Tool Cache

A new acquisition to the basement workshop came last week in the form of two vintage Craftsman toolboxes and their contents. The little one has an antique set of sockets and two sets of speed wrenches. The big box is called a top box, and was meant to go on the top of a rolling tool chest. It's got a flip-up front and pull out drawers on the inside. This must have weighed about fifty pounds with all of the old tools in it, but for 20-bucks you can't go wrong.

Almost all of the tools are rusty, apparently from sitting in a damp garage for so long. But I discovered an old trick: soaking them overnight in vinegar. It eats at the rust and makes it easy to clean off with a wire brush. A little coat of oil and they stay rust-free. Check out the clean half of the tin snips in the picture compared to the rusty handles.

The boxes are another story. Those can be used as-is, but I think when the weather is nice I'll sandblast them and give them a fresh coat of paint. Look for updates on those and the clean pile of tools in the future.