Need Help with Cabinet Leveling Feet

[LouG]

Hi all ! Long time reader, not much of a poster here...

I'm just now starting a (to me) fairly major garage re-organization and just bought two Masterforce 36" tool cabinets. The cabinets will be sitting on a (pre-existing) 6" high, 36" deep concrete lip that is at the front of my garage, so I will not be using the casters that came with the cabinets. The screw size for attaching the casters is M8 x 25, but I'm having trouble finding a leveling foot that fits this size. I do not have the means of fabricating something to attach to the cabinet. I see others here using leveling feet on their HF tool cabinets but I don't see the HF cabinet owner's manual specifying the bolt size. I found this thread discussing the issue but the smallest size that McMaster sells is M10.

Can someone help with where I can find the correct size? If not, what would the standard (non-metric) size be ?

 

[FMB4]

5/16" is very close to 8mm.

 

[vertguy]

I used this site when building my steel work bench and they have a great selection of SAE & metric leveling feet.

https://www.jwwinco.com/en-us/produ...ifting-Gear-and-Rubber-Elements/Leveling-feet

 

[Borntoolate]

Shims instead?

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Hi all ! Long time reader, not much of a poster here...

I'm just now starting a (to me) fairly major garage re-organization and just bought two Masterforce 36" tool cabinets. The cabinets will be sitting on a (pre-existing) 6" high, 36" deep concrete lip that is at the front of my garage, so I will not be using the casters that came with the cabinets. The screw size for attaching the casters is M8 x 25, but I'm having trouble finding a leveling foot that fits this size. I do not have the means of fabricating something to attach to the cabinet. I see others here using leveling feet on their HF tool cabinets but I don't see the HF cabinet owner's manual specifying the bolt size. I found this thread discussing the issue but the smallest size that McMaster sells is M10.

Can someone help with where I can find the correct size? If not, what would the standard (non-metric) size be ?

If McMaster-Carr doesn't have it, you might be screwed (LOL).
Can you take the old casters and slice off the wheel portion?

 

[yatg]

M8 x 25 isn't a thread size.
"M# x ##" refers to the diameter x pitch, not the length.
You can get M8 feet in different lengths (25mm) but you'll need to make sure they are the correct pitch too, 1.25, 1.0, .75, .5, etc if you want them to fit in the existing holes.

Search Amazon for "M8 leveling feet", for example

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZS24G97/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[alex71]

i'm sure OP meant M8x1.25, which is the standard pitch for M8.

 

[LouG]

Many thanks for all the quick replies....

Here is the Masterforce owner's manual. Please see page 5 for the caster install instructions where it discusses the bolt size.

Here is the McMaster leveling feet I'm looking at. Would these be a good bet to fit based on what little is known from the Masterforce manual ?

 

[wssix99]

Here is the McMaster leveling feet I'm looking at. Would these be a good bet to fit based on what little is known from the Masterforce manual ?

You should abort your plan and take a look at other options. You can't just put a leveling foot in those holes. They aren't designed to take the weight. Your cabinet is designed for the weight to bear on the metal plate on the bottom of the unit. The nuts inside that the caster screws attach to are likely tack welded in lightly and would pop out if you loaded the cabinet on them. (With the caster screws tight and the casters on, those nuts are in compression against the bottom of the unit. Putting a leveling foot there would put them in tension from the bottom of the unit.)

Two options that I would consider:
- Cut some shims the same size as the caster base plate. Match the thickness to how ever high you would adjust the leveling foot to. Attach the shim blocks to the bottom with 4 M8 screws, just as you would the caster. (You would probably want to countersink some fluted head bolts in there so they recess inside the shim blocks.)
- See if you can modify the caster. Your caster is attached to its plate either by a pressed-in shaft or a threaded shaft and nut. (higher end) If you can remove the wheel portion of the caster from the plate, you might be able to bolt the plate (without the wheel attached) to your cabinet and then attach a static foot in the place of the shaft that held the wheel.

 

[yatg]

Get a metric ruler.
8 threads per cm for 1.25, 10 threads per cm for 1.0.

 

[Viper98912]

Yea you can't just put a leveling foot in those M8 holes, the load is designed to push on the base, not the holes. I recommend fabricating your own plate that has a central hole for a standard leveling foot and then bolt that plate into the existing M8 holes.

Or use shims like others have said

Or use the casters and shim them individually

 

[Borntoolate]

OR use casters and lock them in place. Always nice to have wheels on things in case you need to move it in the future.

 

[LouG]

Thanks everyone. I may just go the shim route, either that or place the cabinets on a plywood base. I just don't want the cabinets sitting on the concrete floor themselves. The casters included with the cabinets are certainly well built for the task, but they add 5"-6" in height, and I'm trying to avoid that. I realize the Masterforce cabinets are more expensive than the US General boxes, but I still got the 11% Menards rebate and I love the blue finish.

 

[kumquat]

I made a steel bench. then I wanted under bench cabinets. Bough a couple of these: https://www.homedepot.ca/product/hu...bile-tool-storage-cabinet-in-black/1000803892

When I set them up they were too high to fit. About 5 - 7 inches was caster. Didn't want to lower the bench, bought smaller (3 ") casters from Princess Auto (Canada's Harbor Freight) and lowered the cabinets about 4 inches

 

[bugnut]

If I were placing metal cabinets on the floor I would put cheap vinyl tile instead of wood as a breaker to keep the moisture away from the metal. Wood will gather moisture.