please help me identify my tamale wagon

[Suzuki76]

I need help identifying this tool box from a friend that has recently deceased. I need to know about the locking mechanism on the drawers. how does it work? My drawers won't close fully. Also where can i find the serial numbers? Where can i get the tool to remove the drawers?

[Frank Murch]

I am surprised you did not get an answer. I have been waiting to read what others would say about this box.

Here is what I know. It started as an industrial design, basically roll the tools to the work place deal. It appeared in the Catalogs in 1953 (p8). It looks unchanged until 65 (p9)

That is from the catalogs, but yours seems to be missing a front lock bar shown in the earlier models. Yours seems to lock like the 1965 model, but yours has the earlier handles (pre 1965). Because this box was not a high volume runner and does not appear in all the catalogs, I have a guess

I guess that yours in a 1960-1964 and it is a industrial box. It is a hybrid of the earlier and later models.

I would be interested in seeing the back of the box. Some had a series of pockets for hardware (early) others had a smooth back (later)


The locking mechanism – I think you will find the top drawer is pushing a stamped cam that locks the drawers below or there is a rod that comes up and down with the key. My guess is that your lock is “locked” but the drawers were not pushed in at the time and it is locked – open.

Where can I get the tool to remove the drawers? You need a narrow piece of spring steel, It slides into the side runner and allows the drawer to slide past a tab. Snap on has these ($15?). I will see if I can post a picture – You must find something thin, I bought the tool because I could not find anything thin enough, but one could create a work around tool.

In any case – that is what I know

Frank

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