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What would you store in this rolling cabinet?

signcrafter

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May 9, 2012
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Im setting up the shop at the new to us house and bought this cabinet off marketplace a few years ago for cheap and it's a nice heavy duty metal cabinet. I may re paint it down the road but for now I'm just using it. It works nice as a table top for parts and tools when making auto repairs and that's what I want to use it for. But not sure what to store in the bottom and trying to maximize my storage space. Seeing if anyone has some ideas I may not of thought of. I have a roll cart for common hand tools and my big tool box is right there also for other tools. I also already have an older craftsman bottom chest I have all my electrical tools and electrical diagnostic stuff in. I have a ton of specialty tools in cases and thinking I may see if some of them fit in here. Might be a pain to dig one out from the back but a lot of them are seldom used so it may be alright to gain storage. Right now they are on shelving. But looking for other ideas that may be better or smarter to store in this since when working I'll roll it over to the car to use the top work surface.KIMG20250405_091611022.JPG

Here is my bottom cabinet and bench for electrical stuff.

KIMG20250405_092900697.JPG

I also have these other roll carts, one is a nice Rubbermaid that is heavy duty, one is a metal cart with extension cord like schools used back in the day, and one is a plastic bus cart from a restaurant. Need to figure out uses for them also or get rid of them. I'd rather figure out a use and keep them because rolling storage is nice to have. I was thinking to set the plastic bus cart up as a coolant filler with 5 gallon pails of different coolants and my vacuum filler set up and maybe even keep my pressure tester and adapters on it. KIMG20250403_193820516.JPGKIMG20250404_084653751.JPG
 
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signcrafter

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Welding cart?
Welder on top, supplies and helmet below.
I have a welder cart, homemade years ago and not the best and would like to redo it at some point. But I do like the heavy metal top on this cart and want to keep it free for tools and parts when working on cars. It's a really nice mobile workbench.
 

RMERR

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Mar 22, 2017
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Northern CA
Personally, I'm not a fan of low door cabinets in the shop, for the reason you cited in your post. A PIA getting stuff out of the lower spaces and "seeing" what's in there. I've gotten rid of any low door cabinets in my shop. All drawers, so much easier to open it, look right down into it, see and get what you need. No need to get on your knees with a flashlight. That being said, you do seem to have a lot of stuff that needs storing. I'd find the most seldom used items and park them down there. The tool cases idea (well labeled) might work ok, maybe jugs of fluids, hoses, funnels, drain pans. Stuff with handles or easy to grab items that you only get out once in a while.
 
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Semi-hole mechanic

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I’d probably reinforce the top and mount a small vise to it as a mobile work surface and store paints and chemicals and other stuff that doesn’t get used a lot.
 

rsanter

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Dec 22, 2007
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Location
visalia ca
Whatever specific tools you may need when using that cart.
you could make or mount drawers in it.

otherwise the special tools in their cases
 

u2slow

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BC
My service cart doesn't have doors, but the middle shelf has my impact sockets, and the lowest one has a couple angle grinders and their accessories.
 
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signcrafter

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This is GJ. Go buy a new tool and put it on it😎IMG_0255.jpegIMG_0829.jpeg

I’d probably reinforce the top and mount a small vise to it as a mobile work surface and store paints and chemicals and other stuff that doesn’t get used a lot.

Don't want to put anything on top. Want to keep the top for a work surface and for tools and parts when doing car repairs.
My service cart doesn't have doors, but the middle shelf has my impact sockets, and the lowest one has a couple angle grinders and their accessories.
I have a 5 drawer service/tool cart for hand tools already
I keep oils and solvents in a similar cabinet.
I thought about that but would only do that for rows of the same fluid so I wouldn't have to dig through it to find what I'm looking for. I do have a lot of fluids but I buy oil in bay boxes and got the racks for them from napa and also have racks for coolant from napa.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep them coming and maybe one I haven't thought of will come up. As of now I'm thinking specialty auto repair tools in blow molded cases. But I'm not sold 100 percent on it yet so will wait and see what other suggestions come along.
 
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signcrafter

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This, shop/owner's manuals or screw and nail storage.
Have a file cabinet and desk in the shop for manuals and paperwork. And have 20' of 2' deep shelves for hardware storage. Those are coming on the next trailer load of stuff from 6 hours away.
 
