Wood cabinets for tool, parts or nuts and bolts or even your socks. please show them

[drivesitfar]

ED: I can't say i've ever seen that style before. nice find and looks like a nice simple fix to make the drawers usable for your STUFF. i bet that cabinet is holding a ton of STUFF. WELL DONE.

nice looking shop too

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: anybody have any cool wood cabinets to post pictures of and share a little story please do. also those of you that have nice Gertsners, Union or other old machinist boxes this is your thread too so post up pictures. if you want to post up pictures showing all your tools too that would be awesome.

 

[Garage&Beer]

I about fell over when they told me to fetch a towmoter and throw this out today.
Got it at work during annual inventory. Came out of the tool and die area,11 drawers and pretty sure it was made in house during the 30s or 40s.
Pretty happy I got roped into working today

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

I about fell over when they told me to fetch a towmoter and throw this out today.
Got it at work during annual inventory. Came out of the tool and die area,11 drawers and pretty sure it was made in house during the 30s or 40s.
Pretty happy I got roped into working today

Wow - that's nice! That's a 50/50 on restore it or put it to use as is.

Personally the red painted drawer pulls bother me - but that's just me.

Jim

 

[MarkG]

My Bosch barrel-grip jigsaw didn't come with a case (go figure! :S) so I built my own from wood. Being a signpainter, I decided to make it a lettered version and did both sides a little different. A screw-on metal drawer pull handle is used for a handle on the top. It's through-bolted for strength.

 

[Garage&Beer]

Wow - that's nice! That's a 50/50 on restore it or put it to use as is.

Personally the red painted drawer pulls bother me - but that's just me.

Jim[/QUOTE]

Thanks Jim, yea that's where I'm at on it. Cant decide.
Looking for a replacement pull for the bottom drawer.

 

[drivesitfar]

GB: very nice save and happy to see that going to a place where it's wanted. i'm in the camp of not knowing exactly whether or not to strip and maybe put some BLO on it so the handles and the old wood can shine or just putting it to work tomorrow and start filling it up. WELL DONE

Mark: nice work on the case and no wonder you are a signpainter cause you have skills.

 

[Magnum517]

GB: nice save!! Very cool. Think I would just brighten what's there and put it to use. The patina adds to the character.

Mark: awesome case!! You do excellent work! And the paint work is phenomenal!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jimreed2160]

G&B--great score on the red chest. Finding a pull to match the others might be difficult but I have an option. Move the top drawer pull to the bottom and find two period knobs for the top drawer. I have done that to antique furniture case goods with great success. Somehow your eyes agree with different hardware on the top. Good luck with the restore.

 

[drivesitfar]

Jim: awesome idea if a drawer is missing it's hardware to put the odd or missing one on top and either put a temporary one on until a match is found or just make that the new look.

GB: how heavy is your cabinet? the handles almost look like the old Coke or Dr. Pepper bottle openers which might work for the odd missing handle if you can't find one. again nice save.

ALL: i just missed picking this one up for a couple benjamins that i thought was a decent deal. it's a little different take on a regular file cabinet isn't it?

 

[Garage&Beer]

Drivesitfar: Im gonna guess the weight on this to slightly under 100 pounds It's 39x30x19. I just did a preliminary web search and pulls seem to be available that are pretty close. I just noticed that the 2 lower pulls don't match anyhow.
Still mulling over stripping the drawer fronts and leaving the rest, theres just a little too much red there for me. Heck I still don't know what I'm gonna use it for. I originally was gonna load it with tools, but all that steel might not be in the best interest of the cabinet. Might even sell it and buy more tools...lol

 

[2oolhound]

Compared to what I'm seeing on this thread my post office letter sorter cabinet/shelving is mediocre to say the least. None the less they serve a purpose and I'm happy to have them. I salvaged 2 of these from a dumpster, they are made of solid ash I'm told.



I removed 2/3rds of the dividers then trimmed about 1 1/2" off the ends of them and taped that segment onto the ends of the dividers I kept in just to extend them closer to the front. I also turned them upside down so the long end of the bevel was on the top giving them more of a scoop angle.



