How to dress up a lateral filing cabinet

bowanna03 · Feb 8, 2013

So, I just score a 4 drawer lateral filing cabinet and one of our work auctions. I wanted to paint it or make it llok like it belongs in garage and not an office. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated!

5lima30 · Feb 8, 2013

Paint it to match your toolboxes!

JC23 · Feb 8, 2013

^^^ This! Nuff said.

Duck72 · Feb 8, 2013

You can add polished or brushed aluminum handles to give it that tool box look too. I was thinking of something similar but adding a maple or butcher block top to it for work space.

bowanna03 · Feb 8, 2013

Thanks guys! Just trying to do something outside the box. Something a little different

Daddy454 · Feb 8, 2013

STICKERS!!!!!!

Journaler · Feb 8, 2013

haha, the stickers sure camouflage the cabinets!

I just rattle-canned mine to match my workbenches. Wish I'd just used a foam roller, the overspray was ugly.

OldNeons · Feb 8, 2013

they make some cool vinyl (used for signs/lettering) that you could skin the cabinet with. Carbon fiber, diamond plate, stainless, brushed aluminum, etc.

BDT/NWMN · Feb 8, 2013

contents labels

Duck72 · Feb 8, 2013

OldNeons said:
they make some cool vinyl (used for signs/lettering) that you could skin the cabinet with. Carbon fiber, diamond plate, stainless, brushed aluminum, etc.

That's a hell of an idea! It's reasonably cheap too. I bought some carbon fiber vinyl once to use for a custom computer case. I purchased mine from ebay.

larry_g · Feb 8, 2013

Lightly spray it with used motor oil and then dust it with a few dustpans of floor sweepings and it would be a perfect match in my place.

lg
no neat sig line

JimVonBaden · Feb 8, 2013

I guess it all depends on your garage. I left mine alone and they look like they fit in, I think!

Another inmate painted his to match his tool boxes, and they look great!

Jim

Dan in Pasadena · Feb 8, 2013

Mine USED to look like this. I was going for an "old timey" kinda vibe ala Jack Olsen's garage but I wanted to use paint I already had. The yellow got dirty too quickly so I have since repainted it gray but honestly it's kinda blah and based on another GJ member's having painted his red I'm considering redo-ing mine once again! :dunno:

BEFORE:

CURRENTLY:

hedhunter9 · Feb 8, 2013

Must be a bike guy with all the bike decals..!

Bob

jam022316 · Feb 8, 2013

I've been eyeing these on craigslist. What do you guys use them for storage wise?

vartz04 · Feb 8, 2013

They are great for power and air tools

tornadocaster · Feb 8, 2013

Paint them one color. I used the Hammerite paint which hides small flaws and dents.

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Cheers!
Gio

darkk · Feb 9, 2013

Grab yourself a gallon of Rustoleum enamel and a 3/8: nap roller, a couple foam brushes and go for it.....

smedly · Feb 9, 2013

Handles and casters to make it mobile.

Handles to make opening the drawers easier, built in to other cabinets/benches to make it look like part of the garage.

dodge610 · Feb 9, 2013

I notice a lot of guys use the Hammerite paint on there lateral file cabinets. I have one I need to paint is that paint made by rustoleum I need to go get some and primer to do mine :headscrat

.

jam022316 · Feb 9, 2013

Man those all look great! Nice thread! Would love to see how you guys are organizing stuff on the inside of them.

964haus · Feb 9, 2013

Dan in Pasadena · Feb 9, 2013

I THINK I've read somewhere that Rustoleum bought the Hammerite brand(?) I may be wrong but I've used Rustoleum's hammer paint on the big I beams in my garage modification you can see below.

I also their black color (more of a charcoal gray) on an old oak solid door I use for a work bench top. It works good but its weird paint. Whatever is in it to make it develop the hammer effect makes it begin to dry REALLY quickly - while you're still rolling it.
It gets "thread-y" for lack of a better term.

This is Rusto's Silver hammer paint:

A closeup to show the texture. I did NOTHING to prep for this. There was old paint well-adhered to the steel. Two coats gave me this finish:

larry_g · Feb 9, 2013

Dan in Pasadena said:
A closeup to show the texture. I did NOTHING to prep for this. There was old paint well-adhered to the steel. Two coats gave me this finish:

love the wiring job

lg
no neat sig line

Dan in Pasadena · Feb 9, 2013

larry_g said:
love the wiring job

Yeah, it IS pretty impressive, huh? Actually, I need to open the wall I put OSB on, use a little longer piece of Romex to run it to an existing switch box on the wall. It's one of those things I'm ashamed to admit I have lived with now since summer and almost don't see it anymore.

