DIY Filing Cabinet Makeover

Back in April, my employer sent out an email that they were selling old filing cabinets for $5 each.  Can you believe it??  What a bargain!  I signed up for 3 of them.

They're all the HON brand.  Expensive if bought new.  (Ask me how I know...) There are a couple of small dents and a few stuck on labels.  Aside from that, they're in great condition.  The brown ones are older and need hanging file folder racks.  Racks came in all the drawers as well as all these hanging files:

Of course, I couldn't let them be mismatched like that.  I decided to paint them.  I wanted to do them in the green I did my scissor display rack, 2-drawer cabinet and display/storage shelf.  When I went to the home improvement store, I found that they no longer have that color.  Boo.  After mulling over the many choices, I finally decided on a color.

The first step in my filing cabinet makeover involved removing all the hardware.

Then all sticker labels were removed.  Goo Gone works great to get rid of any sticky residue.  With the help of a palm sander, I sanded the entire thing with a fine grit sandpaper -- 220 or 320 grit.  This can be done by hand, but a sander makes the task go much faster.

 

The sanded cabinet is not a pretty sight:

 

I had the "brilliant" idea to do this in my dining room.  Probably not the best idea I had.  After doing the first cabinet, I decided to move this project to the basement where I continued to sand the drawer fronts.  I didn't plan on painting the sides or insides so I didn't sand those.

 

After sanding, I wiped everything down with water mixed with a bit of TSP. It's a good idea to wipe it down several times to make sure all the dust is wiped off.

 

Next came primering and painting.  I used about a can and a half primer and 2-3 cans of paint.  The spray can trigger is invaluable!  I don't do any painting projects without it.

 

 

Spray Painting Tips:

•  Choose a well-ventilated location and use a respirator!  The basement probably isn't the best place but I did open the windows and used a respirator (most of the time).  Having a fan running helps, too.

•  Protect from overspray. When doing a large project like a filing cabinet, there will be a LOT of paint dust.  Put down newspaper to protect floors/concrete and cover anything you don't want covered in paint dust or overspray.

•  Read the directions on the can for the proper spraying distance and drying times.  Be sure to shake the can well!  If you don't, the can will spit paint instead of spraying.  That said... before painting your project, test the spray paint.  Practice spray on something else.

•  It's better to apply multiple thin coats in a sweeping motion, letting each coat dry before doing the next.  Begin and end each coat off the edges of the project.  Completing one coat over the entire project will give you more consistent color and finish.  Take your time... it's not a race.

 

Here's my primered cabinet:

 

 

Before primering and painting the drawers, I used newspaper and painters tape to cover the parts I wasn't going to paint.  Since I couldn't remove the thumb buttons, I taped those, too.  

 

 

Once the primer dried, I used the paint.  Spray painting a large project takes a bit more finesse, but if you take your time it will turn out great.

 

Being proactive, I wanted to protect my hardwood floors should I ever want to move my filing cabinets around. 

 

Super Sliders to the rescue!  With a bit of adhesive, I permanently attached the Super Sliders to the bottom of each filing cabinet. 

 

After letting the adhesive dry, it was only a matter of putting the hardware back on and putting the drawers in the cabinets. Finally, I ended up with matching cabinets.

 

 

In case you're wondering what color I chose for the cabinets.  It's called "Lagoon" by Rustoleum.

 

 

Don't they look awesome!?! 

 

 

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

 

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