Filing cabinets make good storage too!

[tarbellb]

Ive been wanting to replace my crappy snap-n-go exposed drawer system with something nicer for a little while now.

Got fired up when I found some nice older filing cabinets cheap, $70 total for all three, two of them are actually the same brand and style but 4 drawer vs 5 drawer.

Decided to weld up a rolling steel base with 1000lbs casters. Nice and smooth. Pulled all the hardware, lubed the slides, quick and dirty sand+paint job with Rustoleum Oil based Smoke Grey.

Just one of these 24" deep units held all of the things from my crappy original unit.

Here you can see the snap-n-go system in the background and the original state filing cabinets...

And the replacement!

 

[OccupantRJ]

Nice! I use the smaller drawer card file cabinets along with bin cups to store my hardware, and love the way they work.

See link.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=275108

 

[PugetDude]

I've got three 2-drawer lateral files. All my tools in cases fit in them nicely- routers, sanders, saws, drills. Also use a couple of the drawers for storing miscellaneous bulky items that don't seem to fit anywhere else. I put mine on a 4" plinth with open shelves between them and added an 1-1/2" thick by 20" wide MDF top so it gives me another 16' long (shallow) bench I can pile stuff on...

 

[Finky198]

We keep finding them on big garbage day. I’ve gotten picky now lol... we have 4x 4 drawer units and a five drawer like the ops plus one 4’ wide 4 draw setup... that is huge. But they offer excellent storage solution and there designed to carry some serious weight. I keep all our bulk supplies in them
Tape, glue, bits, brushes, abrasives, rags, gloves, paint, chemicals, wire the list goes on but it’s much easier to find stuff all in one place. then to have to go all over the shop. I try to keep things well stocked at each station but at the same time keep the bulk away from prying eyes in the shop...

 

[bubinga]

I have the better HF (13" IIRC ) drill press mounted on a 2 drawer file cabinet.
It has a taller pole than most bench drill presses.
Just the right height for me, and the drawers are handy for storage.

 

[tarbellb]

Thanks, glad im not the only one.

Yeah these are some really nice older ones with heavy duty slides (200#?) and drawers that can easily be easily removed, decently heavy sheet metal, and drawer locks.

Cant stand open storage stuff now, to much dust gets in there.

 

[22george]

I have 5 4 drawer file cabinets

 

[JMLangford]

Great job on the re-purposing the file cabinets

I found a large 4 drawer one that has full-extension ball-bearing slides....It's got plenty of storage space but takes up a lot of wall space in my cramped shop!!
This one has a safety feature that when one drawer is open, the other three will lock to keep the unit from tipping over....


I also use a short 2 drawer one at the side of my table saw to keep accessories in (blades, tenoning jigs, etc.)



.

 

[bubinga]

@ JM.....Nice set-up on the uni.
I have a 1947, but 86'ed the Jet-Lok, and added my $80.00 Bies from the Lowes blow-out about 12 years Ago.
Sat on the Bies, till I got the Uni. (about 10 years ......LOL)
The Upgraded Align_A-Rip Craftsman, on My 0ld CM table saw
113.XXXXXX era, with stamped wings, worked just fine,

($10.00, with a bunch of fences, and one rail set, and one brand new CM 1/4" and one slightly used Air ratchet, from the Rogers Machinery/Farm auction.
Sold one of The CM A/Rats for $10.00 to cover gas)
CM saw was worth $100.00 All day long with that fence, but they're tough in this area, want you to give stuff away, So I just gave it to my Buddy for hauling the Uni.
(have my little HF trailer now, don't have to hear the whiners any longer)

 

[Finky198]

I forgot My file cabinet tool cart thread...
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5902405

 

[isb cornbinder]

I have used file-cabinets and they are great. Some time ago, maybe, 30 years, I had an opportunity to buy SIMPLICITY sewing pattern cabinets. They are a high quality cabinet with heavy duty roller slides. I have bought and sold lots of these cabinets. I have about ten of them left and in service. The prices have varied from free to a $100 each.

 

[erty67]

This is one of the best ideas I learned from GJ. I have two file cabinets filled with power and air tools. Thinking about a fireproof one for chemicals, like paints, brake clean, etc.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[D45]

Industrial metal/steel filing cabinets are all over CL

I picked up two, 6 drawer cabinets and use them to store my light bulbs, extension cords, and outlet strips

They cheap, thin metal on filing cabinets from the big box stores ****

 

[FTWingRiders]

I have used file-cabinets and they are great. Some time ago, maybe, 30 years, I had an opportunity to buy SIMPLICITY sewing pattern cabinets. They are a high quality cabinet with heavy duty roller slides. I have bought and sold lots of these cabinets. I have about ten of them left and in service. The prices have varied from free to a $100 each.

Love those! Now I know what ones I want to look for.

 

[4EyedTurd]

Excellent timing on the thread as I just got a heavy 6 drawer cabinet for free and need to figure out what I’ll use it for.

 

[racerex]

Got two 3 drawer lateral file cabinets (made by Steelcase) from work for nothing. Painted them red and made a lower dollies with locking casters. They're perfect for storing power tools, etc.

 

[tarbellb]

Got two 3 drawer lateral file cabinets (made by Steelcase) from work for nothing. Painted them red and made a lower dollies with locking casters. They're perfect for storing power tools, etc.

Those are almost to nice for the garage! Steelcase is good stuff, and those rolling bases nearly look stock.

We might be disrupting the secondhand filing cabinet market....

 

[dkmc]

Wow those look awesome!
Any pics of the inside?

Got two 3 drawer lateral file cabinets (made by Steelcase) from work for nothing. Painted them red and made a lower dollies with locking casters. They're perfect for storing power tools, etc.

 

[racerex]

Wow those look awesome!
Any pics of the inside?

An inside pic, as requested. Also a pic of the dolly...which I painted black. I used a rattle can to paint a few of the tight areas on the file cabinets and a foam roller for the flat areas.

 

[dkmc]

Nice......a local re-store has some of those. I think they want $125 each.

 

[racerex]

Too bad you were not looking a year or so ago. My company closed an office in CT and they junked 100+ Steelcase 3 and 5 drawer lateral file cabinets. That's how I got mine and a taller 5 drawer cabinet for my brother in-law.

 

[sberry]

One of my prize things is a file with the owners manuals to about everything we got. A thru Z , got a place to save the paper work.

 

[dkmc]

One of my prize things is a file with the owners manuals to about everything we got. A thru Z , got a place to save the paper work.

Same here, makes it easy to locate said manuals and docs. I also use them in the shop for the lathe accessories, and have a couple lateral ones for power tools and other bulky-to-store stuff. Beats paying real 'tool cabinet' prices. I just hate the damn tan color.....ha.

 

[ScottsGT]

I've been looking everywhere for a decent priced used index card file cabinet. Seems that everyone wants them now, and the law of supply and demand kicks in on used ones.

 

[dkmc]

Yep, people on CL and Marketplace want insane prices for them now. Glad I got mine awhile back when computers made them useless junk...

 

[ducksface]

There are also desks made by one of the file cabinet companies. The unseen right side of the desk mirrors the left side in the picture but with different sized drawers.
20 bucks on the last day of an estate sale.
No one had asked about it. I think it's 12feet long....