Garage Book Cabinets?

I have quite a few manuals, textbooks, repair manuals for motorcycles and the like, that I would like to store in the garage. I currently have them taking up a deep drawer in a toolbox, and some stored in the house, but I would like to get them all out to the garage.

I weld, grind, paint, and otherwise make a mess in my garage I would like to protect these books from. I was thinking an enclosed box shelf, with a door to keep everything out, and window to see through, maybe a hinge at the top so it gravity closes?

Does anyone have anything like this in their shop, or pictures of anything I could go off of if I have to build one?

Thanks

See post #28 on my industrial furniture thread. I have a solution for you.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5319528#post5319528

Hah, I was just looking at that thread before you posted. For now though I need a shelf, I'm running out of room fast and don't want to waste the floor space

I have overhead, enclosed bookcases/bins which were originally used in office cubicles. Doors on the front flip up and slide back into the cabinet.

They hang from the sides on cubicle upright brackets, so they have to be modified to mount flat on a wall. It's a matter of cutting off the "teeth" that engage the brackets and welding on a flat mounting panel on the back side. It's a bit of work, but for the $2.50 I paid for each it was worth it to have a solid storage option.

Photo was at completion of remodel. It's a lot messier now.

I just use milk crates screwed to the wall. They work perfectly. I don't have a door on the front but I suppose you could make one from plexi easy enough. I don't have the need though. They stay clean enough since they are up and on the back wall away from most of my work.

I have a full bookcase in my garage.
I do have ALOT of books and parts manuals that stay out there. But I also keep my boxes of diagnosing equipment there as well. Helps out immensely if you have the room.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Used file cabinets are often free on CL, that is what I use.

HF full size locker...

i used 2 SO side boxes for manual storage..

I have the same concern as the OP.

As I grind, weld, paint, etc in my garage my concern was how to keep them clean.

I don't have a whole lot of extra depth around mine (every wall already has something on it, or in front of it, time to build bigger, I know ).

I had a though about a shallow depth cabinet like a filing cabinet, except make it to where the manuals & texts would go in from each side.

Kind of like lilscorpion's Tooling organization idea for mills but wider for books.

If you haven't already seen his thread, it's here:

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174553

The idea I'm having would be similar to this:



I had figured on using magazine cases for the soft cover manuals, with the tall pert in the middle, and the title on the spine showing.

I am planning on the "drawers" (holders?) to be approximately 4 magazine holders deep (from the wall, in direction of pull, I think they are 5 or 6 inches wide, which gives 24 inches to support when pulled out, books are heavy).

I'm planning to both screw and glue the cabinet together (structure and sealant) but I'm debating the front, a simple weather strip on the back side of the fascia / pull should keep most of the crud out, but having the drawer pull recessed behind a cabinet door with a weather strip and a latch definitely will.

Not sure what the budget is or how nice you want the cabinets to be, but the first thing that came to my mind was Ikea. I have a cabinet in my garage with a frosted glass door which is from Ikea. That particular model isn't made anymore but they've got lots of stuff to choose from. The website is terrible for finding things so I'd suggest a trip to the store to see what they have and that's typically best anyway so you can check out the build quality.

Well luck would have it, my mother's boyfriend was remodeling a medical lab, and I had mentioned wanting some cabinets, so she brought me 4 of these cabinets, they are exactly what I was looking for, save for they're a shade bigger than I was wanting. Unfortunately some books hit the inside door, so I'm going to fashion a little wedge to put all the books on a slight angle so they fit better. Don't mind the crazy colors, I may paint these in the future.