# Cabinet for mill tooling?



## Lucas E (Jan 26, 2022)

I'm looking for a metal storage cabinet to store mill tooling as well as other odds and ends. I'm trying to determine what gauge sheet metal the unit needs to be made of to hold up to the weight. I plan to store a 5" vise, 8" rotary table, 3" 3 way adjustable vise, 5" and 6" lathe chucks, and other lighter mill tooling. I would obviously plan to spread the heavier items out across multiple shelves, but am having a hard time figuring out how heavy duty of a cabinet I need. The stronghold at 12 gauge steel I'm sure would handle the weight, but it seems like overkill, and also very expensive. They also only come in 24" deep and I think it prefer 18" deep. Does anyone have any recommendations for a quality cabinet for this type of storage? I see lots of brands like u-line, Sandusky, Durham, etc.. and I can compare the specs, but without seeing the cabinets in person, or what additional bracing they have it's tough to tell if they would be up to the task. Picture for reference. I'm looking for something around 36-48" wide 18" deep, and like 72" tall.

I know I want a welded unit and not a bolt together "assembly required" unit as they are usually flimsy.


----------



## mmcmdl (Jan 26, 2022)

IMO , the U-lines are trash . Just threw a ton of them in the dumpster at work . Heavy duty flammable cabinets are well built , but don't know what they go for .


----------



## Lucas E (Jan 26, 2022)

mmcmdl said:


> IMO , the U-lines are trash . Just threw a ton of them in the dumpster at work . Heavy duty flammable cabinets are well built , but don't know what they go for .


I've seen a few offered for sale locally on the used market. I have never been able to get over the color, but I may have to if I can find one cheap and they're are sturdy as you say they are.


----------



## Firebrick43 (Jan 26, 2022)

Don't get a storage cabinet like that, so much wasted space.  Get a used lista or vidmar.  400 lbs per drawer.


----------



## Lucas E (Jan 26, 2022)

Firebrick43 said:


> Don't get a storage cabinet like that, so much wasted space.  Get a used lista or vidmar.  400 lbs per drawer.


I'm working a deal on a lista, but plan to use it for hardware and smaller items. I need the cabinet for consumables anyway, and it seems like it would be beneficial to just get a heavy duty one and be able to use it for multiple types or storage.


----------



## Firebrick43 (Jan 26, 2022)

We had strongholds at work, but used them for storing power tools and lifting devices and such.  All tooling, even big cat 50 tool holders, vises, and such were in listas.

They make a snap on tool box feel cheap.


----------



## ConValSam (Jan 26, 2022)

If you can't find a cabinet with sufficiently heavy shelves for the big stuff, you could always reinforce those shelves with a shop made solution and skin the cat that way. I have successfully done that in tool box drawers were I wanted to store chucks and vises and short metal stock.


----------



## Lucas E (Jan 26, 2022)

Firebrick43 said:


> We had strongholds at work, but used them for storing power tools and lifting devices and such.  All tooling, even big cat 50 tool holders, vises, and such were in listas.
> 
> They make a snap on tool box feel cheap.


I'm familiar with listas and would love to get a hold of 2 full height units, 1 with 10 drawers and 1 with 4-5 drawers. I havent seen many around here for sale that arent beat to hell.

Strongholds seem like overkill for just power tools. The 48" wide unit has a per shelf rating of 1500 lbs, and the 36" is 2200 lbs. But I guess that's how manufacturing facilities like to do things. I just wish they'd rotate them out more often!


----------



## Lucas E (Jan 26, 2022)

ConValSam said:


> If you can't find a cabinet with sufficiently heavy shelves for the big stuff, you could always reinforce those shelves with a shop made solution and skin the cat that way. I have successfully done that in tool box drawers were I wanted to store chucks and vises and short metal stock.


I have considered adding plywood to the shelves to increase the capacity, but I'd also like a unit that doesn't wobble all over the place when you open the doors. Since I'm starting from scratch I figure it's better to just get what I need from the start. There's a number of the office quality units available for $100 around here, but after looking at a few i know I want a more industrial unit.


----------



## mmcmdl (Jan 26, 2022)

Lucas E said:


> I'm familiar with listas and would love to get a hold of 2 full height units, 1 with 10 drawers and 1 with 4-5 drawers. I havent seen many around here for sale that arent beat to hell.


The Vidmars , listas are 30" deep which for me is not a problem . I'll attest to their strength also . If you were closer , you'd have what you're looking for .


