It could have been used to carry documents like a brief case. That's what it makes me think of. Although the two metal tabs that stick up from the inside indicate the corralling of a power cord so it does no stick out when closing the lid.
Adam, that would make the best brief case. How many people wish they could sit down at a meeting with a genuine Boeing brief case lined to take a laptop and papers perfectly....! To be honest it looks like a exam piece to me.
I worked for the AF and the second you opened the box I knew it. We made boxes like this to carry sensitive tools and equipment we used out in a top secret testing range. Brought back memories for sure.
Hard to imagine a simple box could be so emotionally affecting, but dang if the letter and Adam's gushing over the construction of the box doesn't bring at least a small tear of joy to your eye.
Yup, that's one handsome box and his gushing is more than appropriate. I don't know who I admire more: Adam for his new/old box or Steve and his kindness bringing Adam so much joy. 👍😍
*the fun part of this is going to be the wooden insert that Adam builds to hold a specific set of tools to store them in that looks like they have always been associated with each other*
Or multiple inserts for different tool sets (not the serial muder kit that some one else had in mind), and even as a briefcase for bringing valuable documents. You take out the set open up the top, and there they are, in a nice wood sleeve with soft cloth on the outside, and some springy things to let it pass the "wings" and then makes it stay in place well inside the box.
I wondered if maybe Adam was wrong about the box never being used, and it originally had some kind of form-fitting insert (perhaps felt-covered foam?) for holding the "some scientific instrument". Of course Adam has infinitely more experience in these matters than I. (Huh, and he has a lovely singing voice too - who knew?)
My brother was an A&P mechanic at Boeing and then Northwest Airlines. This sort of thing was super common. Walking through the mechanic toolbox area, you'd see all sorts of amazing creations attached to their big rolling boxes, like exquisitely made locking motorcycle helmet boxes. When they had downtime, scrap, and all the cool tools, they did what they do.
Yes, looks like it was a prototype for a documentation box, made to fit into the cockpit and to hold the flight manuals and all the paperwork for the flights for the day. From the interior you can see it was hand riveted, using a pneumatic tool on the outside and the hand buck inside, and all of the material was standard aircraft use. Those corners are normally made by taking a sheet and running it through a shear with a depth stop, to make the long strips, and then that long strip goes to a bending brake to be made into right angles. For the corners most aircraft shops have a right angle nibbler that will punch those out automatically, and for the rivet lines you also have a set of jigs to allow that correct hole spacing to be done easily. You can see it was made 1960's 1970's, because later on the thing to show off was TIG welding those corners to have a smooth bead, either a single smooth bead with no porosity, or a smooth stack of coins all even as bead, both sides. this was an internal prototype, made to show form and fit, and likely was later on used to generate a set of plans for a production box, if the design was not discarded, like so many were.
I thought something similar too, as I've seen in other craftspeople. The fact that it appears so little used is intriguing though. That aluminum would easily show tiny scratches and scuff marks if it was used for almost anything at all.
@@noimagination99 Possibly a prototype, used only once to see it would fit in the volume allowed, then used to get a set of detailed plans that were used to make the flight items.
I wonder if that box was an examination piece, or "skills test". Part of getting an aviation mechanics "A.P." rating was to demonstrate the various techniques and skills, candidates were given a set of prints and specifications for an object and graded on the results. I wouldn't be surprised if this is an examination piece. Pretty dang inspiring in any case
as someone who has worked in aviation i can tell you that sounds like a high probability of what it is. The tolerances are so fine in aviation that no wonder the box looks basically perfect. Either it was an examination piece, or the creator used his skills and knowledge to make this on their own time.
Adam, the document case is beautiful. I had one that I carried for years when I worked for Lockheed. These cases were designed to be carried on test flights and in test flight aircraft. It is designed to survive aircraft accidents as to protect critical data.
I have a hunch that the man who made it would likely be perplexed at why such a big deal was being made about "that old box". Every great old craftsman I've had the pleasure of meeting has been astonishingly humble regarding their own incredible skills.
@@sheldonrigsby3523 This box used some pretty high quality parts and a really fine tolerance, for no apparent reason. I actually do think it housed some important tool, and that tool sat in an insulated wooden box or something, inside that that aluminum box. So either the tool could come directly up and out of the housing mechanism, so the box never saw a scrapping movement but one time in and one time out, or the thing that came up and out was just really well and softly protected, so it didn't damage or wear the box at all, and was likely not used very often to begin with.
I remember my grandfather saying that as a metalwork apprentice in the 1920's and 30's one of the first tasks they were given was to make a toolbox for all their tools. He grew up in the aircraft industry and over the years made several boxes similar to this, many also with trays. This video brought back many fond memories.
I did my apprenticeship in england 45 years ago and still have my first year tool box I made. absolutely not made well but I still have it. This box however is an exampke of precision and pride in ones skills.
I think every aircraft sheet metal fabricator or any fabricator or Tig welder that is a apprentice is amde to make a simple tool box or box of some kind. In the shipyard once you hit your 90 day mark as a helper you get to take a sheet of 1/4 inch steel and make your own gangbox for all your tools and welding lines and chords and torch lines and anything else that is either assigned to you given to you or self bought hand tool wise to keep it a in and locked up and it's part of your test to move up from helper to second class fitter where you get to start fitting on your own with a first class fitter working along side you to help you if you need help. And if you don't pass the gang box test then you stay a helper for another 90 days until you learn how to cut precisely with a torch weld with 6011 and 7018 rods is what you weld it out with cuse fitters tack weld everything with stick cuse it's easier then carry around a huge bulky flux core suit case which sucks in those inner bottoms and tight areas In the bottom of the ships you gotta climb into with all your tools and cummalongs and torch lines and extension chords and everything else already glad I moved up quickly from helper at age of 18 to superintendent at age 28 and became first class fitter when I was 20
I think you are right. I recently found a handmade metal toolbox at an antique mall and it must have a hundred hours of work put into it. The only theory that really makes sense.
