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

[Garage.Girl]

ALL: I won't be buying this cause I can't make space for it, but thought it was worth mentioning cause it's part of my (our) past.

i'd obviously upgrade the POS vise sitting on it, but i think this cabinet is COOL.

I found this somewhere else and wondering if it might have been something to go around and over the nice Texaco workbench?

That is totally an old service station cabinet where did you find it? Have been after one just not sure how or where to look... Totally jealous! look at https://www.servicemerchandisers.com a totally cool sight for those!

 

[chrisnazzy]

1960's United Delco lower tune up cabinet in amazing condition. The top 2 drawers still have the paper liner in them showing all the part numbers for the tune-up parts that would have been inventoried in it.

The previous owner had it in his speed shop in Media, PA until the 80's and retired to AZ in 1994. Apparently the top cabinet was not attached even when it resided in the shop.

Also got a matching lighted sign that will eventually be hung above it!



Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[drivesitfar]

GarageGirl: that Texaco workbench isn't mine and if it's still available it's not cheap or close to me and about a 30 hour drive for you. if you want more information send me a PM.

Chris: great looking cabinet and looks almost new. i'm not a fan of the plastic handles on those old cabinets, but the shelving and metal are usually pretty nice. nice find!!

 

[Terranova]

I just saw a pair of those Delco cabinets (stackable with out the drawers) in a listing on FB. Want to pull the trigger but I don't have any more room!!!

 

[ptgarcia]

1960's United Delco lower tune up cabinet in amazing condition. The top 2 drawers still have the paper liner in them showing all the part numbers for the tune-up parts that would have been inventoried in it.

The previous owner had it in his speed shop in Media, PA until the 80's and retired to AZ in 1994. Apparently the top cabinet was not attached even when it resided in the shop.

Also got a matching lighted sign that will eventually be hung above it!



Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Those are sweet!

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: I have a bunch of those little metal cabinets with plastic drawers that i've sold and still have a few so instead of using a big bolt bin i found these big 4 drawer cabinets that should work. these are 20 inches wide and 16 inches deep and about 16 inches tall. The drawers are about 12 inches by 18. they will hold a lot and I already had one 4 drawer cabinet this size and some extra bins that i'll stack on top so it will be about 8 feet tall.

here's where they will reside and I forgot to snap a picture of the 4 stacked on top of each other. the medical cabinet will have my big Dewalt compound miter saw on top of it so that corner is looking a bit better now. AND I have room for a nice big tool box or cabinet on casters and hoping to find a nice bottom and top Proto or Mac roller.

anybody else own a few of these and want to share pics of how you fill them up please do?

I also was looking for Williams sockets and wrenches so i could start filling up my old tool board I just found a spot on the back wall for and threw the Williams tools I found in this flat file drawer. it's not pretty at the moment and i'll probably end up putting the ones i won't be using in another spot, but as you can see these old Hamilton flat file drawers will hold a lot of weight.

EDIT: I went back to grab a tool in the drawer with all the williams tools and noticed that the bottom of the drawer was dipping a bit so i took a few tools out, but I bet it's still go a couple hundred pounds of wrenches and sockets in this drawer.

 

[jeffmoss26]

sweeet

 

[drivesitfar]

Jeff: you always have had good words to post and thanks for sending one my direction. just curious did you ever start a VINTAGE LOCK thread cause i'm sure your collection would warrant it and who knows maybe others here would love to learn or maybe show you a few things?

ALL: i've picked up a few of these 4 foot job boxes and some do have a bit of rust on them. anybody have a good method for removing rust on the inside of these boxes? outside too?

here's a pic of one I picked up today that sat on a deck up here in the PNW for over 10 years. the bottom is pretty rusty, but still solid and i'm guessing the leak is from the 2 cuts a prior owner made to get into the box that I can duct tape up until I learn to weld.

thoughts for big cabinet rust removal would be very helpful or i'll just put on the wire cup wheels on my 7.5 Milwaukee and 7.5 Dewalt grinders and spend a little quality time getting rust off and showing some naked steel?

 

[Climatecreator]

Found this on the side of the road left for bulk trash. I couldn't have been happier.

It seems so many metal cabinets go that way.

CC

 

[lardy1]

My father was a tin knocker in a GM plant until retirement in 1981. They let him build this cabinet as a retirement gift. I have removed the crud and rust from the interior and oiled everything. This winter I intend to restore the exterior and repaint it. I want to add a commemorative plate somewhere on it telling its' story. I'm now retired and this box means the world to me.

