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

[Mark in Indiana]

I bought a couple of truck & trailer loads of cabinetry from an Optometrist's office liquidation last week. Mostly office file & supply storage. The interesting cabinets I wanted to post about are these contact lens cabinets. Which can also be used for storing and organizing small parts.

 

[mikeinri]

Wow, those are pretty cool!

Mike

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

I bought a couple of truck & trailer loads of cabinetry from an Optometrist's office liquidation last week. Mostly office file & supply storage. The interesting cabinets I wanted to post about are these contact lens cabinets. Which can also be used for storing and organizing small parts.

. The blue would clash with my chipboard, definite no.

 

[drivesitfar]

Mark: those almost look like they are plastic. are they or are they aluminum since so many nice mediacal cabinets seem to be made of that? can you post up a few pics of the insides too cause hard to tell if small divided insides or open drawers? what are dimensions?

TEX: when you made a mistake posting all your garage sale finds on the vise thread I happened to be online and I was watching with interest seeing if you actually had vises too. THEN you posted what looks like some Shaw Walker green flat files with also cabinets above it that looked amazing so any chance you might have to post up a few pics here we'll all i'm sure give you some kudos and try to talk you into selling them to us. NICE FINDS BTW

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Mark: those almost look like they are plastic. are they or are they aluminum since so many nice mediacal cabinets seem to be made of that? can you post up a few pics of the insides too cause hard to tell if small divided insides or open drawers? what are dimensions?

Drives: These cabinets are all plastic. Better quality than what's available at home improvement stores. The dividers can be arranged for endless configurations, or completely removed.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Here are the Yawman and Erbe Mfg Co cabinets (3 pieces) I picked up last weekend. The 18-drawer cabinets (2 lower) do not have any compartments in the drawers. The 5-drawer top cabinet has dividers that can be moved front to back in each drawer. Decal is front and center on the top set of drawers.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Thanks Drives! Just posted pics which I'd been intending to do IF/when I got them unloaded out of the Forester. Our son & his family came over today to celebrate Christmas and his birthday 12/30. He and his wife got covid just before Christmas but it was mild for them. I got him to help me unload before lunch. Just started catching up on previous posts and saw your comment. Without a doubt these are the best looking vintage cabinets I've got. If I can find about 50 more I might be able to give you a run for your money on having the coolest and best stocked garage cabinets!

 

[Jayman17]

Nice cabinet TX, what will you store in the lower drawers?

Jay

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Letters from old girlfriends. A - Annie, Autumn, and Annabelle. B - Bertha and Becky, C - well, you get the idea. Which would leave 10 extra drawers.

Very nice find, Tex.

 

[drivesitfar]

Tex: thanks for taking the time to not only post those cool cabinets but for also knowing they should be yours when you saw them for sale. I have a few cabinets and a couple Yawman and Erbe and I can honestly say if I found one like you just did I would definitely be making a space for it. Well Done!!

just curious since Y & E cabinets are so well made I was wondering if Lyon had any relation to them? Or maybe just all the metal cabinets made just prior and just after WWII were built and designed to last 100 years.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Thanks guys!

Jay, I thought I had an epiphany today when I wondered if I could store some of my woodworking hand tools in there like chisels and spokeshaves. I measured the drawers today as I was thinking about putting drawer liners in there. They are 14-1/2" deep by 9-1/4" wide and 1" deep. So to answer your question, right now, I'm still thinking about it. I haven't tried any of the above mentioned hand tools yet. Got distracted with other stuff today.

 

[RTM]

Thanks guys!

Jay, I thought I had an epiphany today when I wondered if I could store some of my woodworking hand tools in there like chisels and spokeshaves.

You might think about your methods of work before you commit to something.

where do you use chisels and spokeshaves, vs where will you put the cabinet. My most used chisels are in the top shallow drawer under my work surface, and my spokeshaves are all in one portable case that I bring to the job, so I can swap between any of either tool with no more than I step, and they are all relatively visible when I open the drawer or case.

now if that case was 5 steps away, and you put two shaves in each drawer, what would be your process as you changed from one to another.