Is so enjoyable to see something like this. 95% of the world would look at this and just see a box. It’s the 5% of us that see a level of craftsmanship we aspire too, that I want to be a part of. Thank you Mr. Steve Powers for sending this to Adam, so he could let the rest of us enjoy it.
What a perfect gift for Adam Savage. My grandfather was also an engineer for Boeing for many years and retired from the Paine Field plant in Everett Washington when I was young. He always brought home fantastic and curious things that he had made at work weather they be tools he had designed for his job, Things built while parts were being designed, and all sorts of goodies made in spare time. Imagine having spare time in an aircraft factory's workshop with the knowledge to make whatever you can think up. That piece is amazing. It makes me imagine a scenario where his briefcase was destroyed at work and all he was able to salvage was the handle and the clasps. He poured himself a coffee and got right to work and made this.
I’d love the wife who sold the box be able to watch this video!! I think it would bring a tear to her eye hearing how incredibly skilled her late husband was by someone incredibly skilled, passionate and famous like Adam.
I've commented a few times on Adam's videos and I feel compelled to do so again today. His obvious giddiness and excitement over this box is palpable. I sat smiling and laughing as I watched him examine and describe this box. 98% of the world would walk past this box and think it the height of mundanity if they noticed it at all. Adam (and the gentleman who sent it to him) "gets" it, though. The product of a craftsman and artist at the top of his game. It's important that Adam keeps doing this because there are lots of boxes out there like this and lots of people who will be moved by his excitement. I love this channel.
Magical box! My father was a toolmaker, making the tools that make the tools. He was in the RAF during WW2 working on Spitfires. He would have appreciated this, I appreciate it. When he died, large companies purchased his patents for pennies. I was too young to have any of his tools. Thank you for showing this!
This is so wholesome and so special. I have my great grandfather’s automotive soldering kit (at least that’s what I’ve been told that’s what it is) and the box it’s in is similar and every time I look at it, it just brings me so much joy. Awesome awesome stuff
it was wonderful to watch your joy overflow as you explored the box and explained the details that thrilled you so much: Your enthusiasm is highly infectious and contagious.thank you x 1000
We used to have a retail surplus outlet at Boeing in the Seattle area that sold off lots of excess materials, furniture, etc. You could buy sheets of various aluminum products, which is probably where he got that material. The store is gone now, because some "leftover" materials were eliminated by better design/supply practices, and some was bundled up for sale to various second tier resources. I used to wander through and get stuff like "a bag of washers" out of a big tub skid on the floor.
As a gigging guitarist over the last 20 years I can really appreciate a well built storage container as every piece of gear I've used over the years, guitars, amps, pedals, miscellaneous tools and extra cables, bits and bobs all have to be in good cases in order to be stored between the truck trailer and whatever venue were scheduled weekly. I mostly use anvil type road cases but I have a miscellaneous strong box that I had a friend build for me back in the 80s. It's one of my most prized container that has never ever failed me. It's made of stainless steel, aluminum extruded bracing and trim, and brass hardware. Heavy as all get out but with 20lbs. Of gear inside its built to take abuse. So, yeah. I do get exited over a quality strong box!
That box may have been a assignment/test given to the person who made it as a test of that person's proof of their skill. I bought a aluminum pet carrier at a garage sale made along those lines the maker got a bit caried away with the design it had four different heavy-duty latches to secure the door shut. It looked like it was made to contain an evil Tasmanian devil. I use to enjoy taking our kittens to the vet in it and watching the peoples' expressions, like what do you have in there.
Reminds me of when i restored an Old Albatross speedboat with my Dad, when i got the boat all the rivets had fallen to pieces and the boat was basically all sheets if 1/16 aluminum sheeting, Dad( an old foundry man) made a rivet tool and some rivet snaps and i made over 5000 rivets by hand with countersunk heads, annealed them and then the task of riveting the boat back together, lots of work with my Dad who has passed nearly 20 years ago this year, still, its something i'll never forget, he also taught me how to restore vintage outboard motors, mainly Johnson and Evinrude, i still have a 1958 Red and White Johnson 35 Hp and a couple of 1962 and 63 18 Hp Evinrudes and just today was given an early 80's 25 Hp Johnson. Life comes full circle, still have some more classic motorcycles waiting restoration too, Wishing you all the best for 2023 from Barbados. P.S. the gentleman who made the box probably made a bender to make all the angle frames the same way too, its what i would do, it would make things a lot easier than having to bend each one by hand .
Looks like a case to carry records. Also if it was linned with soft foam to hold what ever instrument inside the box I would imagine it wouldn't leave any marks of use
My grandfather was a carpenter for the Great Western Railway in England. The care and attention shown in that metal box just reminds me of the wooden boxes he made in retirement.
To funny! Loved the video. It is great when you recognize what another person has done!! I love to see what other people have done. Sometimes it inspires me to do things. Watching your model videos, I have started my first build in 22 years. It is a model of a wood ship. It only cost 15.00 dollars and is lacking in everything, but it has potential to become something special. Thank you for your videos!
Getting the chance to do a close up inspection on a master of their crafts work is always a treat, even more so when you are interested in that particular craft.