 

[drivesitfar]

Lardy: very cool box and better story and history. good looking too and glad it's got a good home for many many more years to come.

CC: yep a lot of great old toolboxes and metal cabinets lost their life to the trash cause their owners didn't have the ability to get them to the right people.

good save

ALL: this isn't technically a metal cabinet, but its a 112 bin nut and bolt bin on a stand. it's a 72 bin bolted on to the stand and another 40 bin cabinet on top. it's about 7 foot tall, 36 inches wide and 12 inches deep.

sadly i can't find a spot for it here at my home, but I might take it to my parents and use it there since i'm setting up a little workshop in their basement to keep an eye on them and have more reasons to stop by than just for a visit.

 

[lardy1]

A couple more along with my apologies for using two posts. Needless to say, my computer skills are lacking.

 

[drivesitfar]

Lardy: no problem making an extra post or two especially if you are adding pictures of that great box.

welcome to the forum!!

what is the size of your dad's old box? what kind of tools are you putting inside it?

again thanks for sharing your story and if you have any close up pictures of the drawer and cabinet construction please post them too cause there are more than a few handy guys here that might like to make something like that and we all like to see what the old craftsmen did to make their projects look so good and work better.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Jeff: you always have had good words to post and thanks for sending one my direction. just curious did you ever start a VINTAGE LOCK thread cause i'm sure your collection would warrant it and who knows maybe others here would love to learn or maybe show you a few things?

don't think I ever started a thread but maybe I should. Most of the lock stuff I post on my YouTube channel, youtube.com/jeffmoss26

 

[drivesitfar]

Jeff: not only would you have a thread about the locks that you love to talk about, but you'd also be seeing how many of us maybe have collections bigger than yours.

I for one would support you and your thread so maybe put it in general garage or tools and please PM me if you do so i can support it.

If I recall correctly you started the garage sale thread the first year that is a bit hit and as much as I love a great find and deal I'm not fond of YOU **** so I don't support it as much now.

you have always been one of the good guys here and I think if you have the time to start and host a thread showcasing your skills i'm sure more than I would love to learn and support it.

ALL: anybody see a 24 metal cabinet like this one? it could use a good sandblast and paint or BLO treatment which would really give it the LOOK.

have a great weekend everybody and I hope maybe a few of you will save or find a great cabinet to post a few pics of on Monday or sooner.

 

[DaveT]

I found this on FaceBook Marketplace a few weeks ago. It is a very heavy gauge steel cabinet manufactures by LYON in Aurora, IL probably early to mid century.

 

[drivesitfar]

Dave: more than likely they were built for the Army by LYON and you are right they are built like tank.

i had 2 of them and wish I still had them and neither was in as good of shape as yours. even with a hundred or 150 pounds in each drawer the drawers still moved in and out fairly easily. the butcher block top on yours looks great too.

others might have a catalog page to post or more details and pretty sure there are a few others in this thread if you have time to read it

NICE FIND!!

 

[ptgarcia]

I found this on FaceBook Marketplace a few weeks ago. It is a very heavy gauge steel cabinet manufactures by LYON in Aurora, IL probably early to mid century.

I love that!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I found this on FaceBook Marketplace a few weeks ago. It is a very heavy gauge steel cabinet manufactures by LYON in Aurora, IL probably early to mid century.

Dave, first of all, congrats! That is a real beauty.

Secondly, trust me on this. Your cabinet is without any shred of doubt from WWII. Federal Stock Number 41-C-15, Nomenclature: CABINET, Tool, Steel, with drawers, wooden benchtop. In addition to a clamp vise, they would mount a small (6" wheel) hand grinder on it as well. They were issued to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th echelon vehicle maintenance depots. They were also mounted side-by-side two or three or four at a time on the beds of CCKW's as mobile maintenance trucks. You see that U-shaped sleeve on the front bottom and the hasp at the top? That is for a security bar, to lock the tools up, and also to keep the drawers from sliding open in transit.

I have posted all kinds of pics of collected examples of this cabinet here on GJ, including my own, as well as period photos of cabinets from WWII. I will try to find them all again, but for starters, click here and here.

EDIT: Here ya go, Dave. You don't want to miss this link. Click here for a photo of your cabinet set up for a tool-set inspection layout, as well as your cabinet on the back of a working maintenance shop on the back of a CCKW in the Pacific Theater.

I have also posted photos and a blueprint I made for the security bar should you want to make one. It's pretty simple. Flat wide bar stock slides into that holder on the bottom with a slot for the hasp at top. Click here.

