Tool Storage & Mobile Distribution
Roll cabins, tool trucks and how technicians acquired and stored tools.
When did H. Gerstner & Sons begin making tool chests?
Short answer: H. Gerstner & Sons was founded in Dayton, Ohio in 1906.
H. Gerstner & Sons was founded in Dayton, Ohio in 1906. It became known for wooden machinist chests.
What were machinist chests?
Short answer: Machinist chests were wooden chests with drawers for precision tools.
Machinist chests were wooden chests with drawers for precision tools. They were common in machine shops.
How did automotive tool storage evolve?
Short answer: Tool storage evolved from wooden chests to steel cabinets.
Tool storage evolved from wooden chests to steel cabinets. Steel cabinets became common in professional shops.
How did steel tool boxes replace wooden chests?
Short answer: Wooden chests were common for storing fine tools in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Wooden chests were common for storing fine tools in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Steel tool boxes and cabinets became common because they were more durable, held heavier tools and suited oily shop environments.
Why did rolling tool cabinets become standard for mechanics?
Short answer: Professional mechanics accumulated large tool collections that needed to move with them around the shop.
Professional mechanics accumulated large tool collections that needed to move with them around the shop. Rolling cabinets on casters with many drawers became standard because they keep tools organized and close to the work.
How did ball-bearing drawer slides change tool boxes?
Short answer: Early tool box drawers often slid on simple metal runners and could be hard to open when loaded.
Early tool box drawers often slid on simple metal runners and could be hard to open when loaded. Ball-bearing slides allowed heavy drawers to open smoothly, and they became a common feature of professional tool storage.
Why are tool chests associated with tool trucks?
Short answer: Mobile tool dealers sold large tool chests along with hand tools, often on payment plans.
Mobile tool dealers sold large tool chests along with hand tools, often on payment plans. A large, well-stocked roll cab became a symbol of a professional mechanic's career.
How did magnetic trays and parts organizers develop?
Short answer: As vehicles used more small fasteners, technicians needed ways to keep parts together.
As vehicles used more small fasteners, technicians needed ways to keep parts together. Magnetic trays, labeled organizers and foam drawer layouts became popular ways to prevent lost parts and tools.
Why did shadow boards and foam cutouts become popular?
Short answer: Shadow boards and foam cutouts show an outline of each tool, making missing tools obvious.
Shadow boards and foam cutouts show an outline of each tool, making missing tools obvious. They were adopted from aviation and manufacturing practices where tool control is important for safety.
How did creepers evolve?
Short answer: Early mechanics often lay on the floor or used simple boards to slide under cars.
Early mechanics often lay on the floor or used simple boards to slide under cars. Wheeled creepers with padded decks and later adjustable designs became common shop equipment.
How did parts washers evolve?
Short answer: Early shops often cleaned parts in open tubs of solvent.
Early shops often cleaned parts in open tubs of solvent. Enclosed solvent tanks with pumps, and later aqueous and bioremediation washers, reduced fire and health hazards.
What did early motorists carry their tools in?
Short answer: Early automobiles usually came with a small factory tool roll or a metal tool box mounted on the running board or under the seat.
Early automobiles usually came with a small factory tool roll or a metal tool box mounted on the running board or under the seat. Owners were expected to make roadside repairs themselves, so these kits held basic wrenches, pliers, a tire pump and tire irons.
Why did early cars have running-board tool boxes?
Short answer: Running boards on early cars offered a convenient flat surface outside the body, and many owners and makers bolted lockable tool and battery boxes there.
Running boards on early cars offered a convenient flat surface outside the body, and many owners and makers bolted lockable tool and battery boxes there. As bodies became enclosed and running boards disappeared in the 1930s and 1940s, tools moved into the trunk.
How did canvas tool rolls fit into early automotive history?
Short answer: Canvas and leather tool rolls were a common way to store a car's factory tool kit in the early twentieth century.
Canvas and leather tool rolls were a common way to store a car's factory tool kit in the early twentieth century. They kept wrenches from rattling and could be tucked under a seat, and restorers of vintage cars still seek correct reproduction rolls.
Why did mechanics move from carry boxes to roll-around cabinets?
Short answer: Early mechanics often carried a single portable box to each job.
Early mechanics often carried a single portable box to each job. As professional tool collections grew through the mid-twentieth century, a portable box could no longer hold everything, so large chests on wheeled cabinets became the norm.
General guidance only. Follow the vehicle and tool manufacturer's procedures, and confirm vehicle coverage on the tool maker's list before buying.