OP
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Especially Nice find and grab then. Congrats!!
Metal Cabinets vintage or homemade and no name toolboxes. got any to show please do
- Thread starter drivesitfar
- Start date
RTM
Well-known member
Hart & Hutchinson, New Britain CT, founded about 1912 after Hart & CooleyI found these amazing lockers, I want them!!
Iron Age
books.google.com
This book seems to reverse that order (not sure if its true), published in 1949
The Life and Times of Andrew Jackson Sloper, 1849-1933
www.google.com
Patent assigned to them in 1930 seems to be the last contemparaneous thing published in google books.
Index of Patents Issued from the United States Patent Office
www.google.com
This is the rest
captain14
Well-known member
That’s a rule, you can search forever and not find something. Stop looking for it and you’ll trip over it.
ArmyVW_GuyInTX
ALLIANCE MEMBER
i have one of those yellow cabinets in my garage that was also free - it was new still strapped to the shipping pallet. No longer in inventory from a local gov building. A friend was responsible for the new inventory and asked me if I wanted it. it is larger than I need - about 30x30x65. holds misc house hold hardware now.I was also able to get 2 of these (but they aren't really 'vintage'):
Both Eagle 1945 models, dirty but fully functional.
Everything was free.
I'd LOVE to have one of those flammables cabinets. I'd use it for garage chemicals.
Fireproof filing cabinets weigh a TON. We have some of the horizontal (wide) ones here at work. 1500 lbs each (EMPTY), we hire riggers to move them, especially up / down stairs.
Mike
Fireproof filing cabinets weigh a TON. We have some of the horizontal (wide) ones here at work. 1500 lbs each (EMPTY), we hire riggers to move them, especially up / down stairs.
Mike
twagler
Well-known member
I think I may actually have enough storage now! Here are my recent acquisitions of vintage metal cabinets:
(1) A 20 drawer cabinet with pairs of lift-out drawers which ride on pull-out racks. I think that feature will be pretty convenient. The manufacturers tag has gone missing, but I think this must have been a card catalogue type of thing. The drawer bottoms all have an open slot down the length of the drawer that an adjustable back plate slides along, but the previous owner fitted hardboard inserts (not shown) for each drawer.
(2) A laboratory-furniture type of metal cabinet. Made by Hamilton in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. I have some of their older printers cabinets, but this seems quite a bit more modern.
(3) A Sears Craftsman cabinet. It's actually the optional stand sold to go along with their late '50's/early '60's "Accra-Arm" radial arm saw, and comes with a pull-out cover that swings down to keep dust out.
(4) and finally a trailer load of Durham small parts boxes and slide racks. Not really vintage (although maybe 30 years old) and are actually surprisingly flimsy compared to the real vintage stuff. But I think enough compartments to hold every screw, nail, and small nuts & bolt that I own.
Thanks for letting me show off my stuff.
-Tom
(1) A 20 drawer cabinet with pairs of lift-out drawers which ride on pull-out racks. I think that feature will be pretty convenient. The manufacturers tag has gone missing, but I think this must have been a card catalogue type of thing. The drawer bottoms all have an open slot down the length of the drawer that an adjustable back plate slides along, but the previous owner fitted hardboard inserts (not shown) for each drawer.
(2) A laboratory-furniture type of metal cabinet. Made by Hamilton in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. I have some of their older printers cabinets, but this seems quite a bit more modern.
(3) A Sears Craftsman cabinet. It's actually the optional stand sold to go along with their late '50's/early '60's "Accra-Arm" radial arm saw, and comes with a pull-out cover that swings down to keep dust out.
(4) and finally a trailer load of Durham small parts boxes and slide racks. Not really vintage (although maybe 30 years old) and are actually surprisingly flimsy compared to the real vintage stuff. But I think enough compartments to hold every screw, nail, and small nuts & bolt that I own.
Thanks for letting me show off my stuff.
-Tom
OP
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Tom: did you find these all in one place or are these acquisitions during the last few days or months. Definitely some of my favorites.
Congrats and thanks for sharing!!
Congrats and thanks for sharing!!
FullRaceMerc
Well-known member
We've got a cabinet like that at the company cabinet shop. Same thing, hardboard inserts in the drawers. We keep it loaded heavy with screws. I don't know how old it is, but in the 25 years I've worked there it shows no signs of wear. Great cabinet.(1) A 20 drawer cabinet with pairs of lift-out drawers which ride on pull-out racks. I think that feature will be pretty convenient. The manufacturers tag has gone missing, but I think this must have been a card catalogue type of thing. The drawer bottoms all have an open slot down the length of the drawer that an adjustable back plate slides along, but the previous owner fitted hardboard inserts (not shown) for each drawer.
