Metal Cabinets vintage or homemade and no name toolboxes. got any to show please do

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Nice Cabinet!

"they don't make them like that any more...."

 

[skunkape1]

Those Shaw-Walkers are built like tanks, I have a two drawer file cab at work and it weighs a ton. I picked up the Globe Waernicke at a garage sale for $3. The base was pretty rusty and I went overboard and stripped 3 coats of paint off down to the bare steel before spray paint. The right arm is still sore and that was months ago. I also put a new lock in.

 

[tremek]

I've posted a few of my old boxes in the other thread, but it's been awhile. I've been working on some old kitchen cabinets for my walls and it's now too cold to paint any more so I figured I'd post 'em here.

That looks relay nice.

 

[coljar]

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Some of these shots were taken a while back, before I set them up for use.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

[pictures removed to save space]

Some of these shots were taken a while back, before I set them up for use.[/QUOTE]

Coljar,

At the IPS action this past weekend, the cabinet in the second picture (30 drawer with transmission on top) went for $140 ish.. I chose to spend my money on the Shaw Walker instead...

Nice collection of office cabinets turned shop storage...

 

[drivesitfar]

Coljar: Nice looking cabinets. Can you post more pics of how you set them up and maybe how you filled the drawers?

Dennis: I'm still in awe of you being able to haul those heavy cabinets and tools into your basement through your kitchen. Again nice find.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Coljar: Nice looking cabinets. Can you post more pics of how you set them up and maybe how you filled the drawers?

Dennis: I'm still in awe of you being able to haul those heavy cabinets and tools into your basement through your kitchen. Again nice find.

Hi Drivesitfar..

The cabinet we got from IPS is approx. 17" square, and about 5'6" tall.. The wife helped me get it into the basement (she spotted the appliance cart wheels on the basement steps). The appliance cart weighed more than this particular cabinet.. so it was a snap.

I recently did a work bench swap (my father's hard top / laminate into the basement.. and my solid wood door workbench from basement to garage) by myself.. breaking the bits into their smallest manageable component helps.. the laminated bench top was a bit unwieldy.. but manageable.

 

[dittle fart around]

Some of these shots were taken a while back, before I set them up for use.

Sweet stool, haven't seen one with arms before.

 

[coljar]

Sweet stool, haven't seen one with arms before.

I actually have seven of them. The lady that owned the building where the pool hall was downtown gave them to me. She was a customer when I had my auto shop and was a friend of the family. A couple of them will be put in the garage when I get the lounge area done.

 

[dittle fart around]

That makes sense. I'm betting the new pool hall stools have cup holders and seat belts.

 

[coljar]

That makes sense. I'm betting the new pool hall stools have cup holders and seat belts.

Ha, wouldn't doubt that! You know, I originally thought I'd take them apart, sandblast the metal and paint and refinish the wood, but I think I like them just the way they are. Seen a lot of characters and sharks setting on those stools.

I'm trying to muster up some energy to go out to the garage and get some pictures for Drives, but after getting off of a string of nightshifts, I might wait until tomorrow.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

A few years back, my wife found a metal kitchen cabinet dumped in back of the place that she worked. She told me about it & I picked it up to use it for storage in the basement.

The other day I came across a formica counter top cut-out at my parents house. I mounted it to the top of my cabinet for a larger work area and so I could use the overhanging areas for clamping (the c-clamps are holding the top in place until the mastick sets).

This cabinet is now used to organize "home" tools like painting supplies, drywall tools and a drain snake. It's now my work bench for painting and assembling my vise restorations, during the winter months.

Again, I can't believe that people throw away this stuff.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

A few years back, my wife found a metal kitchen cabinet dumped in back of the place that she worked. She told me about it & I picked it up to use it for storage in the basement.

The other day I came across a formica counter top cut-out at my parents house. I mounted it to the top of my cabinet for a larger work area and so I could use the overhanging areas for clamping (the c-clamps are holding the top in place until the mastick sets).

This cabinet is now used to organize "home" tools like painting supplies, drywall tools and a drain snake. It's now my work bench for painting and assembling my vise restorations, during the winter months.

Again, I can't believe that people throw away this stuff.

Mark, Let's see the metal kitchen cabinet.....

Nice score on the classic Formica top..

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Coljar, you might post your stool / chair over on the stool thread ..

