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Cabinet for mill tooling?
- Thread starter Lucas E
- Start date
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.
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2015
- Messages
- 9,766
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.
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2019
- Messages
- 7,160
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.
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2019
- Messages
- 539
@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!
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!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.
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.
