New to me box, is it a Vidmar?

[wkndwarrior29]

Hey guys, I picked this up off of Craigslist today with the intent of painting it to match the work bench I restored last year. If you can look past the graffiti it is actually dent free. I'm debating cutting off the cantilever part of the top when I clean it up or removing it all together.

Anyone able to confirm a manufacturer? It has latching drawers and a lock bar. Approximately 30"W, 33"H, and 28"D not including the top. Regardless I am happy with the $55 spend considering I was looking for something to repaint anyway.

Thanks,
Dustin

 

[rustyjames]

I do believe that it's a Vidmar. Congrats!

 

[LXCam]

Yup that's a vidmar, I have one just like it.

 

[nine4gmc]

Good find, great price! What about centering the top more so that it has two overhangs? More workspace and looks like good solid wood there.

 

[pcmeiners]

Great for $55, and with dividers...

Since your repainting, dump the locking bar, provide no security to someone who picks up your crowbar.

 

[wkndwarrior29]

Thanks all, I jumped the gun on posting for help - I was able to uncover a Vidmar sticker from the paint but unfortunately it is torn. Ball bearing drawers and I am happy. I will probably keep the locking bar installed just because, but it will be in the security of my basement.

I think the biggest challenge is going to be cleaning up the handles, I'd like them to have the original finish. Open to and advice...

 

[rustyjames]

I would remove the handles and use paint remover on them.

 

[wkndwarrior29]

I would remove the handles and use paint remover on them.

Thanks rusty, this paint is heavily textured... almost like a spray on bed liner. Do you think if I bead blast them I will be able to polish it out? I assume they are steel.

 

[LXCam]

I wouldn't suggest blasting if you want to polish. But some good aircraft paint remover will eat the **** off no problem. Then you could polish or do a brush finish. Also you might be able to find replacement end caps and the front filler pieces. I know I have a picture of my vidmar somewhere in the thread in my signature if you want to see what I'm talking about on page three.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Great find and even a better price.

 

[1982fxr]

I wouldn't suggest blasting if you want to polish. But some good aircraft paint remover will eat the **** off no problem. Then you could polish or do a brush finish. Also you might be able to find replacement end caps and the front filler pieces. I know I have a picture of my vidmar somewhere in the thread in my signature if you want to see what I'm talking about on page three.

+1 on not blasting them

 

[cbacres]

You can order handle kits direct from Vidmar. I think is a set of 6 handles, end caps, labels inserts and screws is $ 46.

Nice find, it'll make a great tool but x.

 

[PFSard]

That would seem to be in "U ****" territory. Good luck with any alterations you finally decide to make.

 

[stage20]

That would seem to be in "U ****" territory.

its pretty close. lol

 

[rustyjames]

Thanks rusty, this paint is heavily textured... almost like a spray on bed liner. Do you think if I bead blast them I will be able to polish it out? I assume they are steel.

The handles are aluminum. If it bed liner on them bead blasting would take forever. I'd try some good quality paint remover.

 

[wkndwarrior29]

The handles are aluminum. If it bed liner on them bead blasting would take forever. I'd try some good quality paint remover.

Thanks - I picked up some industrial grade paint remover at Sherwin Williams, hopefully it works as the salesman said it would. If not I'll go with the recommendation to replace them - but I am trying to keep this on a reasonable budget.

I also noticed the seller had posted more butcher block on CL. When I bought the box he said he had some short pieces. He is close by so I decided to pick them up. One is cut to fit the box perfectly and one has a little overhang. For the $45 they came with a 19x30 piece as well.

They are in better condition but could still use a sanding, I picked up some polystain to treat the board if choice with.

Unfortunately, I have a long week ahead of me for work and I probably won't be able to dig in to the project until the holidays.

 

[Cypherian]

Hey guys, I picked this up off of Craigslist today with the intent of painting it to match the work bench I restored last year. If you can look past the graffiti it is actually dent free. I'm debating cutting off the cantilever part of the top when I clean it up or removing it all together.

Anyone able to confirm a manufacturer? It has latching drawers and a lock bar. Approximately 30"W, 33"H, and 28"D not including the top. Regardless I am happy with the $55 spend considering I was looking for something to repaint anyway.

Thanks,
Dustin

Yes it is a Vidmar why not scoot the top over to center it ? It is a you **** you can change draw configurations if you find drawers for sale that match the front part of the drawer height you are removing just so you know . The drawer rack system is moveable.

Cypher

Cypher

 

[wkndwarrior29]

Just thought I would post an update to show the finished product.

I belt sanded the spare piece of butcher block to get a fresh surface then used a polystain. It had two holes in it so I places brass screws for a little better look.

I used my orbital sander on the box and drawer faces to remove the textured paint and scuff the old stuff. It was primed with a Rust-Oleum oil based rusty metal primer then painted with Sherwin Williams oil based paint to match my work bench. I did the majority of the painting with a mini roller.