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=256379&page=3

 

[bagged89s10]

Didn't buy these but I would if I had the cash. Made by LeFebure. They would make a pretty sick bench.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

One of my favorite resale items are old storage cabinets. They may not be pretty, but their quality is second to none.


Here are some pictures of interesting ones that I had picked from a hydraulics shop liquidation:

1. This cabinet combines the cubby hole bolt bins with the sliding, covered drawers (AKA Bowman cabinet). It was my favorite, and I wanted to keep it, but no room in my shop for it.
2. These are more of the sliding, covered drawer cabinets. I have one at my workbench.
3. Here's a "cosmetically challenged" gang box.

 

[drivesitfar]

Mark: i can't say i've ever seen a metal cabinet shelving unit like that green one ever and i can see why you wish you still owned it. i do find a fair amount of discarded metal kitchen cabinets and usually because of minor rust. one of these days when i get the skills to restore some correctly that don't take months to do so i'm hoping there are still a few to grab because prices are going up quickly on them.

Coljar: no hurry on the pictures of your COOL cabinets and just when you have time. i'm almost as curious about how you set them up in your shop and garage as how you arranged the drawers because i have a lot of the same cabinets that i'm moving into place now. thanks in advance

 

[twertsy]

Drives, these are 2 of my favorites. Don't think I posted them in here before but if I did, my apologies. Consensus is they were shop projects perhaps? I have no idea why there is a handle on the top because they are empty and must weight at least 70 lbs. each. Look at the welds...........certainly homemade.

 

[Gasgt1]

A few of mine.

 

[drivesitfar]

Twertsy: even if you did post those cool old tool boxes before you can always post those kind two or three times. yes they don't look like carry boxes and i do see the welds. HIS AND HER'S maybe?? or brothers???

thanks for sharing

Gas: i remember when you started a thread with the yellow rounded style cabinet when you brought it home maybe a year or two ago. jealous is only a mild word for what i (we) feel about you owning that one. i also really like the tall red multy drawer organizer and can't say i've ever seen another one of those either. car to share a few pictures of the insides of the drawers or say what you store in them?

thanks for sharing and what did you end up putting in the yellow one??

 

[hoarder]

Here's a few more pics of the drawer removed. The rear of the drawer has a loop spot welded on the back much like an old gray/red craftsman, but the cabinet style is totally unique.

That bottom box looks just like a bunch of boxes they had at a machine shop I used to work at. They bought them from an MBC catalog that a local parts house sent down. They replaced a load of old wooden boxes at that time with the shiny new metal ones. They ordered about a half dozen top and bottom boxes, then a year or two later ordered a few more. They had matching top boxes, but the top boxes were about a 1/2" shy of being a perfect match in width. I remember thinking that maybe a Snap On top would have been a better match but they were an odd width box.
The first batch they bought had single drawer pulls like yours, the last one's they bought had extruded aluminum handles that went nearly all the way across the front of the drawer. I remember them well because I was the one who got the task of switching everything over to the new boxes one night. They came with the casters in a box in the bottom drawer, bolted to a pallet. I also remember two had to be sent back for damage, the replacements for the two damaged boxes were different again, in that they didn't have the middle divider across the middle of the cabinet and those had chrome MBC badges, the first one's were unmarked. They were very similar in some ways to Snap On boxes, especially the two that came as replacements for the two that got damaged in shipping. This was in the late 70's/early 80's. If I remember right they had a couple different series, each with different style drawers. The one series looked just like the older Snap On rolled edge drawers, the other looked more like a Mac or Matco box but with a single drawer pull. I especially remember being a 17 year old kid and the boss making me remove every drawer and lubricate the slides to his standard. Someone in the shop hid all those little black clips on me when I wasn't looking and then made me buy him lunch the next day in exchange for the clips.... I also remember laughing as he ate his free lunch.

 

[Gasgt1]

Gas: i remember when you started a thread with the yellow rounded style cabinet when you brought it home maybe a year or two ago. jealous is only a mild word for what i (we) feel about you owning that one. i also really like the tall red multy drawer organizer and can't say i've ever seen another one of those either. car to share a few pictures of the insides of the drawers or say what you store in them?

thanks for sharing and what did you end up putting in the yellow one??

The red cabinet is loaded with drawers.
Most of them are really shallow so bulky things will not fit in it.

