Kennedy Tool Box Cleanup

[682bear]

I have a few Kennedy boxes that I've acquired over the years... some are in very good condition, some are pretty rusty.

I'm planning to clean the saddest ones up and try to make them look a little better... as I find time to work them around my other projects.

I've started with an older (1960's vintage, I think) roller cabinet... I acquired this along with a Kennedy Versacart. It didn't fit the Versacart, but I had another box that did, so I swapped them.

As I bought it...





The drawers work well, it is missing one slide clip, (I have a replacement ordered), but has a moderate amount of rust on the outside and inside the bottom. It is still structurally solid, just heavy surface rust.

This week, I took it all apart and wirebrushed all the heavy rust and sprayed it with a rust converter, then a primer, and finally a topcoat of Rustoleum Satin Dark Brown...





I also cut a piece of carpet for the bottom of the hutch.

I still have to clean and paint the front cover... it's pretty ugly. I also need to make some drawer liners and reinstall the lock.

Then I'll have to find a set of casters...

-Bear

 

[682bear]

I've finished the front panel of the first box and reinstalled it. Rather than buying a set of casters for it, I decided to mount it on top of another similar box.

This is the second box as I bought it...



I've removed the drawers from #2 and painted the shell and mounted #1 on top...



I took the locks out of both boxes to a locksmith this morning... he was able to grind keys for both locks from the code stamped on the backs of the locks.

I'm pretty much finished with the upper box except for the drawer liners. I'm working on cleaning and painting the drawers for the lower box.

-Bear

 

[34_40]

Great job on the boxes. Looking good from here LOL.. I wish I had a locksmith that could handle the making of a key for one of my Kennedy boxes, the guy we got out here ain't worth spit!

 

[WobblyHand]

Great job on the boxes. Looking good from here LOL.. I wish I had a locksmith that could handle the making of a key for one of my Kennedy boxes, the guy we got out here ain't worth spit!

That's weird. Any locksmith ought to be able to make such simple keys. Although mine had some trouble opening a desk that had a skeleton key, he opened one of them ok, but admitted defeat after 20 minutes on the second desk. He didn't charge me for the second desk. I got it open with a wide flat pry bar. Second lock seems to have been damaged.

 

[ChazzC]

I've removed the drawers from #2 and painted the shell and mounted #1 on top...

View attachment 512389

I took the locks out of both boxes to a locksmith this morning... he was able to grind keys for both locks from the code stamped on the backs of the locks.

I'm pretty much finished with the upper box except for the drawer liners. I'm working on cleaning and painting the drawers for the lower box.

-Bear

Looking good!

I picked snatched these up 2 years ago shortly after they were listed on FBMP for $50 (yes, for both!):

not my knee!


I documented the cleanup here:

https://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/forum/general/41306-what-did-you-do-today?p=2000582#post2000582

 

[34_40]

That's weird. Any locksmith ought to be able to make such simple keys. Although mine had some trouble opening a desk that had a skeleton key, he opened one of them ok, but admitted defeat after 20 minutes on the second desk. He didn't charge me for the second desk. I got it open with a wide flat pry bar. Second lock seems to have been damaged.

I think this guy only wants the easiest of the easy jobs. And figuring out a key code design must require some thinking. Not to mention a bit of labor. And we only have the one shop here in town so..... I did research at the Kennedy website and the key code shows the key was discontinued so I don't have many options. I don't ever lock any of my boxes so it isn't really an issue, but I still want them to work.

 

[ChazzC]

I think this guy only wants the easiest of the easy jobs. And figuring out a key code design must require some thinking. Not to mention a bit of labor. And we only have the one shop here in town so..... I did research at the Kennedy website and the key code shows the key was discontinued so I don't have many options. I don't ever lock any of my boxes so it isn't really an issue, but I still want them to work.

Kennedy lockset styles should be the same even if they changed the key/cylinder design. See if you can find the chest/box number, usually inside of one of the drawers on inside the top compartment:




If not, check their website for something that looks like what you have.

That will tell them the lockset style so you can buy (not cheap) a replacement. When I made my "mass" Kennedy purchase in 1983, some of the items were available keyed-alike, but others weren't so I ordered new locksets keyed to the ones that were all alike. After I replaced the odd locksets (an easy task), I saved the odd ones and eventually used them on the used boxes (post #5).

 

[682bear]

My local locksmith punched the code into a computer... it gave him the settings to put in the key grinder. He had the key blanks hanging on the wall.

Six minutes later, I had two keys for each lock... $13... quick and easy.

-Bear

 

[34_40]

My local locksmith punched the code into a computer... it gave him the settings to put in the key grinder. He had the key blanks hanging on the wall.

Six minutes later, I had two keys for each lock... $13... quick and easy.

-Bear

I wish our smith would be so interested!

 

[34_40]

Kennedy lockset styles should be the same even if they changed the key/cylinder design. See if you can find the chest/box number, usually inside of one of the drawers on inside the top compartment:

View attachment 512456
View attachment 512457

If not, check their website for something that looks like what you have.

That will tell them the lockset style so you can buy (not cheap) a replacement. When I made my "mass" Kennedy purchase in 1983, some of the items were available keyed-alike, but others weren't so I ordered new locksets keyed to the ones that were all alike. After I replaced the odd locksets (an easy task), I saved the odd ones and eventually used them on the used boxes (post #5).

Been there, done that. It only says, "discontinued" or some such.... NLA .. i.e. no information.