Adam, I'm among other things, an old Aircraft control surfaces mechanic mechanic. I thought I'd share a little insight on the construction of your fantastic aluminum box. Those flushed rivets tell a tale. The two parts comprising the front of the box had to be cut to size, countersunk, riveted and flushed BEFORE he began assembling the box. You can't do that quality of flush on an assembled surface like that. That's supreme confidence in your precision measurements! It looks to me, just examining the video, that all the riveting on the round head rivets is perfect. There's not a single "eyebrow" or "mis-strike" anywhere. This gentleman was a master at his craft. But more important, looking at that box tells me this man had a really good friend. He couldn't achieve that level of perfection on those rivets if he didn't have someone equally talented and "in tune" with him, to buck those rivets so precisely. And for a tedious job on what was almost certainly a "side hustle" project, he had to be a really cool friend. It's a thing of rare beauty and I am supremely pleased it ended up in the lap of someone who can truly appreciate it for the master work it is. I can only hope, after I'm gone, some of my work will end up in similar hands. And I got a little choked up with you while watching your video. I've always liked you and your work but today, you have earned my deepest respect, sir. Thank you very much.
It's hard to be sure without knowing exact dimensions but, it looks to be the perfect size to hold LP records. It would need to be albums worthy of an exquisite box like that.
"That's just showing off." - I LOL'd hard when Adam said this. There is good... then there's 'I did it because I can' good. Adam's appreciation and pointing out the craftsmanship here is enlightening to appreciate this box!
Adam loves the fact that a man made this 60 years ago with his own hands using skills he probably learned 20-30 years previous. It is a beautiful thing in so many ways
That was my initial thought too, but it would be square from the front and it appears longer than it is high (though the dimensions look about right to hold LPs) also the lid guide pieces might obstruct records. It would be interesting to know the dimensions.
I had a friend who has long since passed away that did that level of tin smith work. The old craftsmen in many trades were that good. Much respect to all of them.
I've experienced the same thing, my grandfather was a Craftsman during his life. A few years ago , I was handed a custom jewelry box he crafted in the early 70ts. I am now 42 years old ,I work at a custom fabrication/machine shop. When I saw that box, no matter how many projects I've seen pass on our laser/CNC/lathes you name it. We can easily match the quality (longevity) of craftsman hands, but no machined piece will ever be able to capture the character and true passion that type of work has. It's incredible
This box will be used to house a relic. The reverence in his voice means only something very special will be honored to call it home. Not only that, the item will fit the "feel" of the box wonderfully, and be the perfect size and shape for it. Being admired by Adam Savage for the detailed craftsmanship means it will likely end up in a museum or treasured collection someday, along with whatever lives in it. Also, I will never look at a box like that again without fully inspecting it and thinking about the person who made it.
You can look and glow at it all you want. But all it takes is to hear the sound it makes when you close it. That solid and satisfying clap tells me all I need to know about this case. Chef's Kiss Perfect.
I really hope Steve lets the lady know there is a video of Adam Savage gushing over her late husband's creation. What an honor to have your own creation, discovered and recognized for the technical achievement is. Even if was just a box. He made one hell of a box.
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This makes me realize how much I take things for granted. When he first showed the box my initial reaction was, "...ok, it's a metal box put together with some rivets...what's there to be impressed about?" But seeing Adam marvel over it, and passionately explain the craftsmanship required to make something like that totally changed my perspective. It makes me wonder how many things I use every day that I don't even give a second thought to, because I'm oblivious as to what went into making or designing it.
As a former apprentice journeyman technician for NASA Langley Research Center in their sheet metal shop, I can attest to the craftsmanship that went I to this box. I worked along side many skilled craftsmanship that did such work. And I had the joy to make similar, but no where near this level. The corner pieces were made on a brake, and the corner relief holes are excellent. Looks like a softer aluminum like 6061. The aircraft rivets are excellent. It is a beautiful box and will last several lifetimes if cared for, like I know Adam will.
That's real craftsmanship. The thing that struck me immediately was the shut line on the side of the lid. It's perfect. As you said, the angle piece going around four corners, and matching perfectly with the bottom of the case is just showing off. To get everything to line up so perfectly, when none of the flat pieces touch along the edges, is so hard to do. I think part of the reason for the doubling up along the edges is that the flex in a single piece is more than the thickness of the sheet, so any buckling would mean the edges no longer overlap. By doubling up, you're not only increasing the stiffness, you're also doubling the mating area, so any buckling of the front would still leave an overlap, which means it's somewhat weather resistant (rain cannot fall straight into the box, but would have to seep through the seam). I also noted that the flush rivets seem to show no signs of having been sanded flat after insertion, i.e. there's no sign of scuffing around them. I think these either started out as flush rivets, or he had some tool to grind them flat. They all have a tiny hole/depression at their centre, which might have been where the tool was centred. I'm pretty sure even Ron Covell would be impressed by this, and he knows a thing or two about aluminium fabrication.
I had the fortune to work with Bob Fischer who was a Boeing/GE A&P mechanic for 40 years. Just to watch him turn a flat panel into a repair panel was mesmerizing, from the shear to the english wheel to perfect fit!
I just watched this video and I think I have seen that box. My dad worked for Boeing, or the Circle B as he called it sometimes, during the 50's to 80's. He had several jobs over the years but was a parts person during the time the box was built. I don't remember the details well, as I was in elementary school at the time. I remember Dad taking me to an open house at Boeing for families of employees. There were several great exhibits there, some I still remember. One item I remember was a box that was specially made for a piece of test equipment. I remember it was good work, my dad told me so, and the builder was more than willing to tell me how he made it. Unfortunately, it was never used for its intended purpose as the piece of test equipment was replaced by a newer piece and didn't fit the box anymore. I remember the guy said now that the box was surplus, he was going to take it home. There was something about those tabs and the lid. I remember now, the tabs helped keep the lid tight and the bends on top were there for if the top got bent because the box was dropped, they would realign the top and allow you to close the box. I think my dad supplied at least some of the parts for the box. I wish I could remember more but that was 45 to 50 years ago. Hopefully this helps a bit with the history of the box, also I hope I'm remembering correctly. Type at you later... Ed Mattison, also from Tacoma, Washington
I came into this video thinking “oh that’s a nice box, whatever’s in it must be the real deal though” and then by the halfway point I was right there with you on being impressed. The eye for detail you have about the fabrication of objects is something I aspire to as a maker and clothier.
