New guy needs a tool box

I'm starting school this spring/summer at Vincennes University for Precision Machining. One of the many things I need is a good tool box. The schools preferred box is a Kennedy 3611, however any box is ok that fits in an 18"x30" area. Are there any other options that are comparable to the Kennedy I should consider? Also where is the best place to purchase it from? Prices seem to vary widely online.

Kennedys are made in Van Wert, Ohio. Check the website.
Unless you are willing to pay shipping costs, you are limited to what is in your area.
Garage sales, flea markets, pawn shops, craigslist......

If you could find a Gerstner, even used, in my book is a yard step ahead of a Kennedy.

Top box or a roll around?

It looks like one of the 3611 boxes is ~750$. Doubt I'd pay that to begin with, and if you have to have many tools, especially larger ones you will fill it in a hurry it looks like. For cheaper boxes I've had good luck with the green Masterforces from Menards, for 750$ you could get a 5 drawer roll around, a 5 drawer top box, 6" digital mit calipers, and some drawer liner mat/dividers.

Check craigslist/etc, but since you need it soon, doubt you'll have the luck of finding one till you drop the cash to buy one. Does your school get discounts on tools or boxes from anyone?

Thanks for the replies. This may help. This is everything required for the course. Unfortunately I am not allowed a roll around box. So everything must fit in a top box only or with an add on chest.

REQUIRED for ADMITTANCE into Precision Machining Technology

1. Machinist Tool Box— (Kennedy 3611 preferred)
Due to shop bench space, tool boxes must fit in an 18” x 30” footprint area.
Roll Around boxes or oversize tool boxes are no longer permitted.
2. 0-1” Outside Micrometer ( with capability to read tenths of a thousandths of an inch )
3. 1-2” Outside Micrometer ( with capability to read tenths of a thousandths of an inch )
4. 2-3” Outside Micrometer ( with capability to read tenths of a thousandths of an inch )
( “Standards” should be included with Outside Micrometers )
5. 6” Depth Micrometer
6. 8” Dial Calipers (import quality is acceptable)
7. 1” Travel Indicator (import quality is acceptable)
8. 1/2 Thousandth [ .0005 ] Graduated Dial Test Indicator:
Brown & Sharpe or Mitutoyo preferred No Interapid
Test Indicator must include a Universal Dovetail Attachment and
also a Rectangular Bar and Clamp for attaching to a height gage.
9. Magnetic Base for 1” Travel Indicator (Mighty Mag style preferred )
10. On-Off Magnetic Base with fine adjustment for Dial Test Indicator
( Noga DG 1033 Flexable Magnetic Base with Fine Adjustment recommended)
11. 6” Hardened and Ground Precision Square
( Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, or Mitutoyo ) No Fowler
12. Telescope Gages up to 6” ( Starrett or Mitutoyo ONLY! )
13. Small Hole Gage Set 1/8” to 1/2”
14. Radius Gage Set
15. Center Gage
16. Screw Pitch Gage Set ( Similar to General # 251 or Starrett # STC=50035L )
17. Transfer Screw Set to include; #10-32, #10-24, 1/4-20, 5/16-18, 3/8-16, 1/2-13 Heinmann USA recommended
18. Center Punch Set
19. Transfer Punch Set
20. Drive Pin Punch Set
21. Edge Finder
22. Drill Index Combination Set to include:
Fractional Drills ( 1/64” to 1/2” ) and
Numerical Drills ( 1 through 60 ) and
Letter Drills ( A through Z )
23. Drill Point Gage for 118 degree Drill Bits
24. Combination Set to include a 12” blade rule, Square Head, Protractor Head and Center Head
25. 6” Scale ( 5R or 4R )
26. Carbide Tipped Scriber
27. ( 2 ) 2” Kant Twist Clamp
28. ( 2 ) 4-1/2” Kant Twist Clamp
29. 12” Adjustable Wrench
30. 6” Adjustable Wrench
31. 6” Straight Blade Screwdriver
32. 6” Pliers
33. 21 oz. Dead Blow Hammer
34. 16 oz. Ball Peen Hammer
35. Hex Key Set (“Allen Wrenches”) as Individual Keys [ Fractional: up to 7/16” ]
36. Hex Key Set (“Allen Wrenches”) as Individual Keys [ Metric: 1.5-10mm ]
37. K-3 Drill Chuck Key
38. Thickness Gage Set .0015-.025”
39. T-Handle Tap Wrenches; (2) different size ranges:
Similar to General #164 ( 0 to 1/4”) and
Similar to General #166 ( #12 to 1/2”)
40. 4” Dividers
41. 10” Mill Bastard File, with Handle and File Card
42. 3/4”diameter x 82 degree Single Flute Counter-Sink
43. 3/8”diameter x 82 degree Single Flute Counter-Sink
44. India Reamer Stone ( Norton FT – 126 )
45. Bench Stone 1”x 2”x 6”
Brown India with Course on one face & Fine on the other face
46. (1) 3/8”x 3/8” and (1) 1/2”x 1/2” Lathe Tool Blanks ( HSS Only! )
47. #3 Combination Center-Drill/Counter-Sink ( HSS )
48. De-Burring Tool with Replaceable Tips ( Similar to Vargus Set B )
49. Die Light( Similar to Steelman “Bend -A-Light”or Streamlight “Stylus Reach” [14 inch] )
50. Safety Glasses (Clear Lenses Only!)