I added a short face on the front and voila, I had some bolt bins! In hind sight I wish I'd cut the bevel right off and extended the dividers right to the front. Then it would have been easier to scab on the short facer strips and I could have put slightly larger bolts in. The cubby holes are just big enough to get my hands into and each size runs the entire width with nut, lock washers, plain washers then multiple lengths of the same size bolt all on the one level. They cover SAE from 1/4" to 5/8" in coarse thread only which is the bulk of my general needs.

 

[tombell572]

G&B-that's a beauty-if it was built in-house that makes it even more unique. My obsessive nature would drive me to strip and refinish it.

Drives-that's a nice unusual one. I'd have been tempted to go after it myself. There used to be a type of file called a Cardex that had similar small drawers. The drawers stored 5x11" file cards that were each clipped to a hinge permitting them to be flipped up when searching for something.

Tom B.

 

[drivesitfar]

GB: keep us posted and i still like your cabinet as is or maybe spiffed up.

2ool: great find and looks like it's working and doing it's intended job nicely now. WELL DONE!!

Tom: yep i see those cabinets in shops for a grand or more usually so would love to find one in the wild in good shape.

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: as some of you know i like Blueprint cabinets or flat files for my STUFF and picked up this one made of plywood. not sure how VINTAGE it is, but it's probably 60's or 70's era.

in any case it should store my stuff and work great and some of you handy guys could probably make on in a day so here's the picture. i'll get more pictures of slides and dimensions if asked. i think it's 44 inches wide and about 36 inches tall and 34 inches deep. it's all 5/8 and 3/4 inch plywood i think.

 

[MarkG]

GB: nice save!! Very cool. Think I would just brighten what's there and put it to use. The patina adds to the character.

Mark: awesome case!! You do excellent work! And the paint work is phenomenal!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks! There's more on my facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/gassersignsandlettering

 

[ChaseDE]

No pics yet, and not super cool like some of this stuff but SOON, SOON! My really cool neighbor is having her kitchen completely remodeled. She ask me the other day "Hey Chase, I'm finally starting the kitchen remodel, do you have use for my old cabinets in your garage?"

Um....YES, yes I do.

SOON!

 

[drivesitfar]

Mark: I've chosen not to participate in Facebook like maybe a few other members so if you get a chance to post up a few pictures for us all to see please do when you can. thanks

Chase: sounds interesting and the right price too!! also this isn't a beauty contest on this thread and personally i'd rather see functional over beauty almost any day. take lots of before, during and after pics if you are taking them down, spiffing them up or remodeling them for your use and after pics and then post them when you have time.

ALL: speaking of functional anybody want to show what you store in the drawers or cabinets and shelves please do.

 

[drivesitfar]

GB: any progress on the cool old red cabinet to report or post up new pictures?

ALL: Jim Reed just started a new thread in General Tools called Woodworking 101 that will help a lot of you learn to make one of these awesome cabinets or maybe just get a little handier around the house. the link for it is in my sig line.

it's a great thread and started less than a week ago and already has over 4000 views and plenty of good posts. come on over with your skills or non skills and enjoy the pictures and teachings and discussions.

 

[pendragon1998]

I inherited a Coats thread cabinet from my Grandmother's estate and finally got it home. I think it would be great for storing small machinist's tools, but it will make its way inside the house and be fancy once I figure out how to remove the musty smell. The bottom drawer has, in pencil, 'B Bros Feb 10th 1882 ' which I assume is the mfg date. The sides and top are 16.5" wide lumber (one side is, unfortunately, badly cracked). The top has some scratches. The front has 1/8 or 3/16" veneers that are really pretty in-person. The rear is the best part, I think. It's got a big, colorfully painted ad for Coats' Thread.

How can I safely treat the musty smell without damaging the cabinet's value?

 

[tlowery04]

no need to kill for an awesome set of cabinets like these, you can build them, with tools!

 

[Magnum517]

I inherited a Coats thread cabinet from my Grandmother's estate and finally got it home. I think it would be great for storing small machinist's tools, but it will make its way inside the house and be fancy once I figure out how to remove the musty smell. The bottom drawer has, in pencil, 'B Bros Feb 10th 1882 ' which I assume is the mfg date. The sides and top are 16.5" wide lumber (one side is, unfortunately, badly cracked). The top has some scratches. The front has 1/8 or 3/16" veneers that are really pretty in-person. The rear is the best part, I think. It's got a big, colorfully painted ad for Coats' Thread.

