I was lucky enough to pick a cabinet up on Facebook Marketplace for £15 which was an absolute bargain. If you were to buy one new it would set you back at least £300.

So I had my cabinet now to take it apart! I started by removing the top 2 drawers and the runners to leave a space large enough for an Ender 3 V2 which was going to be my next purchase. I then put in a wooden framed base at the bottom level of where the second drawer was. This was my printer’s base and had just about the right clearance on all sides.

How do I keep it looking like a filing cabinet I thought? I then had a brainwave; dismantle the drawers and keep the front panels. This wasn’t easy but once I’d done the first one, the second was much easier. A bit of tinkering and some more wooden panelling and I had my false front.

My biggest headache then was how to make it into a door but I wasn’t happy with any hinge setup I tried. So, I gave up on that and decided to just make it into a removable panel. Much easier!

4 magnetic catches later an a bit of sanding and I was done.

Now, I’m of the opinion that if you can make something look good then make it look as good as it can be. I went with a blue gloss paint to match the other shelving and workbench in my garage. I was surprised at how good a finish it produced, particularly as I’d applied it with a brush and not sprayed.

Ok, paint job and build pretty much done but I wasn’t happy that I could see screws and bolts showing. I therefore bought some chrome trim usually used on cars. This worked perfectly to cover any blemishes or screw holes and also gave it (in my opinion) a stunning and professional look.

A little embellishment with the Creality logo and bingo!

Part 3 to follow: lighting, parts and cost …

How to make a printer enclosure from a filing cabinet (Part 2)