Strikes a chord with me. I too am a maker, and I'm completely fascinated by custom boxes and containers and walking sticks. My father is also a maker, and he shares these same fascinations. It never really dawned on me that these are common maker interests. Now I'm wondering what else. Definitely movie props... miniatures... specialty tools...
Definitely the work of a skilled sheet metal worker and the link to to the world of Avionics is very apparent. Having two of them would make amazing Panier cases for a motorcycle.
I grew up in Connecticut. When my Uncle Paul was in the service, in the 60's, the lock on his foot locker was made by Eagle Lock Company. Decades later when he and I found that lock in his shed, the key turned but the lock wouldn't open. I - being a teenager who didn't respect things as much as now I wish I had - threw the lock on the pavement as hard as I could. It popped open, and ironically worked well after that, with only a couple marks from the pavement. It was such a reliable lock that I used it through 6 or 7 more years on my locker in middle and high school. Many years later, I tried calling the Eagle Lock Company in Terryville Connecticut to try to order a key blank, so I could make a copy of the key. They didn't know what I was talking about and had to find someone who had been at the company long enough to remember before they became a self-storage facility!! They no longer manufacture locks. I still have both the lock and the key, but I can never seem to find both of them at the same time! I wish I could.
As others have said i believe this to be an apprentice piece made to show every aspect of aluminium work. Never the less it is still a beautiful piece and shows such skill.
I think I get as much, if not maybe more, enjoyment out of seeing Adam gush and go crazy over a simple metal box. Am I weird? Because it seems weird. I guess it’s the simple things that makes life worth living. Watching Adam is one of those simple things I enjoy, and NOT EVEN A MAKER! Great episode.
I worked as a liaison engineer working on old Boeing aircraft and the 75S-T[6] aluminum is their notation for 7075-T6 aluminum, which is what they would use in compression specific applications. And I would imagine the angles that make up all the edges are their standard extrusions, of which they had a significant number of all different specs. I’m super jealous and I would imagine you now have a wonderful piece of metalworking that represents how Boeing jets of era were design and fabricated.
Might I suggest that this may be an example of this Craftsman's work for employment interviews following a lay-off. My wife worked for Boeing for years and the stories of whole hangers of people being laid off 30-40 years ago are still shared within the company.
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It could have been used to carry documents like a brief case. That's what it makes me think of.
Although the two metal tabs that stick up from the inside indicate the corralling of a power cord so it does no stick out when closing the lid.
This box held the nuclear codes of the United States of America.
As a prop maker You should know that.
Adam, that would make the best brief case. How many people wish they could sit down at a meeting with a genuine Boeing brief case lined to take a laptop and papers perfectly....!
To be honest it looks like a exam piece to me.
I worked for the AF and the second you opened the box I knew it. We made boxes like this to carry sensitive tools and equipment we used out in a top secret testing range. Brought back memories for sure.
Each box would have been made for a specific purpose and usually was lined with charcoal colored lining.
Hard to imagine a simple box could be so emotionally affecting, but dang if the letter and Adam's gushing over the construction of the box doesn't bring at least a small tear of joy to your eye.
You know, excuse me. I think there's something in my eye... 😉 🥲
I'm the same way about boxes and bags. Nothing beats a rugged and well made case or bag.
One of the reasons i love watching these videos. His passion and deep appreciation for art is very inspiring to me :)
Yup, that's one handsome box and his gushing is more than appropriate. I don't know who I admire more: Adam for his new/old box or Steve and his kindness bringing Adam so much joy. 👍😍
Kid in a candy store.
*the fun part of this is going to be the wooden insert that Adam builds to hold a specific set of tools to store them in that looks like they have always been associated with each other*
… a very particular set of tools, tools I have acquired over a very long career, tools that make me a nightmare for people like you…
If he writes on this with a white out marker, he might as well just recycle it. Everything he does that too instantly looks, 37% shoddier.
@@skezus Yeah, not a fan of that either but labels are good to have but often fall off after a while and white out doesn't do that apparently.
Or multiple inserts for different tool sets (not the serial muder kit that some one else had in mind), and even as a briefcase for bringing valuable documents. You take out the set open up the top, and there they are, in a nice wood sleeve with soft cloth on the outside, and some springy things to let it pass the "wings" and then makes it stay in place well inside the box.
I wondered if maybe Adam was wrong about the box never being used, and it originally had some kind of form-fitting insert (perhaps felt-covered foam?) for holding the "some scientific instrument". Of course Adam has infinitely more experience in these matters than I. (Huh, and he has a lovely singing voice too - who knew?)
My brother was an A&P mechanic at Boeing and then Northwest Airlines. This sort of thing was super common. Walking through the mechanic toolbox area, you'd see all sorts of amazing creations attached to their big rolling boxes, like exquisitely made locking motorcycle helmet boxes. When they had downtime, scrap, and all the cool tools, they did what they do.
Yes, looks like it was a prototype for a documentation box, made to fit into the cockpit and to hold the flight manuals and all the paperwork for the flights for the day. From the interior you can see it was hand riveted, using a pneumatic tool on the outside and the hand buck inside, and all of the material was standard aircraft use. Those corners are normally made by taking a sheet and running it through a shear with a depth stop, to make the long strips, and then that long strip goes to a bending brake to be made into right angles. For the corners most aircraft shops have a right angle nibbler that will punch those out automatically, and for the rivet lines you also have a set of jigs to allow that correct hole spacing to be done easily.
