gerstner machinist tool chest 052 for Sale

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gerstner machinist tool chest 052 For Sale

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gerstner machinist tool chest 052:
$450.00

FOR SALE: A restored Gerstner Machinists Tool Chest. This chest is covered with a leatherette fabric and is the original cover. This cover is placed over a solid wood cabinet constructed of yellow popular. It has eleven drawers the sides and rear of which are also yellow popular and the fronts of each are finished in oak. The bottom of each drawer is made of galvanized sheet metal which is attached with tacks. On the inside bottom of the case, there is a stencil which reads “BUILT BY H. GERSHNER & SONS DAYTON, OHIO.” The “Built By” and “Dayton, Ohio” are placed in an arched fashion which suggests this chest was built between 1940 and 1959. As a further aide in dating, the top is not stopped with a chain but rather by its hinges. This would suggest the chest was made in 1943 or later. Also on the inside bottom, the letter “E” has been stenciled and the number “53” is written in pencil. The meaning of this letter and number is not clear. Research has not yielded anything of substance that could be used to date this chest. Perhaps the 53 may provide a clue as to the year of manufacture. Everything about this chest is original with the exception of the felt lining, the leather wrapping on the handle, and the screws used to install the handle. In removing the handle so that the leather wrapping could br repaired, it was not possible to remove the button head pins without destroying them. Rather than trying to source new pins,the decision was made to use stainless steel screws as a means of re-attaching the handle. All of the original felt was terribly soiled. So, it was removed and replaced with felt sourced from Gerstner & Sons. The felt was cut to size and glued in place using Gerstner’s “Whew Glue.” The chest in it’s as-found condition was quite dirty and most of the metal hardware was rusty and in some cases pitted due to the rust. No attempt was made to replace any of the metal hardware with new. Each piece was carefully cleaned of dirt and rust, polished with a quality metal polish, and then sealed with a metal sealer. No attempt was made to remove the pitting so that the chest retains its age and character. All of the drawers inside the chest are solid and in good physical shape. They have been cleaned of dirt and grim and then waxed with a quality furniture wax. As stated earlier, the fronts of each drawer is oak and the finish, especially at the pulls, has mostly worn away. No attempt was made to strip the old finish and apply a new. In order to retain its age and character, the oak was cleaned and several coats of wax applied. Note that the center drawer is unique in size and that is because it is made to hold a Machinist Handbook and, as an added bonus, this chest comes with the handbook. In sum, this chest is believed to be in excellent condition and will provide many years of good service if properly cared for. It does have two minor flaws that should be pointed out. One of these is on the back: There are two abrated lines horizontally across the back where the chest had been push back against a vertical surface and allowed to rub against each other (See photos). The second flaw was of the restorer’s doings due to carelessness in removing the old felt on the front cover/tray. In ripping out the felt, a small portion of the leatherette cover on th right hand corner of the felt insert was torn out. This has been repaired but is not invisible (see Photo).