How can I safely treat the musty smell without damaging the cabinet's value?

Start by saying, absolutely awesome cabinet. Love the ad on the back!
On the musty smell, take a plate of used coffee grounds and put it in each drawer. Won't need much for that small a space. The coffee will pull the musty smell out and leave a light coffee smell. Either that or baking soda. Does the same thing, just takes longer. If it's really bad, start w the baking soda for a week, then the coffee. Afterwards if you don't like the coffee odor , put cedar chips in the drawer for a few weeks and bingo, nice fresh cedar smelling cabinet. Have done it with success several times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[drivesitfar]

PEND: magnum had a great tip with the baking soda and coffee grounds and cedar chips. i'll have to try that and see how it works next time i get a musty cabinet.

i've also sanded some of the old mold off with my Fein or hand sanding. for the crack you might want to post up a few pictures of the cabinet on the inside with the drawers out and post them up on the new Woodworking 101 thread and see what the guys say might be a good fix.

nice cabinet.

is it 16.5 inches deep and tall? how wide? also any chance you might let us know if that is brass fronts and can you post up a few pictures of the drawers open?

 

[Garage&Beer]

Hi Drives, not a lot of progress on the cabinet as my sander seems to have walked off.
I took a chemical stripper to the drawer fronts to try and remove 6 layers of paint as you see here. Original plan was to redo the faces and polish the handles, but the wood isn't really all that great so at an impasse once again.
I did source another drawer pull for the cabinet and took a wire brush to the top 3 and those cleaned up really well.
So there it sits, another half done project waiting on a better idea or motivation.

 

[drivesitfar]

GB: since the paint might have been holding a few of those drawers together how about filling in any holes with bondo, sanding and then repainting your favorite color(s). can you take all the drawer handles off to paint the drawers and if not just tape them up good. your cabinet and your call so just throwing out an idea.

remember how you (and we) liked it when you first posted it up? just work on making it functional, maybe a little better looking and find a spot for it.

good luck

 

[pendragon1998]

PEND: magnum had a great tip with the baking soda and coffee grounds and cedar chips. i'll have to try that and see how it works next time i get a musty cabinet.

i've also sanded some of the old mold off with my Fein or hand sanding. for the crack you might want to post up a few pictures of the cabinet on the inside with the drawers out and post them up on the new Woodworking 101 thread and see what the guys say might be a good fix.

nice cabinet.

is it 16.5 inches deep and tall? how wide? also any chance you might let us know if that is brass fronts and can you post up a few pictures of the drawers open?

The cabinet is 23.5" wide (at the drawers, top is a bit wider) X 16" deep X 18.5" tall

Here are a few more pics. The front insets aren't brass. They appear to be heavily lacquered paper, and I can make out the ghost of painted letters on them. These cabinets had words printed on each drawer front, originally. The drawers are missing the original slats that spaces out the rows of thread spools. I haven't got around to pulling all the drawers

 

[jimreed2160]

What a great spool chest! I collect those things and yours is over the top. Be careful with it. They were gifted store displays and not fine furniture built to last. Many of them crack and break because the wood moves.

As for the smell, it is common with antique case goods. I have worked on dozens and here is what works for me.

Remove all of the drawers. Dust all wood surfaces well with a stiff brush. Use sandpaper if you wish, but don't ruin the patina. Blow it out with compressed air if you can. Then clean the insides and outsides of the drawers with mineral spirits. Don't bother the drawer fronts or any outside applied decoration. Concentrate on the raw wood that is inside the cabinet. Once the MS evaporates in a few days, sniff around. If it still smells musty, clean it again with MS. Use paper towels or clean rags and change them frequently--don't just rub dirt into the wood.

Next the wood needs fresh air. Store it out of the weather and let it breathe. Drawers out and scattered. If weather is warm, sunlight is good but strong direct sunlight may warp the wood. It should not get too hot to touch.