Very nice find. Congrats.
twagler
Well-known member
These were all purchased separately, all in just the last 3 months or so, after a long dry spell of looking and never finding anything. I'm on what you would call the "thrifty" side, so was lucky to pick these up most of these items at fairly good bargain prices (- the kind of thing where when you come to pick it up, the seller says, "Guess I should have asked for more. My phone's been buzzing all day with 20 people in line after you".
I actually forgot to show one more cabinet that I also purchased recently. I guess it is what you would call a tune-up cabinet, meant to hold ignition parts, etc. in a service garage. This particular one is labelled "Autopar" which was the Canadian Chrysler parts division. In the USA it is Mopar instead of Autopar, but the Mopar product line couldn’t be sold in Canada at first due to a another automotive parts store (Canadian Tire Corporation) which had the rights to the name “Mopower,” which was too similar. So Chrysler Marketing in Canada came up with “Autopar” as the alternative.
-Tom
ArmyVW_GuyInTX
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I bought a few flat files at an auction and with them were 3 Hamilton printers cabinets with 47 trays of lead font from gnats toes to over an inch wide for an 'M' ......(pts are not my wheelhouse). The font trays and cabinets are with a gal that does letterpress printing now. Hamilton made some of the first modular cabinets.
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OP
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Twag: I’ve heard that more than a few times in my life too. “Guess I should have asked for more” or “in case you can’t make it I’ve got lots of interest and offers for more money” so good for you for finding all those cool cabinets at a great price. Mostly I just try to be fair and I’m positive I could’ve sold some items for more. I thing there is a sweet spot when selling or buying and it’s great to end a deal smiling.
I’m guessing your handle name is because you learned to haggle a bit in your life?
The hard part for me is always finding spots for cool finds and getting them functional and filled up so I can use them.
Good luck getting your stuff organized and also remembering where you put your stuff. I use a lot of blue painters tape and sharpies to label drawers until I know where stuff is.
I’m guessing your handle name is because you learned to haggle a bit in your life?
The hard part for me is always finding spots for cool finds and getting them functional and filled up so I can use them.
Good luck getting your stuff organized and also remembering where you put your stuff. I use a lot of blue painters tape and sharpies to label drawers until I know where stuff is.
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I repurposed an old box that was being scrapped at work.
It was gutted and had an aluminum base added to hold the screwed down dividers.
Now it keeps all my tubing tools in one place.
That is outstanding!
Mike
RTM
Well-known member
almost looks like it was made for it
ArmyVW_GuyInTX
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Another old metal box repurposed.
This one came from my favorite used tool store in Michigan.
It had a large, broken, pressure gauge mounted on the inside and stencils from some squadron on the outside.
Cost me a whole dollar!
It now keeps all my Kreg pocket hole stuff in one place and ready to travel.
This one came from my favorite used tool store in Michigan.
It had a large, broken, pressure gauge mounted on the inside and stencils from some squadron on the outside.
Cost me a whole dollar!
It now keeps all my Kreg pocket hole stuff in one place and ready to travel.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Nice repurposed jobs, both of them, Jgaz!
Army, those are decent little boxes, and made by several MFG's but all stack together.
Army, those are decent little boxes, and made by several MFG's but all stack together.
If you go to estate/garage sales, you will find them… there are so many out there.
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ArmyVW_GuyInTX
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Outlaw, one of your earlier posts was the inspiration for me. I have a few others, and my better half has repurposed one for her use in her closet.
Jgaz above with the repurposed metal tool cases is great to see - I have an old Ingersol Rand steel box with "vintage" graphics that I really need find a good use for and threads like this are really fantastic!
ArmyVW_GuyInTX
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I found the old 'vintage' IR impact chisel box from 1953 but it wasn't empty. My long barrel air chisel won't fit sooooo plans for the box have changed.
Nice graphics on the old IR box - from 1953!
Also found an old Craftsman soldering kit metal box.
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Put your regular size air hammer in that one. The .401 or whatever that size is.
I only have the regular size.
