Cabinet.  With Pop-Pop’s Boy scout axe, an old hammer that saw many projects, and an oil can that goes back to 1950.

Hand saws.  The top one has a unique cut-out for the forefinger.  The bottom one is probably newer than the others.

Tool box.

Inside tool box.  Drill, bits, extension cord.

Drawer #1.  Sharpening stone, mitre saw (I’m looking for the guide that went with this), and one of my favorites – a hand drill.  Bits for this drill are in another drawer.  If your intention is to have the workbench retain some of the personality of its time, this should probably remain with it.

A close-up of the hand drill.  A cool tool.

Drawer #2.  Pop-Pop’s shoes and gloves that he probably used when working, and a brush to clean the shoes when done. 

Drawer #3.  Hardware.

Drawer #4.  Piels beer was popular back in the 1950s.  This sign hung in the basement in Floral Park.  It might look good near your beer cooler in the garage. 

Drawer #5.  Grease gun kit with grease (very old and maybe should just be tossed).  Carburetor Clean-Out kit (probably used on my old 1958 Dodge, maybe the Chevelle.

Drawer #6. 

Drawer #7.  Tool box on left and metal box on right are shown in next picture.  2 wood planes.  And a wire gauge (see photo below).

Tool box has odd wrenches and a screwdriver or two.  The other box has a Dwell-Tachometer, used often when tuning the old cars. 

A very old tool for measuring wire gauge.

Drawer #8. 

Drawer #9. 

Drawer #10. 

Drawer #11.  Drill bits for the hand drill shown earlier.  Tubing cutter.  Clamps.  Wood shaving tool.  Adjustable wrench.  And a very old monkey wrench (maybe that one especially belongs with the workbench). 

A close-up of some of the items above. 

Vacuum tubes (used in old radios and TVs).  A booklet that was mailed to my grandmother a very long time ago.

Vacuum tubes are still collected by some, but are usually of no use to most of us.  Note the booklet – “Now You Can Fix Your Own TV, Revised 1952 Edition”.  When a radio of the TV misbehaved, I would pull the tubes out of the back, and take them on my bicycle to Electronic City, by Lakeville Road.  They had a machine where you would look up each tube’s number, place it in the appropriate socket, and push buttons to test the tube.  You would purchase replacement tubes as needed, place them back in the TV or radio, and all would be well.