1930's Metal kitchen cabinets - repurposed

[Steevo]

A couple of years ago, I purchased a couple of old metal kitchen overhead cabinets, intending to use them in my shop. They looked like this, with flower decals and all:

I sanded an repainted one of them this week, and cleaned up the art deco handles with some fine steel wool. I hung it over the sink in my shop.

 

[jshillin]

Looks good.

 

[customcab]

Nice job. I have some of those same cabinets in my garage. The handles are even the same.

 

[SweetD]

Steve - great save an resto / repurpose! I'd love to have that for over my shop sink!

Dave

 

[sooperdave]

Very nicely done

 

[HeelSpur]

Great job Steevo, I have 6 or 7 old metal cabinets in my buildings. The great thing about them is they're light weight and can be easily moved.

 

[1948]

nice!

 

[andrewsnmorgan]

Where did you find thoes? Man I would LOVE to have one or 2 in my garage!!

 

[shannonw]

nice! i dig the art deco handles

 

[Ridge Runner]

The great thing about them is they're light weight and can be easily moved.

This. A year or two ago my grandfather decided to get rid of the two he had in his garage. One was 4 doors wide and the other 3, both with porcelain sinks on top. I was easily able to get them out of his garage and into our storage unit by myself. These things are awesome! I just wish they were easier to find.

 

[Steevo]

We were visiting my daughter and son in law in Minneapolis last year, and we saw an ad for a house that was going to be demolished to build a new one on the lot (beautiful lake-view lot). They were letting people come in and take anything they wanted for free.
There was an entire laundry room/pantry (10' x 15' +/-) completely outfitted with upper and lower steel cabinets like these, but probably 1950's vintage.

I couldn't talk my son in law into borrowing a truck and taking them to his garage.
I think he's too 'IKEA' for stuff like that.

 

[n2ocamaro]

Nice work. I have some 1950's Youngstown cabinets like that. Have the sink base cabinet as well that is 4.5' long.

 

[colt zantop]

looks great! nice work...

 

[nine4gmc]

I love those cabinets, been looking for anyone updating but no luck around here.

 

[tjpavlov]

Looks great! Could you tell us a bit more about how you did it? What did you sand with and what sort of paint did you use? Did you prime?

I have been looking for some of these old cabinets after renting an old apartment with them. The ones you have were made by a company called Youngstown Cabinets. They are great.

 

[Steevo]

Looks great! Could you tell us a bit more about how you did it? What did you sand with and what sort of paint did you use? Did you prime?

I have been looking for some of these old cabinets after renting an old apartment with them. The ones you have were made by a company called Youngstown Cabinets. They are great.

I used 120-grit discs on a random-orbital disc sander, then finished by hand with 220 paper on all flat surfaces and visible locations.

I sprayed the cabinet and doors . . . . OUTDOORS, on a very calm and sunny day, using nothing but Rustoleum Smoke Gray rattle can paint.

 

[Papa Tango 213]

Those look very nice. You did a great job.

 

[blasto9000]

Huh... that IS pretty cool. Nice job. I love this small "restomod" projects but somehow never end up doing one on my own...

 

[posaune]

Very nice. I've been looking for decent (and cheap) wall cabs for awhile now. Just this weekend I saw that exact same cabinet at a garage sale for $3! The matching base cabinets were $2ea and they were all is nearly perfect condition. They even had a matching corner unit (also $3).

Since I don't have the room for the base units, I was in a fairly small car, and they didn't have more than one wall unit, I passed on them all. You now have me kicking myself.

 

[DynoDave]

Very nice. I have several of these that came out of my Grandmothers house...I love 'em!

 

[Big Gus]

Nice work. I have some 1950's Youngstown cabinets like that. Have the sink base cabinet as well that is 4.5' long.

I have an entire Younstown cabinet set (L-shaped) that I took out of my kitchen 5-6 years ago. (base cabinets, counter and sink, upper cabinets) These cabinets are all steel except for the upper cabinet doors which are wood. I have them now set up in my basement workshop. They're awesome!

I'd post a pic but the workshop is currently full because of storage overflow from our 2nd house we sold. I can't even get at them at the moment.