Preparing an old Filing Cabinet to store Comic books 0

[Lord_Knikon]

Alright guys, I am sorry for such a new collector related question, but as I said in another post I am getting back into collecting after being away from it for a very long time. As I was never a serious collector to begin with and am looking to get back  into the hobby at a little more serious level I will be asking the forums several questions over the coming weeks.  I ask that you guys bear with me and be patient. I  have got this old filing cabinet a while back at a Salvation Army for a steal of a price and have been looking to use it to store some of my comics. It is not wide enough for two rows of comics in each drawer (Which is a bit of a let down, but for the price I got it for can I really complain? I do not think so.) Anyway, it has the file folder frames inside the drawers and the little indention at the bottom of the drawer to account for the slider. I am wanting to store my comics like they are in a long box with  the bags and boards on them. Does anyone have any suggestions on if I need to do anything to get this cabinet ready to store comics? Also, does anyone have any suggestions on how to get masking tape off of the outside of it? When I bought it they had the drawers shut with masking tape and try as I might I have not been able to got it all off of the outside so I can possibly put stickers on it or decorate it in the future. (Because of my disability (CP) I am not very handy when it comes to stuff like this so I am sorry for having to ask.

Also, I have a smaller two drawer filing cabinet that I also would like to use for comic storage so if anyone else has any extra ideas I would love to hear them.

Thanks guys and sorry for all of the silly questions. It has just been a while since I have even had anyone to talk about all of this stuff with. Most of the people that I collected comics with as kids have gotten out of the game so I am coming back as the last of a dying breed in my area.

Thanks again for any ideas or suggestions

[The Lions Den]

Congratulations on your return to the hobby!  

I still have two metal filing cabinets that I used to use for comic storage---they actually worked quite well for that purpose. One thing I did when I stored comics and magazines in them was to put poster board on the bottoms of the drawers to keep everything on the same level. Poster board works well because it's wide enough and strong enough for this purpose and it won't interfere with the slider. 

As far as removing masking tape goes, have you ever tried a product called Simple Green? It's a cleaning solution which seems to work well for taking off masking tape; you spray it right onto the tape and it makes it relatively easy to peel the tape off. I'm pretty sure it won't take the paint off, either. If you can't locate any of that stuff, white vinegar may work as well. 

I hope this helps in some way, shape or form. Have fun and good luck!  

[Yorick]

I always use Ronsol (sp?) lighter fluid for removing tape/stickers.  If there's any left-over adhesive goo, take a new piece of tape and dab it against the goo areas to lift the last remnants.  This will be much easier since you are working on a metal surface.

I wonder if a legal size filing cabinet would hold graded books sideways?  I already store my graded comics spine-down on their side...

Your cabinet there looks like a normal US letter size cabinet.  I assume you'd be able to only put raw (bagged/boarded) comics in there.  Nice score.  Those are expensive when trying to buy them new.  I would suggest not over-packing it, and also begin loading it with the lowest drawers first and working your way up (don't want it falling over with too much top weight).

 

[shadroch]

 Used filing cabinets are available almost everywhere for $5-15. Four wide lateral cabinets are what I use, I paid $200 for four of them and now that I have them, constantly see them on sale for less.

Every business that shuts its doors has some of these.

Instead of one row, front to back, do two rows side to side. They fit fine.

Edited October 24, 2018 by shadroch

[Lord_Knikon]

22 hours ago, shadroch said:

 Used filing cabinets are available almost everywhere for $5-15. Four wide lateral cabinets are what I use, I paid $200 for four of them and now that I have them, constantly see them on sale for less.

Every business that shuts its doors has some of these.

Instead of one row, front to back, do two rows side to side. They fit fine.

If you are talking about putting two comics in side by side rows I have already looked into that and the cabinet is just not wide enough for putting two rows of books side by side in the same drawer. I will have a friend of mine measure it in the next day or so and get back to you. I wish I could find some lateral filing cabinets as well to store comics in but I have a hard time finding them in my area unless they are new and we are talking $200 dollars per from what I have looked at getting them brand new. I have not been able to find any more used ones in my area. Right now I am toying with the idea of getting of those cube organizers to put up against one wall and getting some boxes from Ikea to store the bulk of my collection in. What do you guys think?

 

[Foley]

I can't be much help regarding the storage questions, but removing the tape should be easy. I'd recommend using a putty knife / scraper (definitely a plastic one) to scrape the bulk of it off first. For the adhesive left behind, this is the best product I've come across:

You can find it as most hardware or home stores. That said, any solvent would do the trick, mineral spirits, Goo-Gone, lighter fluid (as previously mentioned), even gasoline. Just put a small bit on a rag and rub lightly, it won't damage the paint.

[shadroch]

I have several tan two drawer cabinets that the books fit two rows side by side. I had a couple of black two drawer ones that were about four inches less deep and didn't fit the second row..

[Lord_Knikon]

I just had someone that knows what they are doing measure the inside of both of my filing cabinets. The first one is 12 1/2 wide and the second is 12 inches wide so sadly I am going to be missing about an inch to put to rows side by side in the thing. I have seen some people that have placed them the other way in the filing cabinet with several small rows across the width of the cabinet. Does anyone have any experience doing this? Will I lose any space by doing it this way? what will I have to do to prepare the cabinet if I went with this option?

[FN-2199]

I prefer a lateral filing cabinet that I purchased advertised on Craigslist from a local office furniture liquidator. We also have one like yours that we purchased from Habitat Restore for about $30 and spent another $30 to fix it up with spray paint and cleaner. 

I went to the Dollar Store and purchased foam board to line the bottom and sides of the file cabinet. With the foam board you will be able to stand the comics up on a flat surface. Many file cabinets do not have flat drawers so the foam board gives you a flat surface. Also they provide a bit of insulation against moisture. The metal could generate slight condensation if it is close to a vent, door, or bathroom.