correct at all so I just got the correct ones last night. After straightening out the trim piece as best as it could be. It is done minus stabbing the new locks in. I have decided to let 14 years old have it on his 15th birthday. He helped me do most of the work and has fallen in love with it. I know he will take care of it and appreciate it. I will stock it with all of my older tools. Saturday I went and bought the exact same Tool box, but in damn near mint condition. I did a small two step paint correction on it. Then I bought the project. It’s from the 1980s. I need to figure out what year, The paint was in rough shape, but not much rust on it. So yesterday I spent all day taking it apart and getting it ready to paint. I have decided not to paint this one traditional. I am going to paint it my business colors so turquoise and black I am going to work on the aluminum emblems and I will do those hot pink. We did find that different era Craftsman tool boxes are different shades of red. Anyways here are the pictures.Excuse the smudges on the bottom drawer. I had just finished fighting with that trim piece when I took that.

 

[Treburkulosis]

Here are the latest two that I just finished. The teal on matches my business colors. My original one is going to my son for his B day this year. I am stocking it full of starter tools. It is the far left one. I am keeping the Teal and the more orange red one that is short. I added nice anti slip mats to each and every one of the exposed surfaces.

 

[Carnero Plateado]

My Matco box was kind of sorry looking after 20+ years in a busy truck shop. After a career change, I brought it home and gave it a little makeover. The drawer slides got cleaned and lubed, then it got a fresh coat of satin black and some "carbon fiber" 3D wrap on the drawer fronts. It will probably outlast me...

 

[turkeybird56]

So I have had this roller tool box since 97ish and it’s been a great one. I honestly have never upgraded it. It has gotten me through a lot of projects, life, the garage fire it survived somehow, and a few moves over the years. I was reading on how to restore them and I am trying to run down really one part. I am waiting for Craftsman to email me back. I lost a stainless steel drawer handle cover in one of my moves. The lady is going to see if she can locate them all since the bigger ones are only 8.00. I started disassembling it yesterday and hopefully tomorrow of Sunday I can degrease and pressure was it.

Things to do:
Degrease and pressure wash it.
Get a few small bolts to replace the ones that have fallen out. I believe it is only 2.
Order new stainless steel drawer handle trim
Fix a few small dents
Replace both locks
Fix the door on the front and make it functional again
Take care of the surface rust on it
Prime and Paint it. Rust oleum Regal Red is the closes you will find to the Craftsman red. I will fire up my paint gun and shoot that. My neighbor is the head paint guy at our local home depot so I have the hook up lol.
Repaint using my airbrush the original emblems
I may ceramic coat it I will see how it turns out.
Possibly replace the wheels they still rolls so I may just lubricate them.
I believe that is it. This project should be 200 dollars or less.
Not the best before picture, but you get the idea.
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GOT the same one in the Garage. U gonna come and refurbish? LOL. I wonder if the draw inserts that Harbour Freight sells will fit my drawers? THIS was a XMAS present from wife in like 2001, and all it has is the plastic inserts with holes for sockets.

I see you got drawer organizers? Harbour Freight or somewhere? I sure need some.

 

[Treburkulosis]

My Matco box was kind of sorry looking after 20+ years in a busy truck shop. After a career change, I brought it home and gave it a little makeover. The drawer slides got cleaned and lubed, then it got a fresh coat of satin black and some "carbon fiber" 3D wrap on the drawer fronts. It will probably outlast me...

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Very nice! I really like the carbon fiber wrap! I ended up using silicone lubricant on my slides. So far so good on them.

 

[Treburkulosis]

GOT the same one in the Garage. U gonna come and refurbish? LOL. I wonder if the draw inserts that Harbour Freight sells will fit my drawers? THIS was a XMAS present from wife in like 2001, and all it has is the plastic inserts with holes for sockets.

I see you got drawer organizers? Harbour Freight or somewhere? I sure need some.

Amazon was the best deal on them. 20ish bucks for 3 1/4 3 3/8 3/1/2 harbor freight was 20.00 a piece. That was craftsman territory. Harbor freight is not a good deal on tools or tool boxes anymore. I can go to Lowe’s and get a huge Craftsman tool box just like general ones at HF and they are several hundred dollars cheaper. Even when they both are on sale. As far as the inserts go if you did get them from HF they would fit. They are just more money and appeared to be the same quality as the ones I got on amazon.

 

[Treburkulosis]

@turkeybird56 I was at harbor freight yesterday and the singles on those socket holders are slightly stiffer, but not enough to justify buying them there vs amazon. If you are interested I will message you the link.

 

[turkeybird56]

@turkeybird56 I was at harbor freight yesterday and the singles on those socket holders are slightly stiffer, but not enough to justify buying them there vs amazon. If you are interested I will message you the link.

Thanks, send url at yer convenience