After a few days or weeks, the musty odor and the MS odor should both be gone. If so, give it a liberal rubdown with clean rags and turpentine. Let is air dry for a few more days or weeks.

If the smell is OK, install loose paper drawer liners and put it inside. If the smell persists, coat the raw wood with polyurethane to seal in the smell.

Sorry for the long reply. I have used variations of this treatment on antique case goods for over 50 yrs with good results. Some of the treated drawers hold my socks. Musty smells have no returned. Good luck with your outstanding cabinet.

 

[bj383ss]

Drives,

Here are a few of mine.

Hardware cabinet.

Picture 275 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

My under bench drawers. Left bank is mostly toy and scale model supplies, right bank is tools.

20161113_202125 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

My drawer with most used measuring tools. Everything is frenched in and flocked.

20161115_191021 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Lathe workbench with mostly tools in them.

20161109_191421 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Top 2 lathe drawers with tools and gear.

20161115_191153 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

20161115_191122 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Automotive Cabinets and workbench. Has all my Auto paint, supplies, and tools. Also parts.

20161109_191448 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Bret

 

[LMS]

Bret - *very* nice!

 

[azsportpilot]

So many beautiful Gerstners, I love the workmanship, they are works of art

and many other "Practical" wood storage solutions

I thought you guys might be ready for something a little less photogenic or creative

Behold.... my garage cabinet made entirely of plain plywood, screwed and glued (no nails) non-movable shelves and supports that are screwed/glued in place

this thing is heavy, solid and ugly

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

My drawer with most used measuring tools. Everything is frenched in and flocked.

20161115_191021 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Get the flock out of here!

That's nice work Bret!

Cheers

Jim

 

[fowldarr]

Here are some of mine:


The big green cabinet was my wife's grandfathers. On the outside it is exactly as he left it. The inside is full of a variety of things. (I have no idea why it is sideways, the file is upright...)


This cool little box also came from the same guy, even has his name painted on top. All the tools inside were his as well. Just need to find the time to spiffy up the box and clean the tools




These nail and screw boxes I bought at an estate sale today (my wife is giving them to me for Christmas. $20 for both boxes including contents. Just need cleaned up and hung. There was an awesome old cast iron scroll saw there as well (bad motor). If I wasn't moving to Oregon in two weeks, it would have come home with me as well. I'm still tempted by it, and I wish I would have spent a little more time looking at it (brand etc.) She said she would let it go for $25, and I'm sure I could have done better than that.

 

[fowldarr]

I'm going to work on cleaning these up a bit this afternoon, stay tuned for updates.

 

[nine4gmc]

Nice cabinets fowldarr!

 

[fowldarr]

Got box #1 cleaned up. I think I have some paste wax I can hit it with tomorrow.

 

[ChaseDE]

No pics yet, and not super cool like some of this stuff but SOON, SOON! My really cool neighbor is having her kitchen completely remodeled. She ask me the other day "Hey Chase, I'm finally starting the kitchen remodel, do you have use for my old cabinets in your garage?"

Um....YES, yes I do.

SOON!

Went over yesterday and picked which cabinets I want, got her pantry which is probably 2'6" wide and 8' tall with big slideout drawers inside, some base cabinets, and a few wall cabinets marked for delivery this week.

 

[fowldarr]

Sounds like a good find. Should set up your garage nicely.

 

[ChaseDE]

The cabinets have arrived, pics in my thread.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6145644#post6145644

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: while I always enjoy looking at member's cabinets i think some of you forgot this is the VINTAGE SECTION. Please don't delete your posts and maybe just post up some of your old ones or ones you've seen.

here's a few i've seen recently and wish i owned a few of them.

cheers

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: not much love for the wood cabinets?? anybody have some to post or maybe their Gertsners?

so i've been buying mostly metal cabinets, but i do like wood ones. this week i've picked up a few flat files.

first picture is 3 5 drawer Mayline flat file oak cabinets that are 53.5 inches wide, 41 deep (I think) and 13.75 tall.

the other 3 i picked up today are vintage and probably custom made for the firm i bought them from. they are stout and i'll store some heavy old Kroll map books in the ones i'm putting in my storage which will go in my MAN CAVE when we move.

cheers and hope you all post up some of yours too!!