----------



## FOMOGO (Jan 26, 2022)

If you're going to use a reinforced lighter weight cabinet, you can always lag it to the wall to stiffen things up. Mike


----------



## Lucas E (Jan 26, 2022)

FOMOGO said:


> If you're going to use a reinforced lighter weight cabinet, you can always lag it to the wall to stiffen things up. Mike


That's a good idea, although it might clash with my current habit of rearranging the shop every 3 months to fit something new or improve the layout.


----------



## FOMOGO (Jan 26, 2022)

Just fill the holes when you move it, or better yet cover the holes with something entertaining. Mike


----------



## mmcmdl (Jan 26, 2022)

Just throwing this out there . Years ago I bought a couple shelf units from Homey Repo . They looked to be light duty compared to what we have in at work . Surprisingly , they've held everything I've thrown at them , and they haven't failed me yet . Chucks , vises , fixtures etc . No doors , but they were quite cheap around $200 or so .


----------



## tjb (Jan 26, 2022)

Here's mine that I made a few years ago.  5' wide; 2-1/2' deep; 8' tall.  Frame is 1-1/2" x 1/8" square tubing; shelves are 10 gauge sheet metal.

It holds four chucks, two rotary tables, a heavy surface plate, angle plates, motors, etc., etc., etc.  I left the bottom high enough to slip 5 gallon buckets under it.

Not too difficult to build if you know how to weld, and you can custom fit it to maximize capacity.  Hundreds of pounds of weight, and I've never had a problem with it.

Regards,
Terry


----------



## BGHansen (Jan 26, 2022)

+1 on the Vidmars, Listas, etc.  Our Tool Rooms at work use them along with some extremely sturdy shelving.  FaceBook MarketPlace has a number of them in my area for $800 - $2500 each.

My shop is no model for efficient use of limited space, but it works for me.  I have my stuff in multiple places using different storage schemes.  My two manual mills are a Bridgeport (though it is a CNC mill, usually run it as a manual) and a Jet JVM-830.  Very commonly used stuff is right at the mill; collets, draw bar wrench and drill chucks.

There's a HF 26" top/bottom box behind the mills.  Commonly used stuff and smaller stuff is there; I do a 180 turn and am at the boxes.  This is where the parallels, drill bits, end mills (used), countersinks, mics, calipers, 1/2/3 blocks, center finders, etc. set.

I also have an 18" x 36" x 6' storage rack from Menards.  It's "rated" at 500 lbs. per shelf.  My suspicion is someone did the math of the shear load on the rivets holding the shelf supports to the vertical supports, not the deflection of a 500 lbs. load dead center on the 3/8" thick particle board shelving.  Mine were reinforced with 3/4" plywood.  I've got at least 200 lbs. on a couple of the shelves and they're still flat.  The 3/8" particle board on the top shelf started flexing under less than 30 lbs. of clutter.  Regardless, for $75 plus a sheet of 3/4" plywood for better shelving, I've been happy with mine.

I also have a 15" x 30" roll-around cart for some of my Tormach 1100 tooling.  I cut off the verticals to lower the cart so it fits under the chip pan.

I built a poor-man's Vidmar set of cabinets for general shop storage and tooling.  They set about 8' from the three mills and lathes.  They are 4' wide x 2' deep x 4' tall.  The two cabinets have a divider down the middle; four banks of drawers 22" wide x 23" deep x varying height.  Everything was made from 1/2" AC plywood.  The drawer bottoms are 1/2" ply instead of 1/4" for stiffness.  Doubling the thickness of the bottom stiffens the "sag" by a factor of 8.  The drawer glides are full-extensions rated at 100 lbs.; heavy drawers are doubled up. 

Bruce


The Bridgeport and Jet mills have collets, drill chucks and wrenches stored at the machines




$75 Menards storage rack with 3/4" plywood shelving.  This has a right angle head for the BP, 4" mill vise, couple of dividing heads, rotary table, angle plates, measuring tools, bead roller, lantern lathe tooling, Quillmaster, etc.  It's been my set up for at least 5 years; 3/4" shelving is holding up well.




HF 26" chest just behind the mills


Stubby drill set, over/under reamers, DTI on an Indicol, reference material


Used end mills, new ones are in the wooden cabinet


End mill holders, jacks, 1/2/3 blocks, V-blocks, extra drill chucks, boring head, etc.


Specialty end mills, center/spotting drills, center-finding tooling


Micrometers, squares, scales



Storage cart under the Tormach with some tool holders, 4th axis, tilt table, and chucks.



HF cart with tooling storage for the Tormach



Tooling storage in the wooden "Vidmars".  The containers are from Menards; there's a bent piece of sheet metal in the front card slot to close off the front for piling more stuff in and a label up top.  Unused tooling is stored here.  Once pulled from here, it goes to the 26" HF tool box.