You can see it was made 1960's 1970's, because later on the thing to show off was TIG welding those corners to have a smooth bead, either a single smooth bead with no porosity, or a smooth stack of coins all even as bead, both sides. this was an internal prototype, made to show form and fit, and likely was later on used to generate a set of plans for a production box, if the design was not discarded, like so many were.
I thought something similar too, as I've seen in other craftspeople. The fact that it appears so little used is intriguing though. That aluminum would easily show tiny scratches and scuff marks if it was used for almost anything at all.
@@SeanBZA I thought the exact same thing about it being used as an aircraft document box.
@@noimagination99 Possibly a prototype, used only once to see it would fit in the volume allowed, then used to get a set of detailed plans that were used to make the flight items.
I wonder if that box was an examination piece, or "skills test". Part of getting an aviation mechanics "A.P." rating was to demonstrate the various techniques and skills, candidates were given a set of prints and specifications for an object and graded on the results. I wouldn't be surprised if this is an examination piece.
Pretty dang inspiring in any case
as someone who has worked in aviation i can tell you that sounds like a high probability of what it is. The tolerances are so fine in aviation that no wonder the box looks basically perfect.
Either it was an examination piece, or the creator used his skills and knowledge to make this on their own time.
@@drago7635 I wish I could convince Adam it's really nothing special and hardly worth the space to store...
Hmmm…. Very interesting. Like a Waterford Apprentice Bowl.
@@hadinossanosam4459 But I want it to be ME, lol. Maybe I should just make my own not so great version and accept that my skills sort of suck
@@hadinossanosam4459 He's NOT negating the worth! He's angling (playfully) to procure it from Adam. Read the room.
Adam, the document case is beautiful. I had one that I carried for years when I worked for Lockheed.
These cases were designed to be carried on test flights and in test flight aircraft. It is designed to survive aircraft accidents as to protect critical data.
I have a hunch that the man who made it would likely be perplexed at why such a big deal was being made about "that old box". Every great old craftsman I've had the pleasure of meeting has been astonishingly humble regarding their own incredible skills.
Just what I was thinking. I have a bunch of stuff in my shop that I built that look similar, never thought anyone would ever care or be interested.
@@sheldonrigsby3523 This box used some pretty high quality parts and a really fine tolerance, for no apparent reason.
I actually do think it housed some important tool, and that tool sat in an insulated wooden box or something, inside that that aluminum box. So either the tool could come directly up and out of the housing mechanism, so the box never saw a scrapping movement but one time in and one time out, or the thing that came up and out was just really well and softly protected, so it didn't damage or wear the box at all, and was likely not used very often to begin with.
Only Adam could make me feel genuinely impressed / happy about a metal box.
I love watching Adam gush over another maker's work. His joy is infectious.
Who ever built this was a true master of his trade. You are so lucky to have it Adam.
It's wonderful to see the passion of the maker equaled by the passion of the beholder! Truly a well given gift and well received gift! Bravo!
Well said !
I remember my grandfather saying that as a metalwork apprentice in the 1920's and 30's one of the first tasks they were given was to make a toolbox for all their tools. He grew up in the aircraft industry and over the years made several boxes similar to this, many also with trays. This video brought back many fond memories.
wah, thats so great.
Here in Australia, we have to do the same. I still have and use mine, that I made back in 2000
I did my apprenticeship in england 45 years ago and still have my first year tool box I made. absolutely not made well but I still have it. This box however is an exampke of precision and pride in ones skills.
I think every aircraft sheet metal fabricator or any fabricator or Tig welder that is a apprentice is amde to make a simple tool box or box of some kind. In the shipyard once you hit your 90 day mark as a helper you get to take a sheet of 1/4 inch steel and make your own gangbox for all your tools and welding lines and chords and torch lines and anything else that is either assigned to you given to you or self bought hand tool wise to keep it a in and locked up and it's part of your test to move up from helper to second class fitter where you get to start fitting on your own with a first class fitter working along side you to help you if you need help. And if you don't pass the gang box test then you stay a helper for another 90 days until you learn how to cut precisely with a torch weld with 6011 and 7018 rods is what you weld it out with cuse fitters tack weld everything with stick cuse it's easier then carry around a huge bulky flux core suit case which sucks in those inner bottoms and tight areas In the bottom of the ships you gotta climb into with all your tools and cummalongs and torch lines and extension chords and everything else already glad I moved up quickly from helper at age of 18 to superintendent at age 28 and became first class fitter when I was 20
I think you are right. I recently found a handmade metal toolbox at an antique mall and it must have a hundred hours of work put into it. The only theory that really makes sense.
Is so enjoyable to see something like this. 95% of the world would look at this and just see a box. It’s the 5% of us that see a level of craftsmanship we aspire too, that I want to be a part of. Thank you Mr. Steve Powers for sending this to Adam, so he could let the rest of us enjoy it.
What a perfect gift for Adam Savage. My grandfather was also an engineer for Boeing for many years and retired from the Paine Field plant in Everett Washington when I was young. He always brought home fantastic and curious things that he had made at work weather they be tools he had designed for his job, Things built while parts were being designed, and all sorts of goodies made in spare time. Imagine having spare time in an aircraft factory's workshop with the knowledge to make whatever you can think up.
That piece is amazing. It makes me imagine a scenario where his briefcase was destroyed at work and all he was able to salvage was the handle and the clasps. He poured himself a coffee and got right to work and made this.
That box is a literal piece of artwork! Great to see how humble and appreciative Adam is to receive this. It could not have gone to a better home.
It's always fun to watch Adam be so excited about things, it's just wonderful.
Adam's level of excitement about something like this always cheers me up and makes me feel like there is hope for us all
If the original builder of this box could see, I think he would be touched by your appreciation of the workmanship and careful maintenance.
I’d love the wife who sold the box be able to watch this video!! I think it would bring a tear to her eye hearing how incredibly skilled her late husband was by someone incredibly skilled, passionate and famous like Adam.