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tarbellb

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Mmm without reading 😬😁

Looks like a great candidate for a Drill Press base cabinet
 

Ultradog MN

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Jan 20, 2024
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Location
Twin Cities
Im setting up the shop at the new to us house and bought this cabinet off marketplace a few years ago for cheap and it's a nice heavy duty metal cabinet. I may re paint it down the road but for now I'm just using it. It works nice as a table top for parts and tools when making auto repairs and that's what I want to use it for. But not sure what to store in the bottom and trying to maximize my storage space. Seeing if anyone has some ideas I may not of thought of. I have a roll cart for common hand tools and my big tool box is right there also for other tools. I also already have an older craftsman bottom chest I have all my electrical tools and electrical diagnostic stuff in. I have a ton of specialty tools in cases and thinking I may see if some of them fit in here. Might be a pain to dig one out from the back but a lot of them are seldom used so it may be alright to gain storage. Right now they are on shelving. But looking for other ideas that may be better or smarter to store in this since when working I'll roll it over to the car to use the top work surface.KIMG20250405_091611022.JPG

Here is my bottom cabinet and bench for electrical stuff.

KIMG20250405_092900697.JPG

I also have these other roll carts, one is a nice Rubbermaid that is heavy duty, one is a metal cart with extension cord like schools used back in the day, and one is a plastic bus cart from a restaurant. Need to figure out uses for them also or get rid of them. I'd rather figure out a use and keep them because rolling storage is nice to have. I was thinking to set the plastic bus cart up as a coolant filler with 5 gallon pails of different coolants and my vacuum filler set up and maybe even keep my pressure tester and adapters on it. KIMG20250403_193820516.JPGKIMG20250404_084653751.JPG
Maybe some oil dry?
 
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signcrafter

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Maybe some oil dry?
Just did a bunch of work to daughter's car and replaced the trans cooler lines which made a mess. Oil dry is in a 5 gallon bucket that will go by the parts washer and my funnel/drain pan storage area.
 

66HertzClone

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Dec 6, 2006
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Long Valley, NJ
I have one of the Yukon 46" single drawer cabinets, I have the lower portion filled with my jackstands and the HF transmission jack, because of the layout of my garage and Lista cabinets I have, there really wasn't any wall space for hanging those up. I have it parked between the two garage doors near the outside end of the garage.
 
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signcrafter

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I have one of the Yukon 46" single drawer cabinets, I have the lower portion filled with my jackstands and the HF transmission jack, because of the layout of my garage and Lista cabinets I have, there really wasn't any wall space for hanging those up. I have it parked between the two garage doors near the outside end of the garage.
I was thinking about how to store jack stands last night. That might be an option. Thanks
It must be just me. Worrying about what to do with a cabinet. What a disorganized mess, could not work in that environment. Just me.
Ever move I'm not even sure how many trailer loads of shop equipment and materials 6 hours and have it magically all organized overnight? Thanks for the zero advice and 100 percent judging without knowing any details. And yes, asking for ideas on how to organize this cart is one of many steps of setting up a shop.
 

coljar

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Sep 26, 2010
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Belpre, Ohio
I'd put power tools in their cases under there. Only one set front to back for ease of finding things. Label the end to ID them.
This is what I would also do with it. I do this in my shop. I'll pull it out and place it on the nearby work bench while I need it.
 

Captain Spaulding

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Feb 13, 2017
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754
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Southern Indiana
I‘d be thinking chocks, hydraulic jacks, jack stands, brake tools, wheel bearing grease etc.. A mobile suspension, wheel and brake station.

i have several trailers to maintain, so it would handy to me for that.
 
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signcrafter

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I‘d be thinking chocks, hydraulic jacks, jack stands, brake tools, wheel bearing grease etc.. A mobile suspension, wheel and brake station.

i have several trailers to maintain, so it would handy to me for that.
I'm going to see how my jack stands fit in it. I have at least 2 pairs of 6 ton and 2 pairs of 3 ton but they are still at the old house. So next trailer load of shop stuff I will bring them and see how that works. I've been trying to come up with a way to store them and don't have a good spot. All my wall space is used up. If I don't like how they fit in this cabinet I'll have to find a place to store them and probably go with specialty tools cases in this cabinet. Thanks
 

FJ 432

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Littleton Colorado
In the past I have "fallen in love" with a cabinet because it was cheap, free or just really cool.

I try for years to make it work in my area and in some cases I just have to get rid of it. It doesn't fit my needs. You might consider, if you have the room, of converting it to a upper wall cabinet.
 
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signcrafter

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In the past I have "fallen in love" with a cabinet because it was cheap, free or just really cool.

I try for years to make it work in my area and in some cases I just have to get rid of it. It doesn't fit my needs. You might consider, if you have the room, of converting it to a upper wall cabinet.
I buy stuff also when I find deals but usually have or can find a good use for it. I got this because I wanted to use the top as a work surface and really like it for that, works great. So want to keep using it as a work surface but just need to figure out my best use for the bottom storage. Was looking for ideas and got a few good ones.
 
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