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Mr. Wonderful
Well-known member
Thanks to @drivesitfar for this thread and @Private Lugnutz for the info. I got myself a 41-C-15 Cabinet. It has been spray painted gray and needs the welds repaired at the ends of the crossbar under the top drawer. I read everything I could about these and it did not disappoint. It's an absolute tank! I'm going to return it to the original color and restore the top. The castors will probably go too.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Wonderful find and good luck with the project! 
Username already in use
Well-known member
@Mr. Wonderful great find! Those things are workhorses! Don’t be so quick to remove the casters. It’s nice to be able to easily move them around.
Once you fix the broken welds, that thing will serve you well for decades to come.
Once you fix the broken welds, that thing will serve you well for decades to come.
Mr. Wonderful
Well-known member
I need it to fit under a workbench and the castors are about an inch too high. I may put some type of wood under it to take up the difference. I might have kept them otherwise. They look like run of the mill hardware store castors but the cabinet rolls great! I think I even saw grease fittings on them.
I'm wondering what glue would be best for the butcher block top if anyone has experience? the obvious choice I thought would be wood glue. The more I thought about it, I wondered if CA glue would flow into the cracks better???
RTM
Well-known member
CA glue is brittle, and usually doesn't have gap filling strength qualities. You typically need a epoxy to get any gap filling strength. CA glue plus sawdust will fill the gaps cosmetically but won't give you any strength. Regular wood glue also does not have gap filler strength.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
CA is not suitable for wood period.
Get some Tight Bond III or Gorilla wood glue. (I think the GG is more water/solvent resistant?)
Get some Tight Bond III or Gorilla wood glue. (I think the GG is more water/solvent resistant?)
bl00
Well-known member
Anyone know who made these? There doesn't seem to be a manufacturers stamp on them. They're identical with the exception of color and different drawer slides. 27.5 x 28.5w x 42.5h
Edit: added pics. The interior sides are removable. I was trying to remove a slide for cleaning and the whole side lifted out. Also close up pic of the labels. Best guess is they were parts cabinets for Bosch and Makita repair centers. I can't find any reference to Bosch and Makita being under the same ownership so it's odd they used the same cabinet.
Edit: added pics. The interior sides are removable. I was trying to remove a slide for cleaning and the whole side lifted out. Also close up pic of the labels. Best guess is they were parts cabinets for Bosch and Makita repair centers. I can't find any reference to Bosch and Makita being under the same ownership so it's odd they used the same cabinet.
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OP
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Bl00: great finds. My guess is Lista or maybe Stanley Vidmar but not certain.
Jayman17
Well-known member
Nice score, grabbing those cabinets. They look well made..
Grabbed these 8 cabinets from a semi-local estate sale a few weeks back. Very nicely made, heavy duty. Thinking around 1950s-60s vintage. There are four 48" ones with the smaller cabinets/drawers, and four 35" cabinets, 3 with functional drawers and one with fake drawers that I'm assuming was for a laboratory sink. (Estate sale pics, I haven't gotten them set up yet) Will most likely build some butcher block tops for them and use them in my workshop and main garage area.
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ArmyVW_GuyInTX
ALLIANCE MEMBER
This is great! I have several drawers like this orphaned that I kept for a similar use......Not a metal cabinet exactly but salvaged metal drawers in a wooden cabinet
OP
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Tex: some of my favorites are from the medical field cause they seem to be made like Costs were not an issue. Nice find
JG: great combo with wood framed and steel/metal bins and you have my vote. I couldn’t decide which I like better so I made a thread gir wood snd this one for metal. take a peak at the wood cabinet thread and post these over there too if you like. This thread seems to get a ton more attention and probably cause we can’t buy quality new metal cabinets without deep pockets now. Of course a real wood cabinet is expensive but they give old oak furniture away for some reason.
JG: great combo with wood framed and steel/metal bins and you have my vote. I couldn’t decide which I like better so I made a thread gir wood snd this one for metal. take a peak at the wood cabinet thread and post these over there too if you like. This thread seems to get a ton more attention and probably cause we can’t buy quality new metal cabinets without deep pockets now. Of course a real wood cabinet is expensive but they give old oak furniture away for some reason.
ArmyVW_GuyInTX
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I saw your post in wood cabinets about your wood map cabinet - what did you do with it ? If you were closer and wanted another one I could possibly help.
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
Holy crud! I wish you were closer to me!
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
If you were closer I'd have to sneak in and rearrange those drawers in sequential order of those alphanumeric markings! My OCD is going off just thinking about them!