You've shamed me now, I'll go for it today - damn you! :bounce:

Ripped · Feb 9, 2013

I did a few;

I really like the steel cabinets. Cheap and strong.

kfainf · Feb 9, 2013

dodge610 said:
I notice a lot of guys use the Hammerite paint on there lateral file cabinets. I have one I need to paint is that paint made by rustoleum I need to go get some and primer to do mine .

Rustoleum makes a good hammered metal paint. I have used it, and really like it. Hammerite is actually a brand itself and is a very good paint also, from what I've read. I have never used Hammerite myself because I could not find it locally. I believe Hammerite has more color choices than the Rustoleum.

dodge610 · Feb 9, 2013

kfainf said:
Rustoleum makes a good hammered metal paint. I have used it, and really like it. Hammerite is actually a brand itself and is a very good paint also, from what I've read. I have never used Hammerite myself because I could not find it locally. I believe Hammerite has more color choices than the Rustoleum.

Thanks a lot I did a google search and it sas I can buy it at my Hom Depoy gonna check it out later this evening. :thumbup:

bullnerd · Feb 9, 2013

Ripped-the red white and checkered is very cool!

larry_g · Feb 9, 2013

Dan in Pasadena said:
Yeah, it IS pretty impressive, huh? Actually, I need to open the wall I put OSB on, use a little longer piece of Romex to run it to an existing switch box on the wall. It's one of those things I'm ashamed to admit I have lived with now since summer and almost don't see it anymore.

You've shamed me now, I'll go for it today - damn you!

Now you know why I don't post a lot of pictures of my mess as someone will point out all those roundtuits.

lg
no neat sig line

Daddy454 · Feb 9, 2013

hedhunter9 said:
Must be a bike guy with all the bike decals..!

Bob

Dude,you don't even know :bounce:

Daddy454 · Feb 9, 2013

jam92102 said:
Man those all look great! Nice thread! Would love to see how you guys are organizing stuff on the inside of them.

They are a little tough to work with sometimes,but I just cleaned mine out 2 weeks ago..

188slo50 · Feb 9, 2013

This is nothing but great ideas keep them coming! I have a 2 drawer and want more to build my work bench still no sure on color yet.

BigGMC · Feb 9, 2013

smedly said:
Handles to make opening the drawers easier, built in to other cabinets/benches to make it look like part of the garage.

Nice handles, are they towel bars?

smedly · Feb 9, 2013

BigGMC said:
Nice handles, are they towel bars?

Yep. Ikea.

Looked for all sorts of different things. Thought of pipe, grab bars for bathrooms, door handles, aluminum channel, but didn't find anything cheap enough. Spent time in ikea bathroom and kitchen stuff and found these. $2 or 3 if I can remember.

Dan in Pasadena · Feb 9, 2013

kfainf said:
... I believe Hammerite has more color choices than the Rustoleum.

I'd love to find out there is a hammer tone in a true red. Now that I think of it, in a Sage or avocado type green too. Gonna have to search on "Hammerite"

dragracer98 · Feb 9, 2013

Dan in Pasadena said:
I'd love to find out there is a hammer tone in a true red. Now that I think of it, in a Sage or avocado type green too. Gonna have to search on "Hammerite"

Dan,

Rust-Oleum makes the following colors in the Hammered type paint in a spray can. Bright Red - #7217830
Deep Green - #7211830
Verde Green - #7219830

Hope this info helps you out.

Randy

Dan in Pasadena · Feb 9, 2013

Thanks Randy,

I can use the Verde green (redundant) in a rattle can. The red, I'm not as sure about. I'd really like to roll it on my lateral file cabinets if I decide to redo them. BUt I'm gonna look for the red spray can and test it to see how good/bad it come out.

machine_punk · Feb 10, 2013

I think hammer tone paint, in whatever color you want, would go a long way to making them more garage-ish.

You could also use a wrench for a handle...
View media item 11608

dodge610 · Feb 10, 2013

Went to HD to get Hammerite paint google said they carried it no dice. guy on the sales floor says he had the rustoleum match to hammerite. Went ahead and got it hope to see close results if not I will use the rustoleum else where and get the hammerite on line. I have a couple file cabinets to do,

How to dress up a lateral filing cabinet

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