I've commented a few times on Adam's videos and I feel compelled to do so again today. His obvious giddiness and excitement over this box is palpable. I sat smiling and laughing as I watched him examine and describe this box. 98% of the world would walk past this box and think it the height of mundanity if they noticed it at all. Adam (and the gentleman who sent it to him) "gets" it, though. The product of a craftsman and artist at the top of his game.
It's important that Adam keeps doing this because there are lots of boxes out there like this and lots of people who will be moved by his excitement.
I love this channel.
Magical box! My father was a toolmaker, making the tools that make the tools. He was in the RAF during WW2 working on Spitfires. He would have appreciated this, I appreciate it. When he died, large companies purchased his patents for pennies. I was too young to have any of his tools. Thank you for showing this!
This is so wholesome and so special. I have my great grandfather’s automotive soldering kit (at least that’s what I’ve been told that’s what it is) and the box it’s in is similar and every time I look at it, it just brings me so much joy. Awesome awesome stuff
Adam's childlike joy and curiosity is SO FUN TO WATCH!
it was wonderful to watch your joy overflow as you explored the box and explained the details that thrilled you so much: Your enthusiasm is highly infectious and contagious.thank you x 1000
I always appreciate a display of skill.
We used to have a retail surplus outlet at Boeing in the Seattle area that sold off lots of excess materials, furniture, etc. You could buy sheets of various aluminum products, which is probably where he got that material. The store is gone now, because some "leftover" materials were eliminated by better design/supply practices, and some was bundled up for sale to various second tier resources. I used to wander through and get stuff like "a bag of washers" out of a big tub skid on the floor.
As a gigging guitarist over the last 20 years I can really appreciate a well built storage container as every piece of gear I've used over the years, guitars, amps, pedals, miscellaneous tools and extra cables, bits and bobs all have to be in good cases in order to be stored between the truck trailer and whatever venue were scheduled weekly. I mostly use anvil type road cases but I have a miscellaneous strong box that I had a friend build for me back in the 80s. It's one of my most prized container that has never ever failed me. It's made of stainless steel, aluminum extruded bracing and trim, and brass hardware. Heavy as all get out but with 20lbs. Of gear inside its built to take abuse. So, yeah. I do get exited over a quality strong box!
That box may have been a assignment/test given to the person who made it as a test of that person's proof of their skill. I bought a aluminum pet carrier at a garage sale made along those lines the maker got a bit caried away with the design it had four different heavy-duty latches to secure the door shut. It looked like it was made to contain an evil Tasmanian devil. I use to enjoy taking our kittens to the vet in it and watching the peoples' expressions, like what do you have in there.
Reminds me of when i restored an Old Albatross speedboat with my Dad, when i got the boat all the rivets had fallen to pieces and the boat was basically all sheets if 1/16 aluminum sheeting, Dad( an old foundry man) made a rivet tool and some rivet snaps and i made over 5000 rivets by hand with countersunk heads, annealed them and then the task of riveting the boat back together, lots of work with my Dad who has passed nearly 20 years ago this year, still, its something i'll never forget, he also taught me how to restore vintage outboard motors, mainly Johnson and Evinrude, i still have a 1958 Red and White Johnson 35 Hp and a couple of 1962 and 63 18 Hp Evinrudes and just today was given an early 80's 25 Hp Johnson. Life comes full circle, still have some more classic motorcycles waiting restoration too, Wishing you all the best for 2023 from Barbados. P.S. the gentleman who made the box probably made a bender to make all the angle frames the same way too, its what i would do, it would make things a lot easier than having to bend each one by hand .
Looks like a case to carry records. Also if it was linned with soft foam to hold what ever instrument inside the box I would imagine it wouldn't leave any marks of use
If it was left there very long, the foam itself would stain the aluminum then start sticking to it, leaving evidence of its existance.
My grandfather was a carpenter for the Great Western Railway in England. The care and attention shown in that metal box just reminds me of the wooden boxes he made in retirement.
To funny! Loved the video. It is great when you recognize what another person has done!! I love to see what other people have done. Sometimes it inspires me to do things. Watching your model videos, I have started my first build in 22 years. It is a model of a wood ship. It only cost 15.00 dollars and is lacking in everything, but it has potential to become something special. Thank you for your videos!
Getting the chance to do a close up inspection on a master of their crafts work is always a treat, even more so when you are interested in that particular craft.
Some old school engineering apprenticeships used to include making your own tool box and tools.
Adam, I'm among other things, an old Aircraft control surfaces mechanic mechanic.
I thought I'd share a little insight on the construction of your fantastic aluminum box.
Those flushed rivets tell a tale. The two parts comprising the front of the box had to be cut to size, countersunk, riveted and flushed BEFORE he began assembling the box. You can't do that quality of flush on an assembled surface like that. That's supreme confidence in your precision measurements!
It looks to me, just examining the video, that all the riveting on the round head rivets is perfect. There's not a single "eyebrow" or "mis-strike" anywhere. This gentleman was a master at his craft.
But more important, looking at that box tells me this man had a really good friend. He couldn't achieve that level of perfection on those rivets if he didn't have someone equally talented and "in tune" with him, to buck those rivets so precisely. And for a tedious job on what was almost certainly a "side hustle" project, he had to be a really cool friend.
It's a thing of rare beauty and I am supremely pleased it ended up in the lap of someone who can truly appreciate it for the master work it is.
I can only hope, after I'm gone, some of my work will end up in similar hands.
And I got a little choked up with you while watching your video.
I've always liked you and your work but today, you have earned my deepest respect, sir.
Thank you very much.
It's hard to be sure without knowing exact dimensions but, it looks to be the perfect size to hold LP records. It would need to be albums worthy of an exquisite box like that.
