RNZAF Technician Toolbox Cabinets

[Damon]

A bit left field this one. Can anyone advise what brand the Air Force Technician tool box's are? Are they locally sourced ?
I am interested in purchasing a new tool box for work purposes and looking for a sturdy , good sized ( 9 draw ) one that's well made and robust. Any leads or info , most welcome.

Thanks.

[oj]

What?
All we had was a wooden chest, slightly compartmentalised. you frequently had to decant most of the contents to find what you wanted; it was always at the bottom as per Murphy's law.
Drawers were on (rhymes with bores). not toolboxes, though a Freudian link could be drawn between the two!
Note: The Edit function would not let me use the correct term in the line above; it kept substituting the word "sleepers".

[tbf2504]

most of the time in the 1960s 1970s, all tools were on a tool board and signed out so there was a positive means of ensuring none were left in aircraft. For those that required small handtools,
a small leather hand carried bag could hold the necessary bits such as pliers, screwdrivers and lock wire pliers

[oj]

At the time of my toolbox issue in 1962, the (now called) avionics trades did not get issued with the canvas bag.
I used a small wooden ammunition box, about 350mm by 150 x 150. It was very robust and had pivoting metal straps to hold the lid closed.
i added a hasp and staple and handle on the top of the lid.
Naturally it could not be placed on the wing or carried into an aircraft, but it served me well for many years as an LAME in civilian life.
I had it painted a prominent pink, so it could be readily seen and not get lost in the grass on field trips.

[Dave Homewood]

Everything was on communal tool boards in my time, with your personal tag that was hung onto the empty space from where the tool was taken, so you were accountable to its whereabouts. I do not recall seeing anyone with a personal toolbox for work.

[Dave Homewood]

Back in the early days of WWII there were not enough tools and airmen were expected to bring tools from home and go to hardware shops and purchase their own tools. By the end of WWII there were so many new tools thanks to Lend Lease they were dumping them in holes and off cliffs! Crazy but true.

[phil]

I'm not sure what the OP means by Technician tool boxes? We don't get issued individual tool boxes, all tools are part of composite tool kits of various types. Each hangar has a large tool board, and specialist tools tend to be either on separate tool boards, or in their own kits. These can be pelican cases, or various brands of steel rolling draws, sorry I can't recall what brands these tend to be, or even if there is a standard. Each SQN seems to use different set ups. RAAF 11 SQN uses a brand called Henchman (https://www.henchman.com.au/), which supplies all sorts of different sized tool boards/draws etc and are very high quality.

As noted above, tools are tagged out against a specific aircraft, and accounted for as part of signing for a task.

[Dave Homewood]

We used to get a Snap-On man visit the base about once every two months at Wigram in the 1990's trying to sell tools. We never needed anything for the S&S workshop tool boards, but the guys would still drool over all his tools, and sometimes buy things to take home for themselves (with their own money).

[camtech]

Individual tool box issues ceased in the 70's and we moved onto the composite toolboard system (as above), with tools tagged out against an aircraft, and checked as part of the signing out process. Each bay had its own board and on occasion's, we would have to take a specialist tool from the workshop, take it to an aircraft then tag it through the maintenance log to carry out the job, then reverse the process.

[Damon]

Thank you everyone for your responses . Looks like I was heading in the wrong direction. Very interesting to see the progression and changes made over the years to reduce risks and lost/ misplaced or forgotten tools.

Can forum members suggest a locally sourced / produced Tool box cabinet available for purchase. Am soon to be embarking on a new career and require a tool cabinet for work duties. Thanks.

[camtech]

Try Repco, SuperCheap Autos or Bunnings. Physically check for what you want - roller bearing slides, etc.

[Dave Homewood]

Even with the most fool proof system that the tool board tags are, mistakes sometimes still happen. I recall in the early 1990's a story that an Iroquois was found to be flying around with a spanner in the tail boom that was not replaced on the tool board, and the NCO had I guess not properly checked the board when he signed off the work.

[Damon]

Thanks Camtech. The Powerbuilt and Safa cabinets are getting a good look at , at the moment. Finding quality is a focus at this time. :-)

[camtech]

Jul 4, 2021 22:40:35 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Even with the most fool proof system that the tool board tags are, mistakes sometimes still happen. I recall in the early 1990's a story that an Iroquois was found to be flying around with a spanner in the tail boom that was not replaced on the tool board, and the NCO had I guess not properly checked the board when he signed off the work.

It was certainly possible. Whenever I signed an aircraft out, I would send a mechanic to check all toolboards, then follow up myself. That way, I had a fairly good certainty about any missing tools. Can recall tools missing of a board when time came to sign the aircraft out from a hangar servicing - was a case of checking every work area, all personal tool tags and a physical check of the aircraft and hangar until the missing tool was found. A missing tag - no aircraft until the tag was found.

[vansvilla]

Dave, your spanner in a tailboom reminded me that once doing an daily servicing on a Huey, I did notice an odd shaped hole just behind one of the lower ins panels. Whipped the panel off and pulled out a riveting dolly which had obviously been there for sometime such was the wear pattern. Would have been late 70's early 80's.

[30sqnatc]

Some years ago visiting a Canadian based defence contractor the factory tour included a walk around their repair workshops. Dotted all over the workshop were what looked like confectionery dispensing machines. Not a surprise given Canadians fascination with sweet food but no they were automated tool cribs. Every worker had a personal swipe card to swipe for tools in and out of the machine.

The advantages including positive control over tools, data on tool usage lead to purchase of additional copies once issue/duration data justified the need, data on tool usage that could be married up with the task the tradesmen was logged out to, tools that required periodic refresher training could be blocked to a person until training was received, tool recertification was always current. It seemed like a gimmick but the company was positive the cost was justified. No more individual tool boxes and bodgy unofficial 'special' tools were banned.

The tour guide said the next step was tool reservations via individual iPads linked to a technician reading through the steps of the repair manual.

[Dave Homewood]

And robots to bring those tools to them?