NOTE: All precision tools including, but not limited to, micrometers, test indicators,
precision squares and telescope gages, should be high quality such as Starrett,
Mitutoyo, or Brown & Sharpe. Dial calipers, travel indicators,
and other non-precision type tools can be ‘import quality’





Precision Machining Technology
~ Optional Tool List ~

NOTE: These tools are helpful but not required.

1. Set of Precision Parallels
2. “Tap Magic” ( 4 ounce can )
3. Surface Gage ( with rod and clamp to mount your Dial Test Indicator )
[preferred Base size approx: 1” x 2 ½” x 3 ¼”]
4. Milling Machine Hold Down Clamps (5/8” “T” Slot )
5. Machinist add on Chest Base (Similar to a Kennedy 5150)
6. Transfer Buttons: (1) set 9/32” & (1) set 13/32”

No tool crib at this school? Your own drill sets? Oy!

Almost every flea market I've been to has a tool guy or two. Many times they have a Kennedy or gerstner that has some tools in it. Almost all of them can be bargained with. I have bought 2 Kennedy's from craigslist ads. Many people on this forum seem to not like eBay, while I wouldn't get a box from eBay, (because of shipping costs), I have found bargains on many of the things on your list.

kind of a stuck up tool list. I went to SCC in southeast Iowa starting in 1988 and I started with a craftsman mechnics tool box I already had, a 0-1 and 1-2 mic, and a pair of 6 inch calipers. The rest of the stuff could be borrowed or bought as you went. as it stands you have a couple thousand dollars in tools there and whats their gripe against Interapid? My god I know its swiss but interapid made for brown and sharp many years....

If you want it to handle weight get a ball bearing slide quality box.... I mean a usa made snapon or equivalent. A small bench box like this generally you can't fill enough to break, especially in a year or 2. The sams club/ harbor freight boxes might be a good inexpensive start, but if i had a mechanics box lying around I'd use it....

Atomkinder said:

No tool crib at this school? Your own drill sets? Oy!

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Thatll teach 'em to to take care of shit.

No Interapid indicator though?

PM me with your info, I will send you some duplicates that I have. Some are older but very functional yet. Good luck and keep your nose to the grindstone.

I'd find a different school, My Friend

I've been in this trade for nearly 40 years and there are things on that list that, while I know what they are and how to use them, I've never actually used them.

And I've never seen or heard of a shop that makes you provide your own hold down clamps, parallels or cutting fluid, for gods sake.

Mike

allloutmx said:

Thatll teach 'em to to take care of shit.

No Interapid indicator though?

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A good instructor will teach a student to take care of shit pretty quick! I love my tools, but if that'd been the list that I had to have on my first day, I wouldn't have been able to afford such luxuries as food and shelter. The tools provided in my program weren't the highest quality, but they were calibrated and properly maintained. Every student that gets through the first year started buying their own tools as they went, and I think that's a much better option.

Yeah I don't get the Interapid hate either.

Ya I'd definately be looking at another school, get your money back now. Most of the stuff on that list is useful but alot of it should be in a school that has a stocked tool crib.

I've seen it with trade programs before when they can't get their shit together enough to maintain a tool crib, the instruction tends to follow suit.

Kennedy 3611B...$722 use-enco dot com pg 915. If I were you, I'd call them, tell them your situation, and needs for the school. They might surprise you and offer you a deal, realizing you are a student and the potential for future sales. They might offer you 10-15% discount if you spend X-amount of dollars with them. I try to buy American made, but Mitutoyo is good stuff. I have had 2 occasions in many years , where I had to call customer service, and it was excellent.... no questions asked. I will send you a private message. PB

Check out Craigslist in your local area,

Punch in as a search in tools area , " Machinist tools ". You might be surprised.

Also , I have found that if you find someone retiring , tell them you are a student and just starting , be honest and most old dogs like passing
down their tools to someone than really has a interest in being a machinist rather just selling them to some punk trying to make a buck reselling
them at a flea market.

Good luck , ..................

MadMan_1961 said:

I'd find a different school, My Friend

I've been in this trade for nearly 40 years and there are things on that list that, while I know what they are and how to use them, I've never actually used them.

And I've never seen or heard of a shop that makes you provide your own hold down clamps, parallels or cutting fluid, for gods sake.

Mike

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Unfortunately I'm limited in options. I'm married with 2 kids and just switched to nights to attend school during the day. With my current employer toyota motor manufacturing providing tuition reimbursement, I have to pick a school close to home.

MattU said:

I have to pick a school close to home.

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Where in Illinois are you? Many community colleges offer Machine Tool programs as well. As mentioned before, check out Craigslist. I got my whole Kennedy setup locally from retired/retiring machinists, as well as some cool and useful tools.

I must say though, thats a pretty well rounded kit (inside mics would be nice), I wish I had half those tools when I started out!!
I see they learned the hard way with telescoping gauges as well.

Craigslist is a great place to start. I've been very lucky scoring tools at pawn shops. Police and municipal auctions can have some great bargains to if you're not in a rush. A WTB add here is also a good bet.

Atomkinder said:

Where in Illinois are you? Many community colleges offer Machine Tool programs as well. As mentioned before, check out Craigslist. I got my whole Kennedy setup locally from retired/retiring machinists, as well as some cool and useful tools.

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I'm in southern Illinois. Lawrenceville to be exact.