Other Items Shown Are for Scale or Display Suggestions. Only the item listed is included in this sale.
The box was cleaned of all dirt and grime and stained. A new handle from Gerstner was installed to match the original which was sound but covered in cloth electrical tape.. A generous coating of Briwax was applied and buffed. The original shipping included a sturdy contai9ner reinforced with plywood panels and generous packing peanuts. All that weight has been removed and the box cut down to be more exact to reduce the outrageous shipping charges.
The Box dimensions are 27" Long x 6-14" x 10-1/2" (Outside) 25-1/4" x 5-1/8" x 8" with 1-1/4" deep top. The Stanley hasps are original and the lock staple was replaced with a vintage Stanley Staple. The closing hasps are original and very old and worn, but still function. The copper corners are nailed using copper domed head nails. A few were missing and vintage nails sourced and replaced. The hinges are original as is the chain. There is a strap on the top that may have held other levels or equipment. My guess is that this was an engineers or surveyor's box. .It had levels in it which were removed and listed separately.
The restoration:.
Here we have a tough one. I fell in love with this box when I bought it. It had undeclared termite damage on the bottom and back when it arrived. There were wooden levels inside, one also with termite damage. After months of hard work, I present it as an awesome collectible. I am not sure if the box was manufactured or user made. I love the copper corners. Here's what I did to restore this box: Determine that the damage was old, subterranean and not active. The box was kept in a heavy plastic bag for months and inspected by our pest control specialist who declared them inactive. The damage to the box was minor involving about three inches of edge along the back wall and about four inches of bottom. This was injected with two part epoxy resin using a syringe over multiple days to insure a complete fill. The epoxy was colored with aniline dye to match the wood. This is shown in the 13th picture. This helped preserve the provenance of the wood. Trying to replace the wood would have destroyed the beautiful look of the box. The box is made of solid wood. I am not sure of the species. It was heavily weathered from use and exposure and has a lovely provenance.
This package will be heavy. and large 28" x 18" x 9" and will weigh 17 Lbs.
Calculated Shipping Applies to Domestic locations only in the lower 48 continental United States.
No International Shipping and none to Hawaii or Alaska
This is a used Vintage or antique Collectible Item and is not generally returnable. Many of the manufacturers are no longer in business and the items are outside their warranty range. These are not warranted for any particular use or purpose. However, we do accept returns per the eBay policy. We take detailed pictures and give the best descriptions we can. If you are unhappy for any reason, please contact us through eBay Messenger..
We stand behind everything we sell and have a host of satisfied customers. Most people keep the items we sell.
Please read descriptions and view all the high resolution pictures.
Be sure this is the item you want before you buy. We are happy to answer questions or provide additional details.
We treat others the way we want to be treated and have thoroughly inspected the items we sell. If there are flaws, I repair and restore them back to collectible and usable condition. In our descriptions, we state what I have done to the items. If for some reason, you are not happy with what I have done, please contact me immediately through the eBay messaging. We will work to make sure you are happy.
Please check my other items. I combine Shipping if it is safe to do so.
Tool Collector's Prayer
Lord we ask for your help in controlling our tool collecting and things antique in general. Help us to choose wisely, avoiding things we cannot afford and to thin the things we do not need as they are everywhere, clogging all vertical and horizontal spaces and keeping us in trouble. Actually Lord, what we would really like is a larger house with lots of shelving, task lighting and more money to spend, amen.
We are passionate about vintage and antique collectible tools. We study them, collect them and sometimes restore the ones that need a little help. Each tool is considered separately and every effort is made not to lose the character and provenance. Many tools served their purpose helping their owners perform tasks and our purpose is to salvage some of these for others like us and future generations to enjoy. Some can go right back to work, while others sit nicely on shelves telling their story. From my first tools I placed inside our home for display, I found support for my collecting by considering what might appeal to our family and guests. As a result, tool collecting is a shared family passion. What you will not find here are vague descriptions, photos of only one side, hidden flaws, or undeclared damages.
We sell because we have so many tools that we have collected, loved, cleaned and restored. Thank you for dropping by.