 

[drivesitfar]

LUG: nice post as per usual. do you still have yours? did you load up the drawers pretty heavy and how do they slide in and out? did you maybe put beeswax on the slides and bottoms of the drawers?

also when you get a chance can you get me a measurement cause I have a spot i put some old Lyon bins that one of these cabinets would fit nicely and i think one of the guys I sold one of mine too might want to trade me for something.

thanks

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yes, of course I still have mine! Yes, most of the drawers are loaded to capacity or near capacity, which is why I am looking for a second 41-C-15 cabinet! There are no slide mechanisms. The drawers are completely removeable. A little hard to get in when they're loaded, you have to tilt the back end to get it started. But they slide in and out just fine.

These cabinets are 25" W x 25" D x 31" H, not counting the butcher block, which is 2" thick. Mine is on casters, which were added in the corner cross-pieces that were provisioned for bolting it to a truck bed.

 

[DaveT]

Private Lugnuts,
Thank you so much for all the great info. I can’t wait to dig into your links now! I showed this to my wife and she said her grandfather had something to do with the Pacific Theater in WWII. I need to look into that as well. Thanks again

 

[drivesitfar]

LUG: that is almost the exact size I need for my little hole in our garage so thanks for measurements. now a little (or a lot of) arm twisting or maybe I'll get lucky and find a 3rd one and keep it this time.

mine were fairly easy to open and close too and i bet I had 100-200 pounds of steel in each drawer. to give you an idea I think one of the drawers had 100 RR spikes in it that I still have around here someplace.

good luck on your search.

DAVE: once you do a bit of research let us know what else you find out about your cabinet and feel free to show it's contents if you find a spot to place it.

 

[DaveT]

I spent a couple hours tonight browsing through this thread. There are some really nice metal cabinets being used in some awesome configurations. I hope that one day I can get half as organized as some on here. Yesterday I posted my Lyon cabinet and learned some great info from Lug and Drives. It’s great to have a place where knowledge can be shared so generously.

Here are a couple other cabinets I picked up last weekend at an estate sale for only $5 each. The 4 drawer light green cabinet is a Steel Age made by Corry Jamestown MFG in PA, maybe mid century. I like the the Art Deco look that the handle and label holder have.
The dark green 5 drawer is a little heavier even though it smaller in width. It was made by Globe Wernicke, which was founded in 1893. This cabinet could be a little older possible 1920-40. They got a scrub down with simple green and look pretty nice.









I do have a question. Does anyone know what the metal rod is that fits through the front of the drawer on the bottom and goes all the way to the back? See pic



As a side note: the below cabinet is list on Marketplace in my area and they are asking $175. Anyone have any knowledge on this one? The 4 sections stack on top of each other in a groove. They can be unstacked. I was thinking about repurposing them into 2 end tables.

 

[Provincial]

The rod originally anchored movable metal panels that kept the files from falling over if there were not enough of them in the drawer to hold themselves upright. The parts associated with this system were discarded if a conversion was made to "suspended" files.

The wider cabinet is likely for Legal-size files. 8-1/2x14 instead of 8-1/2x11 paper size. This is designed for the paper to be oriented with the long dimension placed horizontal.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Anyone have any knowledge on this one? The 4 sections stack on top of each other in a groove. They can be unstacked. I was thinking about repurposing them into 2 end tables.

Wow! That is sweet. I love the vertical pulls. That would be in the back of my truck in a heartbeat.

 

[drivesitfar]

DaveT: I actually have a few old Shaw Walker cabinets that still have those dividers in them that i'm removing (and keeping at the bottom of their drawers) cause my stuff is too big for the spaces. here's a picture of the cabinets and sorry I couldn't find any pics of the metal dividers inside them. more nice finds

ALL: I won the cabinet lottery yesterday cause I found 2 of these old 27 drawer cabinets that should store my stuff nicely. Once I figured out I had a spot for one of the military cabinets like DaveT just found I sent out a few emails and found these.

anybody know the maker of these cause I forgot to look closely and still need to get them out of my Honda?

hope you all find the cabinets you like to look at while your stuff sits nicely in them.

have a great day!!

 

[drivesitfar]

Dave T: I found a pic of the metal dividers that rod holds.

 

[beltdrive]

Do you cats like Flood Penetrol for putting a clear coat on bare metal? I have a wilton 4.5 vise i am thinking about doing this to.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I am not aware of that product, beltdrive, but I swear by Fluid Film. You have to wipe down the excess and even then it stays a little wet, so I only use it on things going under glass, not things I am planning on touching or picking up with regularity.

