sturdier stackable milk crates

I bought a lot of stackable milk crates from Staples with the intention
of using them for cheap file cabinets, stacked 4 crates high. I also bought
casters from Staples, to be attached to the bottom crate, so that the "file
cabinets" can be moved easily when I need access to closet space behind them.

This worked well for about a year, mostly I think because I very rarely
needed to move the stacks. However, from time to time one of the stacks
would keel over. The casters seem to be adequate for this purpose. The
problem seems to be with the holes one fits the casters into on the bottom
of the crate. The sides of the holes don't seem to be strong enough for this
purpose. Also, the casters don't fit exactly into these holes on the bottoms
of the crates and damage them by splitting the sides of the holes to some
extent.

I don't have much space and really need a mobile solution like this.
I considered obtaining dollies to put each stack on but I think dollies
have too big a footprint and space is really in short supply. Also, dollies
are comparatively expensive and I have at least half a dozen stacks.

The idea I'm pursuing now is to find a sturdier kind of milk crate which will
also accept the casters and use this sturdier kind for the bottom crate of
each stack. Staples doesn't sell any other kind of crate, as far as I know,
and apparently neither does Office Depot. Here, "sturdier" refers as much
to the hole receiving the caster as it does to the crate itself.

If you know someone who sells them, please let me know. I've seen some
occasional items in dejanews about steel milk crates. I don't know what
they cost or what size they are (e.g. whether the chintzy ones from Staples
can be stacked on top of them) or whether they will accept the casters I have.
Anyway, I'm open to suggestions.

Ignorantly,
Allan Adler


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* Disclaimer: I am a guest and *not* a member of the MIT Artificial *
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In article , says...


I bought a lot of stackable milk crates from Staples with the intention
of using them for cheap file cabinets

I don't understand why you don't simply buy
a "cheap file cabinet?" Seems that would
be a LOT simpler than "making do" with
something that never was intended to be a
file cabinet. And if it needs casters, that
is simple to remedy by building a "cheap
dolly" to go under the "cheap file cabinet."

(snip)
I use the real plastic milk crates, the kind that say 'misuse
punishable
by law' on the sides.

-That reminds me of when I lived in Southern California, out in the
hills near the Avocado orchards, the Mexican illegal immigrants would
stack them into makeshift housing and throw plastic sheets over them.
There was even a makeshift "restaurant" made out of them. The
authorities did nothing because they want cheap labor for big
business, but finally a couple of local dairies conducted a raid to
get their crates back. The village disappeared, but it was back up in
a few days with more stolen crates.-Jitney

Thanks to all who offered their suggestions. What finally seems to have
worked (the jury is still out on this) is using little clamps to reinforce
the the receptacles for the castors. These are the kind which contain a
loop of flat metal and which one tightens and loosens using a screw driver.
I bought four of them and used them on one of the stacks that had collapsed
and now it is again functional. Total cost of the repair was 7 x 7 x 7 = 343
pennies.

If this solution should ever fail, I found how how to make my own dollies of
exactly the size I need. It should cost me about 20 dollars per dolly (about
10 dollars per piece of wood and nearly that for wheels with flat attachments,
plus tax), since I will have to purchase both the cut wood and the dolly,
having no tools of my own and no place to do the necessary woodwork. On the
other hand, the place that will sell me the pieces of wood (about
18'' x 18'' x 3/4") will also drill holes in it where I want them for no
extra cost. I think it is a bit steep but the total cost is way less than
what it would cost to replace the stack by a file cabinet.

Allan Adler


************************************************** **************************
* *
* Disclaimer: I am a guest and *not* a member of the MIT Artificial *
* Intelligence Lab. My actions and comments do not reflect *
* in any way on MIT. Moreover, I am nowhere near the Boston *
* metropolitan area. *
* *
************************************************** **************************

On 07/19/2003 09:29 AM, Allan Adler wrote:
Thanks to all who offered their suggestions. What finally seems to have
worked (the jury is still out on this) is using little clamps to reinforce
the the receptacles for the castors. These are the kind which contain a
loop of flat metal and which one tightens and loosens using a screw driver.
I bought four of them and used them on one of the stacks that had collapsed
and now it is again functional. Total cost of the repair was 7 x 7 x 7 = 343
pennies.

If this solution should ever fail, I found how how to make my own dollies of
exactly the size I need. It should cost me about 20 dollars per dolly (about
10 dollars per piece of wood and nearly that for wheels with flat attachments,
plus tax), since I will have to purchase both the cut wood and the dolly,
having no tools of my own and no place to do the necessary woodwork. On the
other hand, the place that will sell me the pieces of wood (about
18'' x 18'' x 3/4") will also drill holes in it where I want them for no
extra cost. I think it is a bit steep but the total cost is way less than
what it would cost to replace the stack by a file cabinet.

Allan Adler



You might consider using a discarded skateboard. :-)

Liz