I tried the recommended paint stripper on the drawer handles and it worked for the blue paint but there was some sort of epoxy underneath that it would not remove. I ended up wire wheeling the epoxy off then spray painting the handles and screws. I used a rustoleum aluminum wheel paint from Lowe's simply because it was the right color.

My only regret was reusing the caster wheels, one of them does not roll too well - but it is in its home spot now so I'll worry about that if I ever need to move it.

Thank you to everyone who provided tips on restoration. All in I have between 8 and 10 hours working on this (could be less if I hadn't spent so much time with the paint stripper).

 

[-Brent-]

Wow. That came out really well!

 

[FJ 432]

Only looks a million times better. Nice job.

 

[pcmeiners]

Don't usually get shocked but this is a massive improvement, wow

 

[1982fxr]

Outstanding

 

[fatfillup]

Sweet and well done and well bought!

You did good on all levels!

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

Wow that turned out real nice! I've been looking for something like that myself. BCD.

 

[LXCam]

Excellent job.

 

[zkling]

Is that in your living room? Looks great before/after!

 

[wkndwarrior29]

Is that in your living room? Looks great before/after!

Thank you all for the kind words, currently busy sorting overflow tools into it for storage.

Zkling - it is in a room in my basement.

Here's a link to the thread for the workbench it was matched to:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=328817

On the work bench I used linseed oil and furniture wax, I think the Vidmar turned out better with the polystain.

 

[doctordirt]

Looks great

 

[wkndwarrior29]

Ok, I will admit that I have a problem...

That being said; I have been very happy with the way the Vidmar turned out and while fighting insomnia last night was thinking how nice it would be to find another one to compliment it. I don't necessarily want to restore another one - but it looks lonely. I saw an ad on Craigslist for a lista cabinet that looked similar and through a few email exchanges the seller indicated that he also had a Vidmar that he would be more willing to negotiate a deal on.

$120 later and I have another box to paint, although this one is in much better condition. The only downside is that it has short dividers in two of the deep drawers.

Now that I'm working on a second one I am rethinking the caster situation so they will be the same height and easy to move around. Does anyone have suggestions? I looked at harbor freight and the nicest reasonably priced ones were rated less than 300lbs each.

 

[bmw57isetta]

Check out Service Casters. Tons of choices. www.servicecaster.com. Cool Casters, www.coolcasters.com, has a bunch of trendy stuff but they may not meet the load rating you need. There's always McMaster-Carr to check out as well at https://www.mcmaster.com/#casters/=15olfud.

eBay and Amazon have lots of casters, some sold as package deals at a great price. Lowes and HD also sell them. HD seems to have a better selection but you be the judge of that. Bottom line, Google will turn up a lot of caster vendors if none of the above strikes your fancy.

 

[wkndwarrior29]

Check out Service Casters. Tons of choices. www.servicecaster.com. Cool Casters, www.coolcasters.com, has a bunch of trendy stuff but they may not meet the load rating you need. There's always McMaster-Carr to check out as well at https://www.mcmaster.com/#casters/=15olfud.

eBay and Amazon have lots of casters, some sold as package deals at a great price. Lowes and HD also sell them. HD seems to have a better selection but you be the judge of that. Bottom line, Google will turn up a lot of caster vendors if none of the above strikes your fancy.

Thanks for the reply - I saw a few other threads start up/be resurrected today on the same topic. It looks like ebay is the most cost effective answer for me.

 

[pcmeiners]

Went through the caster issue with mine, spent more than a day on the issue. Ended up with 8 sets of 4, set of 4 will do 4000lbs, will not deform, swivel with lock ......

https://apollocaster.com/store/inde...=65513&zenid=55104524bbebcf6225a52d4d43fea66a

 

[wkndwarrior29]

Went through the caster issue with mine, spent more than a day on the issue. Ended up with 8 sets of 4, set of 4 will do 4000lbs, will not deform, swivel with lock ......

https://apollocaster.com/store/inde...=65513&zenid=55104524bbebcf6225a52d4d43fea66a

Thank you for the specific recommendation. I was thinking about these - a little lighter duty and harder wheel but I don't anticipate moving them often or across rough surfaces.

http://apollocaster.com/store/212-x...e-connector-and-plain-bore-67116-p-67116.html

 

[tool_scrounge]

Go with the largest diameter casters that will bolt it place. It makes a huge difference in how easy it is to move and has higher load capacity. Be wary of rubber casters as they can take a set and get a flat spot. phenolic or nylon are good wheel material choices.

Also, did you take all the drawers out and clean/relubricate all the drawer bearings? It makes a big difference on the drawer bearing life.

 

[pcmeiners]

Agree with with Mr Scrounge, major concern is possible wheel indentation. 400lb capacity per wheel not bad bad for the low Vidmars, most of mine are 59", so the heavier duty casters as linked, are harder then rubber from the fiberglass reinforcement. Pick your wheels carefully as you have now have the Vidmar/Lista virus, you do not want to have different height or wheels later; disagree about the largest wheel you can get, the larger the wheels, the more the center of balance goes negative; you will rarely move these cabinets unless you make them a tool chest, so ease of movement is not a big issue. Remember these cabinets can get dangerous if you do not use the drawer interlocks, especially with kids around; had a couple 59" units tip, all drawers opening, makes you wish you were 20 again (65).

