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Fire Safe Rehab

Stillboardin

Active member
Joined
Jan 1, 2011
Messages
40
Location
Stanwood, WA
Back in 2001 I bought a house in Michigan. When we closed and moved in I noticed the previous owner had left a file cabinet in the garage. When I looked at it my first impression was that it was just a crappy old file cabinet that he didn’t want anymore. But when I opened it I realized it was a heavy duty fire safe Steelcase file cabinet. When I tried to move it I again realized this sucker is heavy.
IMG_20140730_110426 by sward99, on Flickr

Since we became friends with the people we bought the house from I asked him if he still wanted it. He said no he didn’t want to have to move it. So I stored garage stuff in it for a few years before deciding to clean it up and use it as a file cabinet.
My first cleanup attempt I cleaned it the best I could and sprayed it with some suede paint I had lying around. It looked OK for a while.
In 2007 I took a job across the country in Seattle and the company moved us so the pro movers came and loaded it all on a truck and I said take the cabinet. I watched as their hand truck wheels flattened as they tried to move this cabinet. It got moved and came to rest in our apartment garage.

Fast forward to a few months ago. We moved into a new house with a nice three car garage that is in the process of being finished out like so many I see on this forum. Storage, toolboxes, benches. This cabinet just didn’t look right, so I started to refinish it right.

I stripped it,

IMG_20140809_151736 by sward99, on Flickr
IMG_20140809_151740 by sward99, on Flickr


Primed it, SPI Red Oxide Epoxy

IMG_20140809_164327 by sward99, on Flickr

Painted it, Rustoleum Sunrise Red

image by sward99, on Flickr[/IMG]
14766952658_b28a5b0408_c.jpg
[/url]image by sward99, on Flickr


Much better

image by sward99, on Flickr
image by sward99, on Flickr
image by sward99, on Flickr

The cabinet is rated for 1 hour fire protection. Hope I never have to find out if it works.
 
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MN4x4

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
1,443
Location
Minnesnowta
I've always thought that fire safes should be red like yours. It just seems 'right'.

Great job on the restoration! It's nice to see someone do it like it should be done, and with care.

Kudos, sir!
 
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