----------



## ConValSam (Jan 26, 2022)

tjb said:


> Not too difficult to build if you know how to weld


Buy a welder, learn to weld, build shelving.

New skill and tool opportunity!


----------



## Lucas E (Jan 26, 2022)

I appreciate all the ideas and pictures. I'm trying to get a closed style cabinet as I occasionally do woodworking in my shop and don't want sawdust to cover all the oily tooling.

While I am planning on getting a lista/Vidmar I still need recommendations for a heavy duty cabinet as I have a number of other items that need to go in there. Maybe I asked the wrong question. Let me try again.

I'm considering buying a storage device and need some ideas and opinions. Currently I'm looking at Listas, Vidmars, Lidmars, Vistas, buying welding equipment and steel, cheap office cabinets, a nuclear safe house, and selling all my tools and taking up sewing.

What I'm ABSOLUTELY NOT considering...
A good quality cabinet with 4 or 5 shelves roughly 36"-48" wide x 72" tall x 18" deep.

Have any ideas?


Kidding of course. I appreciate all the good ideas and info.


----------



## Alcap (Jan 26, 2022)

As far as anything nice that I could show , I have none lol but here’s a company that has many options as far as almost everything you could come up with. Not saying there’s is the best but take a look you might get some ideas from their site that you might find usable in your shop      https://www.equipto.com/shelving-and-racks/


----------



## mmcmdl (Jan 26, 2022)

Global Industrial Steel Storage Cabinet, Recessed Handle, 36"Wx18"Dx72"H, Gray, Unassembled
					

Global Industrial Steel Storage Cabinet, Recessed Handle, 36"Wx18"Dx72"H, Gray, Unassembled. Ships in One Business Day. Buy it and Save at GlobalIndustrial.com




					www.globalindustrial.com
				




Cheap price . Most likely a bit flimsy also .


----------



## matthewsx (Jan 26, 2022)

I have an Equipto unit in my Michigan shop but I'm definitely a fan of keeping an eye on Craigslist, etc. for something that will fit the bill.

A while back I lucked into a cabinet which had previously been used for ultrasound equipment in a medical setting. It's rackmount size and has a smoked plexiglass front, really heavy duty wheels and shelves and a stainless steel top. I've got chucks and other heavy stuff in it and it fits nicely in my small space.

If you have a surplus electronics place anywhere near you it would be worth checking them out, lots of computer and medical cabinets out there that are built really stout and have almost no value except as scrap.

John


----------



## Lucas E (Jan 26, 2022)

Alcap said:


> As far as anything nice that I could show , I have none lol but here’s a company that has many options as far as almost everything you could come up with. Not saying there’s is the best but take a look you might get some ideas from their site that you might find usable in your shop      https://www.equipto.com/shelving-and-racks/


I haven't looked at equipto yet, I'll check them out. My biggest problem is I don't really know what gauge sheet metal is required to reliably hold 150-200 lbs per shelf and not feel cheap. If money and weight were no object I'd probably just buy a stronghold. But the reality is, I don't need a 600 lb unloaded cabinet as I don't have a pallet jack to move it around.

I know plenty of the cheap office cabinets have ratings of 150-200 lbs per shelf, but I know that's more at the max rating capacity. They wouldn't be able to stand slight drops of a 60 lb rotary table very long before being all bent up. I also want something stiff enough to not wobble around when it's loaded, or I throw the door shut.

There seems to be quite a few options in between office cabinets and strongholds, so does anyone have a cabinet they feel is too light duty or sufficient quality and can they measure the shelf and cabinet steel thickness?


----------



## mmcmdl (Jan 26, 2022)

Global Industrial Flammable Cabinet, Manual Close Double Door, 45 Gallon, 43"Wx18"Dx65"H
					

Global Industrial Flammable Cabinet, Manual Close Double Door, 45 Gallon, 43"Wx18"Dx65"H. Ships in One Business Day. Buy it and Save at GlobalIndustrial.com




					www.globalindustrial.com


----------



## Lucas E (Jan 26, 2022)

mmcmdl said:


> Global Industrial Flammable Cabinet, Manual Close Double Door, 45 Gallon, 43"Wx18"Dx65"H
> 
> 
> Global Industrial Flammable Cabinet, Manual Close Double Door, 45 Gallon, 43"Wx18"Dx65"H. Ships in One Business Day. Buy it and Save at GlobalIndustrial.com
> ...