I am having a similar dilemma with a small card file, what to put in it. I suspect it will be duplicate or low use tools at this point, like extra Yankee push drills, as I can put several in a drawer, and I may only use two on a single job, but hauling any third out, for a different hole size, not needing to look in three drawers wont be a problem. I’ve passed on other larger card files, as I don’t think storing primary tools in them will work for me.

YMMV.

 

[bmwrd0]

I picked up this old box at an auto swap yesterday:





I grabbed it thinking it might be a Snap-on K22, but sadly it wasn't. But, I only paid $2 for it, so don't feel bad at all. I am not sure what I will do with it, but I will figure something out.

 

[RTM]

As I mentioned a few posts up, I scored a double wide card file, I think built for 4x5 cards. I didn't realize it came without drawer pulls, so I spent some time fabricating some out of some scrap cherry, and a few hand planes. Put them on, got them square to the drawer, and realized that the drawers are both tweaked (or poorly made to WW standards), and don't sit square in the case. Oh well, at least I gave up on my plan to have the pulls meet in the center early on.

This will join a stack of other small storage cabinets, just to organize misc **** throughout the garage.

 

[mopar66]

A Vidmar I picked up earlier this week.

 

[twagler]

ALL: i'm hoping this printer's Hamilton brand shelving unit will hold wrenches and small tools. i'm going to leave it as is and put it in my garage. i'll show pictures of it with tools in it when I have time to load it up over on my Organizing 101 thread.

I drove 2.5 hours one way to pick it up, but it fit nicely in the back of my Honda Pilot with the seats down and a rubber gym mat on the seats to protect them.

thoughts?? anybody else have one and how do you use it??

Responding to this question from years ago and waaay upthread, because I just bought a Hamilton printers cabinet very similar to the one shown by drivesitfar. Here's mine:


As can be seen in the picture, I'm using mine to store the accessories from my metal-working lathe such as the tailstock, collets, etc. I love these printers cabinets because: (a) They are super heavy-duty and strong, and (b) The pull-out trays allow complete flexibility for spacing to fit any height of object without wasted space. I purchased this cabinet from a printers shop that was moving location and selling off their unwanted stuff for $50. Thank goodness they had a forklift to load it on my trailer because it came loaded with about 450 lbs of lead spacer (used back in the day on letterpress printing presses to space the rows of type apart) and about 250 lbs of cast iron "furniture" (that's a printing term for the larger spacers used to fill the edges of the lock-up frame that secured the type in the press). That weight is on top of the 200 lbs worth of galley trays (100 trays) and the cabinet frame itself which I'd estimate at 150 lbs. Some pictures of what I'm talking about below:



This is actually the second printers cabinet that I've purchased; here's my larger, fancier one (with sliding doors):


These cabinets are known as "Galley Cabinets" and the pull-out trays as galleys. The trays were used to hold the type face in storage in between print jobs when not installed in the printing press frame. The two sizes of trays from my cabinets are shown below, along with some screenshots of the catalog pages for these items and the cabinet model number tags. The smaller trays are open-ended one side, since this facilitated sliding out the type smoothly for locking it up into the printing press frame.

 

[mikeinri]

$50????? Wow, you stole that thing!

Mike

 

[Jayman17]

That is a lot of storage in 2 cabinets! Those seem to be working well for your shop.

Jay

 

[mopar66]

Picked up this Equipto cabinet recently. Have $70 into it with keys. Came with a bunch of drawer dividers. Its 30W x 28D x50.5T. Not vintage, but not really sure how old it is.

 

[mikeinri]

That's super-nice, @mopar66!

Mike

 

[mopar66]

That's super-nice, @mopar66!

Mike

That's super-nice, @mopar66!

Mike

That's super-nice, @mopar66!

Mike

Thanks, it's pretty clean inside for an older cabinet. The outside is typical of an older industrial cabinet.

 

[ncgun99]

Anyone in SO Cal. Those are Vidmars underneath a butcher block top. And it comes with the vise. $125.

Facebook

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[bubinga]

Nice, l have a vise like that.
I'd like to have that bench

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Picked up this little two-drawer Carter carb rebuild chest at the flea today. Not for tools, but small parts. It looks good under the Carter carb repair kit pouch, though.