I have it filled with things like sand paper, paint brushes, hinges and hardware, router bits, chisels still in need of rehab, turning blanks and kits for pens and tons of other misc stuff.

The orange cabinet still has not found a permanent use yet.
I have used it for various things but have not dedicated it to anything particular yet.

But, it is still inside my shop

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

One of my favorite resale items are old storage cabinets. They may not be pretty, but their quality is second to none.


Here are some pictures of interesting ones that I had picked from a hydraulics shop liquidation:

1. This cabinet combines the cubby hole bolt bins with the sliding, covered drawers (AKA Bowman cabinet). It was my favorite, and I wanted to keep it, but no room in my shop for it.
2. These are more of the sliding, covered drawer cabinets. I have one at my workbench.
3. Here's a "cosmetically challenged" gang box.

Mark, The metals lab at ISU has a whole set of the olive drab style cabinets similar to that one you have....in the stock / back room..

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: I think i'm going to start a thread about hanging big and maybe heavy wall cabinets. thought i'd ask some of you first while i'm getting the thread ready. i have this old Borg Warner cabinet that i may or may not paint later this summer at least on the outside maybe an ARMY green or grey to go with the colors in my little garage.

that said it's about 100 pounds and here's the wall i'm hanging it on. I have a cement block house and i framed in a stud wall for some plumbing and peg board years ago when i used to park a car in there. i'm thinking of adding 2 or 3 2 x 6's horizontally to the studs and hanging the cabinet on them. maybe with 4 or 6 inch deck screws with washers on the inside of the cabinet for a little extra support for the screw heads. i have a little hand crank lift i can lift it in place with, but thinking of screwing a temp 2 x 4 or 4 x 4 up to set the edge on while screwing it in and then removing it later.

any thoughts or suggestions either post here or my new thread to help me and others later.

cheers and thanks

 

[Outlawmws]

drives, use a "French Cleat" or "French Cabinet hanger"

I used these for all my garage cabinets, and never had a failure...

You will need a spacer on the lower edge, and you want the part on the cabinet as close to the top as possible to minimize sag on the back of the cabinet. (I like them flush to the top)

 

[drivesitfar]

Outlaw: so i'm thinking of cutting a 2 x 6 or maybe a 2 x 8 for the cleats and maybe 2 cleats or does one usually suffice? also I'm guessing a 2 x 4 or even a 2 x 2 under behind the bottom edge for the spacer? since i'm screwing into 2 x 4 joists i'm guessing deck screws will be enough to attach the cleats to the wall or should i use maybe 1/4 inch carraige bolts?

thanks

 

[Bierisch]

...any thoughts or suggestions either post here or my new thread to help me and others later.

cheers and thanks

drives, use a "French Cleat" or "French Cabinet hanger"

I used these for all my garage cabinets, and never had a failure...

You will need a spacer on the lower edge, and you want the part on the cabinet as close to the top as possible to minimize sag on the back of the cabinet. (I like them flush to the top)

I agree with the french cleat route, and if you do paint it, I'd think it'd be cool to keep that Borg-Warner logo!

 

[Outlawmws]

Unless you are planning to store vises in it, I'd just use 1X6 or 8 & 1X2 for the "bumper"

Deck screws are fine, and I make them the full width of the back, and screw into as many studs as you can, 2 screws each.

If you are doing multiple cabinets, make the wall part long enough for all of them, and cut the mating piece so the cabinets can be hung individually.

BTW your cab looked like it had a cleat on it...

 

[mdbeck1]

Outlaw: so i'm thinking of cutting a 2 x 6 or maybe a 2 x 8 for the cleats and maybe 2 cleats or does one usually suffice? also I'm guessing a 2 x 4 or even a 2 x 2 under behind the bottom edge for the spacer? since i'm screwing into 2 x 4 joists i'm guessing deck screws will be enough to attach the cleats to the wall or should i use maybe 1/4 inch carraige bolts?

thanks

Unless you are planning to store vises in it, I'd just use 1X6 or 8 & 1X2 for the "bumper"

Deck screws are fine, and I make them the full width of the back, and screw into as many studs as you can, 2 screws each.

If you are doing multiple cabinets, make the wall part long enough for all of them, and cut the mating piece so the cabinets can be hung individually.

