Could anybody help identify a machinist box?

[Kirbot]

This is my second wooden machinist box, I just got it a few hours ago at a fleamarket.
It's a bit of a mess but it was practically free because of all the stuff in it.
It was only $20.00!

Now my question is, before I start sanding and stripping or whatever all I decide to do is, what kind is it?

Does anybody recognise it?

Any advise on restoring it?

I'm not sure just how far I plan to go with it, probably just get it looking decent, but I will make a new cover a drawer for it.


Thanks
-Mike

Oops I hit submit before I added the pictures!

[DENedbalek]

It looks like an old Gerstner to me. http://www.gerstnerusa.com/

Dwayne

[KiddZimaHater]

It looks kinda like this old Gerstner:

I wouldn't sand and strip it.
I would just replace or repair any broken hardware, fix any loose wood, and clean-up the original finish.
But that's just my 2 cents.

[Carld]

Hmm, I'm thinking it's not home done because of the rivets on the corner protectors and latches. Did you pull the drawers and look on the bottoms and inside the cabinet and on the bottom of the cabinet?

[J Tiers]

What do the drawer runners inside the box casing look like?

Also, the handles look a little odd. are they by chance a rivet with a tubular part around the rivet shank?

[DFMiller]

Whatever you do don't sand and refinish it.
That looks real nice> :-)
As KiddZimaHater said just make it functional. Or if you really wanted something new you could send to me and I could buy you one of those NEW knock off units and send it to you.
;-)

Dave

[ietech]

This is my second wooden machinist box, I just got it a few hours ago at a fleamarket.
It's a bit of a mess but it was practically free because of all the stuff in it.
It was only $20.00!

Now my question is, before I start sanding and stripping or whatever all I decide to do is, what kind is it?

Does anybody recognise it?

Any advise on restoring it?

I'm not sure just how far I plan to go with it, probably just get it looking decent, but I will make a new cover a drawer for it.


Thanks
-Mike

Oops I hit submit before I added the pictures!

It appears to be a very early model Gerstner -- Mine, a model 41A -- Orville Wright, is from the early1900S I can only confirm 1954 based on a material receipt I found under the bottom drawer. Definately restore. I rubbed gently with 0000 steel wool to clean and prepare the surfaace for matching stain. Used Mild bleach solution to kill mildew, rinsed with damp rags and blow dried IMMEDIATLY to prevent damage to the wood. Blasted the hardware with very fine Alum Oxide media and cleaned thorougly. The rest is easy, coat with wood restorer, stained. then used a light coat of water based poly urethane to protect my work in the future. Great find GOOD LUCK

I tried to post a pic of mine but can't figure out how to do it on this web site any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Kirbot]

Posting pictures here is a little different than some forums, but you can just copy and paste the Url between these [img] [/img]

I'd love to see the pictures, I'm still not quite sure what I'll do with mine.

What kind of wood restorer did you use?

Somewhere (maybe even here) I read that wooden drawer bottoms were used before 1940. (mine are sheet metal) And that only the early chests used a chain on the lid like mine.

Anyboy else know about that?

All that assuming it's a Gerstner of course.


Also if anybody has a picture of what the front cover is supposed to look like, I would appreciate seeing it.

[JCHannum]

You can send Gerstner photos of the box, and they will verify if it is theirs. They have sent me e-mails confirming boxes I have had on eBay as being authentic. They are quite active in this respect.

[J Tiers]

The large rivet and tubular part handle are exactly like SIPCO.

Schartow Iron Products Co of Racine Wis.

Here is a picture of a rivet and tube on mine... the only one I didn't refinish, because it still has a decal (well part of one). I don't know what color mine was, it was Uncle Walter's, and in storage it got severe smoke and water damage, so I had to take it apart and re-build it (using hide glue, of course). When I got it, it was very dark, and covered in a gooey smoke gunk.