Ahhh, that has a good description. Looks like the flammable cabinets have double walls in the cabinets. Im guessing that's what makes them more sturdy. Takes up more real estate without adding storage capacity though.


----------



## mmcmdl (Jan 26, 2022)

This won't help you , but do they ever have auctions out your way ? I'm hitting this one for the little Vidmar . 









						New Tools & Industrial Supply Auction - tools - by owner - sale
					

INDUSTRIAL, TOOLS AND TOOLING AUCTION SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12TH 8:30 AM INCLEMENT WEATHER DATE FEBRUARY 19TH 8:30 AM 2023 Black Bridge Rd, York PA 17402 PREVIEW 11TH 1:00 TO 5:00 Please note: If bad...



					baltimore.craigslist.org


----------



## Firebrick43 (Jan 26, 2022)

Lucas E said:


> I appreciate all the ideas and pictures. I'm trying to get a closed style cabinet as I occasionally do woodworking in my shop and don't want sawdust to cover all the oily tooling.
> 
> While I am planning on getting a lista/Vidmar I still need recommendations for a heavy duty cabinet as I have a number of other items that need to go in there. Maybe I asked the wrong question. Let me try again.
> 
> ...


If you wood work, why not build your own.  I used mortice and tennon with some 2x4  to make some 6'x6'x2'deep shelves years ago with 2 cross braces across on each shelf.  I topped the shelves with duraplate which is a wabash national steel/plastic composite they use for trailer sides.  

Its very stiff.  Enclosing it would be quite easy with sheet goods.  Solid lumber (as it has higher stiffness than ply) laid cross wise and covered with a thin metal would have good stiffness and allow things to slide.  

I also have bought (because of lack of time) some xtreme garage shelving from menards.  It has 2000lbs capacity per shelf.  Don't get the particle board panels however.  I got wire panels for the upper shelves and the bottom two shelves put in 5/8 osb with (4) 1x3 cross braces and then covered it with tempered hard board to make stiff shelves that things will slide easy one and can be replaced on the cheap if need be in the future.  They sell doors for them but you would still need to enclose the back/sides.  I don't know if they would be cheaper per foot than a strong hold if you used their doors but If you made your own doors and such would be?


----------



## DeanB (Jan 26, 2022)

Firebrick43 said:


> If you wood work, why not build your own.  I used mortice and tennon with some 2x4  to make some 6'x6'x2'deep shelves years ago with 2 cross braces across on each shelf.  I topped the shelves with duraplate which is a wabash national steel/plastic composite they use for trailer sides.
> 
> Its very stiff.  Enclosing it would be quite easy with sheet goods.  Solid lumber (as it has higher stiffness than ply) laid cross wise and covered with a thin metal would have good stiffness and allow things to slide.
> 
> I also have bought (because of lack of time) some xtreme garage shelving from menards.  It has 2000lbs capacity per shelf.  Don't get the particle board panels however.  I got wire panels for the upper shelves and the bottom two shelves put in 5/8 osb with (4) 1x3 cross braces and then covered it with tempered hard board to make stiff shelves that things will slide easy one and can be replaced on the cheap if need be in the future.  They sell doors for them but you would still need to enclose the back/sides.  I don't know if they would be cheaper per foot than a strong hold if you used their doors but If you made your own doors and such would be?


I was going to ask the same thing.  Why do you need metal?  I made mine out of wood.  Only 24" square because that's the space i had but 3/8 ply with a 2x2 frame and skinned with 3.8 ply.  Added a door to keep dust out.


----------



## maspann (Jan 26, 2022)

For Vidmar cabinets check out Industrial Cabinet Sales. https://www.indcabsales.com/ They refurbish Vidmar and Lista cabinets (including repainting) and ship them to you at a good rate. They also advertise on Ebay. I have 4 on order with them now. They have a good reputation and have been great to deal with.


----------



## Lucas E (Jan 28, 2022)

Scored this 48" x 24" x 72" cabinet on Facebook last night. Was talking with a guy about a 60 gallon fireproof cabinet and ultimately decided it was going to be a bit smaller than I was looking for and he mentioned he had this unit as well. Got it for $175. Gonna wipe out the dust and get it set up this weekend. I love the shelves in the doors, I'm going to store all my spray cans in there so I don't have to pull ones out from 3 layers back.

The shelves measure roughly .081" think and will be plenty sturdy for some mill tooling. Although I think I'll add some plywood to two of the shelves for a little extra stiffness and to keep the clanging to a minimum.


----------



## mmcmdl (Jan 28, 2022)

Nice score !   Sometimes everything just seems to work out .