I wonder if it would hold 8Trac tapes?
@@spidersj12 Perhaps, two rows with lift-out trays? But I too am leaning towards it being an LP transport.
That was my first thought. 👍
or, just a microSD card with all that music on it, bouncing around at the bottom. lol
@@JD2jr. Hahahaha
"That's just showing off." - I LOL'd hard when Adam said this. There is good... then there's 'I did it because I can' good. Adam's appreciation and pointing out the craftsmanship here is enlightening to appreciate this box!
“That’s just showing off” -Adam Savage. :) it is an amazing creation and makes OCD people like me smile.. really smile.
I just love how much Adam loves this.
Finally! someone made an explosion proof lunch box that can contain my famous TNT Chili!
Thank you for the giggle. Your day has already been well spent.
Now if only we had a pair of sufficiently-sturdy underwear
Adam loves the fact that a man made this 60 years ago with his own hands using skills he probably learned 20-30 years previous. It is a beautiful thing in so many ways
Master craftsmanship. Stunning detail.
I always get a kick out of Adam's "kid in a candy shop" enthusiasm!
Looks almost big enough to be a record box.
Now that is interesting.
That was my initial thought too, but it would be square from the front and it appears longer than it is high (though the dimensions look about right to hold LPs) also the lid guide pieces might obstruct records. It would be interesting to know the dimensions.
Thinking the same also....the lower front lip would allow to lift and see records easier than how we did it in milk crates back in the day
I had a friend who has long since passed away that did that level of tin smith work. The old craftsmen in many trades were that good. Much respect to all of them.
Happy new year to you and your family, Mr. Savage.
The serenade in the middle was beautiful. He actually has a great voice
Watching Adam gushing over this box makes me so happy. What a great video.
Stinnett Sticks: A great RUclips channel for custom made walking sticks. Absolutely AMAZING walking sticks. So calming to watch them being carved too.
Adam’s unbridled joy is so delightful to see.
Masterpiece of workmanship. And the box found the perfect steward in Adam!
Your enthusiasm is contagious.
I do not know of any other man who could make an aluminium box so intriguing and sensual, mr Savage you are a God!
That is truly beautiful, someone put all their skill into that and for that reason alone it's special.
it looks like a box for vynyl albums. those covers wouldnt mark up the inside if those or other paper products were what he was storing.
I too think it's a box for LP records.
I liked that idea, but it's wider than it is tall. An LP case would be square,
I've experienced the same thing, my grandfather was a Craftsman during his life.
A few years ago , I was handed a custom jewelry box he crafted in the early 70ts. I am now 42 years old ,I work at a custom fabrication/machine shop.
When I saw that box, no matter how many projects I've seen pass on our laser/CNC/lathes you name it.
We can easily match the quality (longevity) of craftsman hands, but no machined piece will ever be able to capture the character and true passion that type of work has.
It's incredible
Watching another human become this happy over something as mundane as a box makes me happy 🙂.
This box will be used to house a relic. The reverence in his voice means only something very special will be honored to call it home. Not only that, the item will fit the "feel" of the box wonderfully, and be the perfect size and shape for it. Being admired by Adam Savage for the detailed craftsmanship means it will likely end up in a museum or treasured collection someday, along with whatever lives in it. Also, I will never look at a box like that again without fully inspecting it and thinking about the person who made it.
You can look and glow at it all you want. But all it takes is to hear the sound it makes when you close it. That solid and satisfying clap tells me all I need to know about this case. Chef's Kiss Perfect.
My dad would have shared your tenacious curiosity and adamant restoration for this mystery box. Thank you for so precious a reminder.
It’s such a joy to see Adam just geeking out over a box!
You know you're in touch with your inner cat when you're more excited by the box than by the contents.
The box was probably in a dark dusty place for decades and now is a star on RUclips.
I really hope Steve lets the lady know there is a video of Adam Savage gushing over her late husband's creation.
What an honor to have your own creation, discovered and recognized for the technical achievement is.
Even if was just a box.
He made one hell of a box.
*Making money is an action. Keeping money is a behavior, but "Growing money is wisdom" I figured this out a week ago.💯*
After watching so many RUclips tutorial videos about trading I was still making losses untill Mr Joseph started managing my investment now, I make $6,800 weekly. God bless Mr Joseph. His been a blessing to my family..
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He's active on TELE-GRAM 👇👇
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This makes me realize how much I take things for granted. When he first showed the box my initial reaction was, "...ok, it's a metal box put together with some rivets...what's there to be impressed about?" But seeing Adam marvel over it, and passionately explain the craftsmanship required to make something like that totally changed my perspective. It makes me wonder how many things I use every day that I don't even give a second thought to, because I'm oblivious as to what went into making or designing it.
Be a good box to keep all your old truck titles in for memory and to know they were forever safe from this magnificent piece of skilled expertise.
I love when Adam gets excited like this 😄
Only Adam Savage could be this interested in a box and make us interested as well.
It is so wonderful to see true and absolute appreciation for something.
"This is coming home with me and it is going to be something important." I felt that.
I'm glad this work of art was saved and not scrapped like so many others. Not only saved, but Adam has already shared it with the world. 👍
Truly an excellent box, one can see the work and detail put into it. Hope Adam finds a good usage for it.
As a former apprentice journeyman technician for NASA Langley Research Center in their sheet metal shop, I can attest to the craftsmanship that went I to this box. I worked along side many skilled craftsmanship that did such work. And I had the joy to make similar, but no where near this level. The corner pieces were made on a brake, and the corner relief holes are excellent. Looks like a softer aluminum like 6061. The aircraft rivets are excellent. It is a beautiful box and will last several lifetimes if cared for, like I know Adam will.
Thank you for taking the time to make a video.
