I've been in need of a decent file cabinet for my tiny office for sometime , so Jay and I went shopping at the Restore in Champaign. This is the resale shop that supports the Habitat for Humanity organization and it is filled with used furniture, lighting fixtures, floor and bathroom tiles, paints, and all sorts of building and household supplies. It takes time to find true treasures but the low prices make the hunt, well worth it.
In addition to a small couch and chair to go in our upstairs lounge, we discovered an older, very sturdy, all metal file cabinet for just $20. A real steal of solid steel. But, Jay thought it too big for my wee office space. I dared to oppose him and we brought in home.
Turns out, he was right. The depth was ok, the height, too tall.
But I wasn't about to return it, it was too cool of a file cabinet, so Keith took it into his work shop and cut it down to size, shaving three inches off the bottom. What my husband can do with a power tool always impresses me. Sparks flew brilliantly while Keith cut and Jay (too close for my comfort) used his body to control some of the fallout. No one was injured in the filming of this documentary and Keith's shop did not burst into flame as I feared. The file cabinet however, suffered a serious amputation of its bottom portion, resulting in a custom fit under my desk.
Now all my papers, stories, book chapters and generalized ephemera, have a decent place to hide out. Of course the fit is so tight I can't quite figure out how to remove the towel we used to slide it under there to protect the floor. Details, details.
Ahhhhh - another good use for Vaseline . . . nice job!
ReplyDeleteSo many comments I could make. So little time. :)
DeleteGood thing you didn't. This brings back memories of my mechanic's new fridge. His wife had to have the big one with the water dispenser & the ice maker - she wouldn't listen to anyone about it not fitting, he was a mechanic, wasn't he??? Well, it didn't fit. Instead of taking out the cabinet above - she wouldn't hear of it & made threats about the safety of ANYONE who touched it - he cut a hole in her brand new flooring . . .
DeleteDonna we shop the Restore here too. We have found some nice things and we have two Habitat Homes in our family. They do good work. Love your blog. If I were you I would take a utility knife and cut that towel.
ReplyDeleteThat is a fabulous idea Carol! You smart follower.
DeleteDonna we shop the Restore here too. We have found some nice things and we have two Habitat Homes in our family. They do good work. Love your blog. If I were you I would take a utility knife and cut that towel.
ReplyDeleteWeird. Your comment sounds a lot like Carols above. Are you two related?
DeleteTake a sharp blade and cut around the bottom of cabinet, you'll end up with face flannels but no-one will know.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cro, I think I can deal with "face flannels." Sounds like they'll fit right in with my current jowl dropping.
DeleteIf the bottom of the file cabinet isn't a flat surface but instead has sharp edges from the cutting, then your wooden floors are happy happy about the cushy towel. I'd use scissors to cut the towel instead of a utility knife which might cut too deeply and score the floor. And another good use of the towel there -- all those tear-stained rejection letters need to drip off into something absorbant. Just saying ... ;-D
ReplyDeleteLike I cry over rejection letters. 'sniff' not hardly, 'sniff sniff'
DeleteI've been meaning to replace my 4 drawer filing cabinet, with 2 separate 2 drawer ones, so I can place them under my desk. I was thinking of sourcing them second hand, but now, after watching Jay's lateral thinking, could I split my 4 drawer unit, down to two?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this wonderful recycling idea. Not only did it solve your filing issues (it looks great under your desk) but it looks like it could effect mine too. I love being able to save money, by re-purposing existing possessions.
I think if its a sturdy file cabinet it could be split but what do I know? I have all these great ideas then its Jay or poor Keith who has to put them into action. Soon though I'll be getting more of my own power tools. Back up everyone and grab some safety glasses.
DeleteIt's kind of scary those first few times, but then those power tools, start to feel like an extra appendage. Good on you for getting in and experimenting. But yes, safety glasses, lol.
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