My latest restoration
Before and after pictures.
Edit note: no that is NOT wood in the before picture, that is rusty metal.
This is a Steelcase cabinet that I bought at an estate sale for $1. I found it in an old barn with the bottom drawer partially buried in the dirt.
Unfortunately I have not been able to identify any information about the cabinet other than it was manufactured by Steelcase. A few of the drawers had metal dividers that made four sections, each the perfect size for a sheet of letter sized (8-1/2”x11”) paper. It may be a “flat file cabinet,” but for what purpose?
I’ll be using it for storing parts, tools, hardware, etc. in my workshop.
I disassembled the entire cabinet and drawers. Sandblasted everything. Replaced the rusted out bottom. Welded and reconstructed any weak points. Straightened all the metal including the drawer slides, as well as removed as many dents and dings as I could. Everything was primed and painted. The drawers are painted black, while the exterior cabinet and drawer faces are navy blue.
Polished all the brass handles and drawer identification holder then clear coated everything. A couple of the handles had the bolt studs (used to mount them) broken off. So, I honed out a hold from the back without damaging the front of the handle and glued a new stud in place. This was far more challenging than it sounds.
The only real modification I made was the addition of heavy duty lockable wheels. Otherwise I lubricated all the drawer slides with a wax lubricant and reassembled everything.
I’m quite happy with the results.