"I'm sorry if he set anything important on fire." I love that that's a reasonable response there xD
those alignment flaps are such a great idea
That's real craftsmanship. The thing that struck me immediately was the shut line on the side of the lid. It's perfect. As you said, the angle piece going around four corners, and matching perfectly with the bottom of the case is just showing off. To get everything to line up so perfectly, when none of the flat pieces touch along the edges, is so hard to do.
I think part of the reason for the doubling up along the edges is that the flex in a single piece is more than the thickness of the sheet, so any buckling would mean the edges no longer overlap. By doubling up, you're not only increasing the stiffness, you're also doubling the mating area, so any buckling of the front would still leave an overlap, which means it's somewhat weather resistant (rain cannot fall straight into the box, but would have to seep through the seam).
I also noted that the flush rivets seem to show no signs of having been sanded flat after insertion, i.e. there's no sign of scuffing around them. I think these either started out as flush rivets, or he had some tool to grind them flat. They all have a tiny hole/depression at their centre, which might have been where the tool was centred. I'm pretty sure even Ron Covell would be impressed by this, and he knows a thing or two about aluminium fabrication.
Just proves the craftsmanship n quality attention to detail they had back in the day. Where things were made to last unlike today
"I feel seen". Is probably one of the most powerful sentences I've ever heard uttered. Got me a bit emotional
I had the fortune to work with Bob Fischer who was a Boeing/GE A&P mechanic for 40 years. Just to watch him turn a flat panel into a repair panel was mesmerizing, from the shear to the english wheel to perfect fit!
That mystery metal Box is extremely simple and unique....ooh I love it Adam
It was a thrill to see it through your eyes, Adam. Thx!
I just watched this video and I think I have seen that box. My dad worked for Boeing, or the Circle B as he called it sometimes, during the 50's to 80's. He had several jobs over the years but was a parts person during the time the box was built. I don't remember the details well, as I was in elementary school at the time. I remember Dad taking me to an open house at Boeing for families of employees. There were several great exhibits there, some I still remember. One item I remember was a box that was specially made for a piece of test equipment. I remember it was good work, my dad told me so, and the builder was more than willing to tell me how he made it. Unfortunately, it was never used for its intended purpose as the piece of test equipment was replaced by a newer piece and didn't fit the box anymore. I remember the guy said now that the box was surplus, he was going to take it home. There was something about those tabs and the lid. I remember now, the tabs helped keep the lid tight and the bends on top were there for if the top got bent because the box was dropped, they would realign the top and allow you to close the box. I think my dad supplied at least some of the parts for the box. I wish I could remember more but that was 45 to 50 years ago. Hopefully this helps a bit with the history of the box, also I hope I'm remembering correctly.
Type at you later...
Ed Mattison, also from Tacoma, Washington
I came into this video thinking “oh that’s a nice box, whatever’s in it must be the real deal though” and then by the halfway point I was right there with you on being impressed. The eye for detail you have about the fabrication of objects is something I aspire to as a maker and clothier.
Those watching this video are enthused, by your enthusiasm for a box. And that is a quality box!
I can't explain very well why, but the box opening and closing is just so pleasing.
The simple detail of the lid locating ears speaks volumes.
Strikes a chord with me. I too am a maker, and I'm completely fascinated by custom boxes and containers and walking sticks. My father is also a maker, and he shares these same fascinations. It never really dawned on me that these are common maker interests. Now I'm wondering what else. Definitely movie props... miniatures... specialty tools...
Definitely the work of a skilled sheet metal worker and the link to to the world of Avionics is very apparent.
Having two of them would make amazing Panier cases for a motorcycle.
I grew up in Connecticut. When my Uncle Paul was in the service, in the 60's, the lock on his foot locker was made by Eagle Lock Company. Decades later when he and I found that lock in his shed, the key turned but the lock wouldn't open. I - being a teenager who didn't respect things as much as now I wish I had - threw the lock on the pavement as hard as I could. It popped open, and ironically worked well after that, with only a couple marks from the pavement. It was such a reliable lock that I used it through 6 or 7 more years on my locker in middle and high school. Many years later, I tried calling the Eagle Lock Company in Terryville Connecticut to try to order a key blank, so I could make a copy of the key. They didn't know what I was talking about and had to find someone who had been at the company long enough to remember before they became a self-storage facility!! They no longer manufacture locks. I still have both the lock and the key, but I can never seem to find both of them at the same time! I wish I could.
"That's just showing off!!!"
😂 I'm an aviation metalsmith, and that's where I lost it!
Look how neat and clean the shop is !
The consistency and alignment is very impressive
As others have said i believe this to be an apprentice piece made to show every aspect of aluminium work. Never the less it is still a beautiful piece and shows such skill.
I think I get as much, if not maybe more, enjoyment out of seeing Adam gush and go crazy over a simple metal box.
Am I weird? Because it seems weird. I guess it’s the simple things that makes life worth living. Watching Adam is one of those simple things I enjoy, and NOT EVEN A MAKER!
Great episode.
That's a beautiful box, the skill is on show, the work of a master!
I worked as a liaison engineer working on old Boeing aircraft and the 75S-T[6] aluminum is their notation for 7075-T6 aluminum, which is what they would use in compression specific applications. And I would imagine the angles that make up all the edges are their standard extrusions, of which they had a significant number of all different specs. I’m super jealous and I would imagine you now have a wonderful piece of metalworking that represents how Boeing jets of era were design and fabricated.
Only on this channel would there be 15 minutes of someone being impressed by a metal box lol. Lovely!
Might I suggest that this may be an example of this Craftsman's work for employment interviews following a lay-off. My wife worked for Boeing for years and the stories of whole hangers of people being laid off 30-40 years ago are still shared within the company.
I could totally see this as some pannier on an old vintage motorcycle it's awesome