----------



## ConValSam (Jan 28, 2022)

Please give us a photo tour once you have it home, setup, and filled.

Cheers


----------



## Lucas E (Jan 29, 2022)

ConValSam said:


> Please give us a photo tour once you have it home, setup, and filled.
> 
> Cheers


I'll do my best! Spent today working on cleaning the cabinet up and rearranging the shop to get it in it's (hopefully) final resting place.


----------



## woodchucker (Jan 29, 2022)

Lucas E said:


> Scored this 48" x 24" x 72" cabinet on Facebook last night. Was talking with a guy about a 60 gallon fireproof cabinet and ultimately decided it was going to be a bit smaller than I was looking for and he mentioned he had this unit as well. Got it for $175. Gonna wipe out the dust and get it set up this weekend. I love the shelves in the doors, I'm going to store all my spray cans in there so I don't have to pull ones out from 3 layers back.
> 
> The shelves measure roughly .081" think and will be plenty sturdy for some mill tooling. Although I think I'll add some plywood to two of the shelves for a little extra stiffness and to keep the clanging to a minimum.


Oh man, that's a nice unit. I like the doors with shelves. Easy to put stuff that you want to see right up front. No hiding.


----------



## matthewsx (Jan 29, 2022)

Lucas E said:


> Scored this 48" x 24" x 72" cabinet on Facebook last night. Was talking with a guy about a 60 gallon fireproof cabinet and ultimately decided it was going to be a bit smaller than I was looking for and he mentioned he had this unit as well. Got it for $175. Gonna wipe out the dust and get it set up this weekend. I love the shelves in the doors, I'm going to store all my spray cans in there so I don't have to pull ones out from 3 layers back.
> 
> The shelves measure roughly .081" think and will be plenty sturdy for some mill tooling. Although I think I'll add some plywood to two of the shelves for a little extra stiffness and to keep the clanging to a minimum.


Glad you held out for an older sturdy unit. Don’t make ‘‘em like that anymore.


----------



## Lucas E (Jan 29, 2022)

matthewsx said:


> Glad you held out for an older sturdy unit. Don’t make ‘‘em like that anymore.


I'm not sure how old it actually is. It came from a 1.2 million square feet graphics plant that closed down. They still make quality cabinets, but you're probably looking at $1500 for a cabinet like this. It had some scuffs and scratches, and some idiot painted over the label tags on the shelves as opposed to just peeling them off. I spent some time with acetone and a dual action buffer to get it in better shape. I'll try and get some pics when I'm done, but I'm waiting on some color matched oil paint to dry on the touch up spots and the 2 plywood shelf reinforcements I made today.


----------



## matthewsx (Jan 29, 2022)

Here’s the one I was talking about, think I paid $75.






John


----------



## keeena (Feb 1, 2022)

@Lucas E  - I own a couple of these (link) Lyon cabinets and store the type of items you're talking. They are fully welded 14 gauge with some bits that are 12 gauge...so that's what you'd be looking for IMO. I know they are expensive; if you hunt around you might be able to find them for a decent deal at auction.

The other ideas about welding or reinforcing lighter duty cabs are also good ideas.

One other thing you can try is used pallet rack shelving. American Material Handling has a place by me where they sell used uprights and cross-members for a reasonable (IMO) price and even the lightest duty would easily be strong enough and very versatile (make a workbench, re-configure, etc...). But if you wanted enclosed storage then these are obviously not an option.

_[edit] - posted before reading past page 1.   Looks like you found what you wanted - nice!_


----------



## Lucas E (Feb 1, 2022)

Here's a shot of it partially filled. I just sold my last rotary table and haven't decided if I'm going to buy a Vertex or Yuasa, so that will go on the second shelf once I get one. I'm also planning on building an electronic dividing head at some point, so it will house that as well. I decided to keep the lathe chucks in the lathe cabinet, but the milling attachment, steady and follow rest don't get used much so they'll stay here. 

The doors work amazing for spray can storage. It's amazing to clearly see what I have and not have to pull out 5 cans to see what I have in the back. I put bungee cords across the doors to keep them from falling out when I open the cabinet. 

Looks like it will mostly be a consumables cabinet, but nice to store tooling as well as it's much easier to slide it off a shelf than pick it up out if a drawer. I've got some boring head cases and measuring tools boxes that will most likely end up in this cabinet when I decide it doesn't deserve the space it takes up in the boxes near the machines.


----------



## Larry42 (Feb 1, 2022)

The storage in the doors helps a lot.
I repurposed a control cabinet from a CNC machine. 4x2x8, very sturdy but I had to make wooden shelves.


----------