 

[mikeinri]

WAY too cool!!!

Mike

 

[Maxcustody]

I am on the hunt for 2 cabinets for the new shop……no way I am spending $500 at lowes or Home Depot for 1 cheap metal cabinet.

 

[bubinga]

Picked up this little two-drawer Carter carb rebuild chest at the flea today. Not for tools, but small parts. It looks good under the Carter carb repair kit pouch, though.

You didn't have to pay crazy "Ebay money" did you?

 

[bubinga]

I am on the hunt for 2 cabinets for the new shop……no way I am spending $500 at lowes or Home Depot for 1 cheap metal cabinet.

What kind O cabinets, Where are you in WV
Maybe l can keep my eyes open.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

You didn't have to pay crazy "Ebay money" did you?

Heck no. That would defeat the whole point of going to flea markets!

 

[Maxcustody]

What kind O cabinets, Where are you in WV
Maybe l can keep my eyes open.

Some metal 18”-24” wide and 60” or taller 2 door. I am in eastern pan handle but would drive to find some Thanks

 

[bubinga]

Heck no. That would defeat the whole point of going to flea markets!

For Sure! More fun that way too!

 

[bubinga]

Some metal 18”-24” wide and 60” or taller 2 door. I am in eastern pan handle but would drive to find some Thanks

I'll l my eyes open.

 

[Maxcustody]

I'll l my eyes open.

Thank you Sir!

 

[JEFinCLE]

I'll play tomorrow morning. I hadn't seen this thread before. I have a wall-hung cabinet that I bought last year specifically to house my owner's manuals and precision measuring gear. If it doesn't remind anyone over 55 of their early years doctor visits, I'll eat your hat.

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

I'll play tomorrow morning. I hadn't seen this thread before. I have a wall-hung cabinet that I bought last year specifically to house my owner's manuals and precision measuring gear. If it doesn't remind anyone over 55 of their early years doctor visits, I'll eat your hat.

These cabinets are what I use for books and manuals and misc.......obviously needs to be sorted.

 

[DaveT]

These cabinets are what I use for books and manuals and misc.......obviously needs to be sorted.

Those are awesome cabinet ArmyVW Guy

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

Those are awesome cabinet ArmyVW Guy

Thanks ! Old Federal Govt cabinets! - these came from an estate sale years ago. I have another stack in my garage.

 

[c1504]

These cabinets are what I use for books and manuals and misc.......obviously needs to be sorted.

Nice stash of r12!

 

[ArmyVW_GuyInTX]

That is an older photo - I really need to sort it out and find the space to stack up the other similar cabinets. My R12 has multiplied since this photo. Only my 78 Bronco is a possible R12 candidate.

 

[Bucko]

I am on the hunt for 2 cabinets for the new shop……no way I am spending $500 at lowes or Home Depot for 1 cheap metal cabinet.

I've always built cabinets or used partial pre-built and added to it but would always end up moving and starting over. My last house I had to build because I was limited to a shallow 3 car garage and I have alot of stuff. Building to fit allowed me to use all the space. I always joked that I didn't even have enough room to hang a dart board. Now I finally have room again and have decided to use alot of file cabinets from Facebook marketplace. I bought 6 two drawer lateral cabinets so far and threw a quick rattlecan paint job and some heavy duty locking casters. They fit right under my benches that wrap around the room. I got one of the IBM punch card cabinets and 2 four drawer file cabinets from a yard sale, and then scored 6 four drawer legal and 1 five drawer standard file cabinets for $50 from a lady that needed them gone.

All in I figure I have less than $450 for 16 cabinets which includes the paint and casters for the 2 drawer cabinets and if I move again I don't have to leave it behind and start over.

Be very vigilant about searching Facebook and be ready to jump on it when you see it. The 7 cabinets I got for $50 was being held for someone else and when I messaged so I said if they flake to let me know. Well they flaked out so she messaged me as I was driving. Within two minutes she sent another message dropping them to $50. When I got there they were already in the driveway and the 7th cabinet was thrown in as it was not listed with the others. She moved in with her son and he wanted them out of the garage.