BTW your cab looked like it had a cleat on it...

I agree with Outlawmws. Use 1X material. You can even use 3/4 plywood. ...but before you get started take a look at how lil scorpion does his (http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=174553). He's got some real good ideas that I've stolen (borrowed?).

If you use lil scorpion's ideas you can grab the tool holders and rearrange them to suit your needs. I've done a couple areas in my garage and wood shop and found them to be quite useful.

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: i have some REAL 1 x 6's but they are cedar that i'm planning on building a fence with. do you think they are strong enough? or i've got a lot of 3/4 inch or 1 inch plywood.

only issue i have now is my cabinet can only be 41 inches tall because i forgot about the tracks on the garage door. if i move it to the other side the bench can't be pulled out in the driveway as easily or at all. so at worse case i have shelving i can put above the bench, but i really like this old cabinet and the small drawers.

thanks for the help all. also MD thanks for the link to Lil's and funny another member i know emailed me the french cleat and a link to that exact thread so i need to check it out.

i did make some progress today and was doing great until the last 10 minutes when i smashed my thumb and got to see that i can still bleed. i did manage to get my wife's car back inside her garage which is a good thing because it's suppose to rain tomorrow and she HATES when i have her park outside when it's raining or for that matter any day anymore.

cheers

 

[Outlawmws]

MDbeck that link doesn't work...

 

[Outlawmws]

Drives as easy as cedar splits, I wouldn't use it for this. The ply is fine and you won't see it anyway.

As for positioning the Cab, start thinking outside the box for how you are setup...

 

[drivesitfar]

Outlaw: i'm not exactly sure what you mean by outside the box, but until i move i've only got a 9 x 15 garage to use at home and a 8 x 13 shed. if the cabinet doesn't work here in this plan i'll just keep it until i move and hopefully either find a place with a nice BIG shop or be able to build one to set it up.

thanks for all your help and i'll post pictures of how i get it set up because for a 9 x 15 i'll have a TON OF STUFF in it.

 

[twertsy]

thanks for the help all. also MD thanks for the link to Lil's and funny another member i know emailed me the french cleat and a link to that exact thread so i need to check it out.
cheers

Everyone needs to get a coffee or beer (several) and go through lilscorpion's thread. In my "ever so humble" opinion, it is one of the most outstanding threads on this site and in terms of garage organization, THE best on the site period.

 

[drivesitfar]

Twertsy: thanks for the 411 and i'll take some time and read Lil's thread soon. also if you get a few minutes a new member Tyler2 started a thread in fabrication and you need to check it out and his website if you want to see some cool stuff made out of steel. he's got a lot of talent that is for certain and seems like a great guy too. here's the link and make a post if you do see it and like it.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5490439&posted=1#post5490439

ALL: not sure i put these up here yet, but these Equipto nuts and bolts or parts bins are pretty stout and i've got 4 in the 13.5 inches tall, 17 inches deep and 34 inches wide variety and i've got an old army one that is only 12 inches deep.

 

[mdbeck1]

MDbeck that link doesn't work...

hmmm... didn't work for me either... Try this one: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174553

 

[Outlawmws]

That one worked! Thanks!

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: good news my old Borg will fit in my garage in the spot i've made for it. now that i think the French Cleat is the best method for mounting it i seem to remember seeing some of the cleats made out of metal that the guy made or bought to mount a metal cabinet. any idea on where to buy them because the cabinet wouldn't stick out quite as far??

thanks all

 

[Outlawmws]

lots of options for french cleat systems, even from HD and Lowes,

http://www.homedepot.com/p/OOK-Hangman-200-lb-French-Cleat-Picture-Hanger-with-Wall-Dog-Mounting-Screws-55316/202341629

BUT; the ones I see are short and designed for pictures. You are better off getting as many studs on a one piece wall cleat as you can.

But shop around maybe someone makes a long one; Google "french cleat system"

 

[drivesitfar]

Outlaw: those metal french cleats at HD are 20 inches wide and my Borg Warner cabinet is only 28 inches wide. simple and easy to install. it says each cleat is good up to 200 pounds and my cabinet empty weighs about 150 so do you think i should use 2 cleats either these metal ones or 1 bys?? my cabinet is 32 inches high and maybe 12 inches deep when closed so it could hold a lot of stuff especially the way i store things.

thanks