 

[drivesitfar]

BD: sorry I haven't even heard of that product. I use BLO (boiled linseed oil) on my old vises and wood and it's best to shake the can good especially if it's been sitting for a bit. also putting on light coats when it's above 70 degrees works great too or putting it in a shop oven or smoker you don't eat food out of will give it sort of a glazed pottery look.

let us know how that product works for you and feel free to post up a few pictures.

LUG: i've heard Fluid film is great and I hadn't heard it is sticky or oily. so maybe you are putting it on a little too thick?

ALL: so until I still a bunch of old Plvmb and blackhawk and other vintage tools in the drawers of my new 27 drawer cabinets I guess they are just cabinets?

cheers

 

[Private Lugnutz]

LUG: i've heard Fluid film is great and I hadn't heard it is sticky or oily. so maybe you are putting it on a little too thick?

Or everyone else is fibbing to you! No, it's very possible that I am as it's a tendency in everything from stories to aftershave.

 

[tym]

Any ideas what this S-K box is for? A GJer in the garage sale thread suggested film reels, but seems an odd product for S-K to make.

View media item 97828
View media item 97826

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I didn't see that, Tym, or I would've answered over there. It was definitely for 8mm film reels. I have one, too, and when I bought it, it had a label on the lid that said something like, "1942-1945 California trip Mom and Dad" (which is what drew me to the box to begin with!) and I have tested it. They fit perfectly.

 

[tym]

I didn't see that, Tym, or I would've answered over there. It was definitely for 8mm film reels. I have one, too, and when I bought it, it had a label on the lid that said something like, "1942-1945 California trip Mom and Dad" (which is what drew me to the box to begin with!) and I have tested it. They fit perfectly.

Thanks! Also found some photos of similar cases online. Now how to repurpose it...

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Yeah, I remember saying I was going to use mine for shop notes and pencils, but it's just sitting with my other boxes. Ha.

 

[DaveT]

Drives, I took a look at the drawers I have. The adjustable plate on mine are held in place and slide in a grove on the sides of the drawers. It is not attached in any way to the rod on the bottom. I can completely remove the rod and the adjustable plate functions the same.

I’m still not grasping the intended use of this rod.

 

[DaveT]

Check out this awesome 24 drawer horizontal card card catalog file cabinet I picked up today off Craigslist. This thing is built like a tank or maybe a safe! Very heavy steel sides. Must weigh 200lbs. Size is W4.5’ x H18.5” x D18”. I love the way the side wall surround is double tiered, very decorative. Just the right amount of patina on it to be repurposed as furniture. I am planning on making an entertainment/TV stand out of it. Put some vintage cart wheel casters on the bottom and a wooden top, maybe walnut, and I think it will look awesome in the living room.

I wish I knew more about the piece. The maker name on the front is too far worn to read. I Googled a bit but couldn’t find one like it. Defiantly looks to be mid to early century. If anyone has any thoughts please share.

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[steaks&anvils]

I saw these listed on local Craigslist. The company doing the listing resells all kinds of metal storage cabinets/lockers/desks etc.

They are way cool, but I have to restrain myself. No need or space for them.

I figure we can save their pics for posterity. GJ is a research "tool" right?

Listing text:

"Each individual section (includes 6 drawers) is $10
16" x 19" x 5"
Neutral Beige All Metal Drawers
Made by Paragon"

-jeff

 

[drivesitfar]

Tym & LUG: I wonder if Kennedy made boxes for SK cause that brown wrinkle paint is kinda their thing? why in the world would SK make a toolbox for rolls of film?

Dave: I've had cabinets with those sliding dividers and can't recall how or if i could take that divider out. I know the dividers come out of my smaller drawers in the old Boeing computer file cabinets. doesn't that divider still move back and forth on that rod that you are asking about that Provi mentioned it's use for?

that is one very stout and well built 24 drawer cabinet. WOW!!! drawer slides on each drawer is something i've not seen with those size drawers ever. is there a name on it anywhere? I had a 12 drawer cabinet that I don't own anymore (yep some seem to disappear in lieu of something I thought was bigger or better) that seemed to have the same build quality, but not the slides. I can't recall the name of this 12 drawer cabinet, but I remember it was 2 names and I put it in the post with this cabinet a few years ago so maybe your search skills are better.

what are the dimensions of that cabinets? GEESH it weighs about 200 pounds? can the drawers be removed? great idea making it something that will hold your TV and that you can look at and enjoy!!

S&A: for some reason your pics don't enlarge so if you have time can you post them again so we can see what you found? thanks