 

[tool_scrounge]

Agree with with Mr Scrounge, major concern is possible wheel indentation. 400lb capacity per wheel not bad bad for the low Vidmars, most of mine are 59", so the heavier duty casters as linked, are harder then rubber from the fiberglass reinforcement. Pick your wheels carefully as you have now have the Vidmar/Lista virus, you do not want to have different height or wheels later; disagree about the largest wheel you can get, the larger the wheels, the more the center of balance goes negative; you will rarely move these cabinets unless you make them a tool chest, so ease of movement is not a big issue. Remember these cabinets can get dangerous if you do not use the drawer interlocks, especially with kids around; had a couple 59" units tip, all drawers opening, makes you wish you were 20 again (65).

You are correct - I should have been more specific on caster size. But even on the shallow 22.5" deep Lista tool boxes (59" tall), they factory outfit them with 6"x2" casters (2 swivel, 2 fixed). I find that is a good combination. Four swiveling potentially affects the balance worse (you can push them from the front, not just the side). Smaller diameter wheels than that get hard to move with a full load from what I have seen at work. If someone uses a small than usual caster with a small mounting plate, you might want to add a larger spacer plate to distribute the load. On regular Listas you will need to add a factory "waffle plate" (or make your own) to stiffen the base as they are not designed to use casters in stock form. I do not believe Vidmar's have that issue.

I am a strong believer in latching drawers as stated above. Vidmar latched option come that way from the factory as they are integral.

From Vidmar's web site.
Lock-in/lock-out latches prevent drawers from moving when fully opened or closed. Raising the latch releases the drawer. The system keeps the drawer fully opened or closed by means of a finger-activated latch. The latching system should be factory installed, since field installation will require replacement drawers.


I like the robustness of the latching mechanism better on Vidmar. But Lista's latches easy to add after the fact. You can set them up as left side latching, right side latching or both. For single side latching it can be unlatched and opened single handed, unlike Vidmar. That feature is really nice from what I have seen.

 

[pcmeiners]

"I do not believe Vidmar's have that issue."
Most Vidmars have the added pieces to attach casters (actually the added pieces are primarily for hilo lifts), though I have one workstation made without , like Lista. Just like Lista there is an option to purchase the add-ons for caster mounting.

"I am a strong believer in latching drawers as stated above."
All my cabinet except a couple came from the factory, new, without the safety interlock (all less then a year old).
I do not disagree with your belief , as noted the cabinet can be dangerous. For me, the interlocks drive me crazy, takes me at least 5 times longer to search the drawers; on average I probably go through at least 80 drawers a day. That said I have a friend who has promised to get me 1" steel plates, cut to the size of the interior bottom of the cabinets, 4 per cabinet will make them stable, and fast on a down hill track .


There is a newer interlock, requiring no manual lever to be used. To me these **** the most, as drawers must close gently and fully, which does not always happen. If the cabinet vibrates even a little when the drawers are closed, the drawers bounce out a little. I Suppose if the cabinets are wall mounted the issue would not occur.

 

[tool_scrounge]

Thanks for the clarification on caster mounting stiffeners on Vidmars. I had not seen that before.

I can see how the new Vidmar latch mechanism would be a pain. Sadly it does not sound like a good trade off over the old mechanism. The Lista latches have become second nature as it is easy to unlatch with your index finger as you pull on the drawer handle. I wish I could say that about the original Vidmar latches.

 

[wkndwarrior29]

Also, did you take all the drawers out and clean/relubricate all the drawer bearings? It makes a big difference on the drawer bearing life.

This is a good reminder because I did not, I see that they are not removable from the slides - is there a good method you recommend for cleaning and lubricating? I would normally flush with mineral spirits in the parts washer and pack with bearing grease.

Agree with with Mr Scrounge, major concern is possible wheel indentation. 400lb capacity per wheel not bad bad for the low Vidmars, most of mine are 59", so the heavier duty casters as linked, are harder then rubber from the fiberglass reinforcement. Pick your wheels carefully as you have now have the Vidmar/Lista virus, you do not want to have different height or wheels later; disagree about the largest wheel you can get, the larger the wheels, the more the center of balance goes negative; you will rarely move these cabinets unless you make them a tool chest, so ease of movement is not a big issue. Remember these cabinets can get dangerous if you do not use the drawer interlocks, especially with kids around; had a couple 59" units tip, all drawers opening, makes you wish you were 20 again (65).

Thanks Paul - because these are painted to match my basement work bench set-up I think I'm going to stick with the smaller lighter duty casters. I don't see myself putting any of the 59" units in basement in the future and they will likely only be moved once in a blue moon. If I somehow fill these to capacity I will be seeking help for tool buying addiction.

 

[Local]

Nice job and great score