Are Capstan parts cabinets still made? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2021, 07:41:56 am
content: I know of a room full of those nice small blue sheet metal parts cabinets, with the clear plastic drawers. All of them also full of juicy parts as a bonus. Mostly new-old stock. Probably some will be very old and unobtainium, right through to current. The sort of stock that is a goldmine for those who maintain/restore old equipment. But mostly I want a wall-full of the cabinets.They are all about to be bulldozed, and all attempts to plead with the demolition company have failed.Googling 'capstan cabinets' doesn't seem to find any leads to the company who made them. Are they long out of business?Basically I'm just asking, to know exactly how depressed to become about my failure to rescue the room full of them. They say: "You're two weeks too late. Salvage would have been OK if you'd asked before Christmas. Now we began asbestos removal in the building, and no one but our demo crew is allowed in." Which is legalistic bullshit, I'm pretty sure there's virtually nothing in the way of haz-mats.Sob. I didn't get wind of it till very recently. And I'm starting to set up a new, bigger electronics lab room.If I find it's also now impossible to buy a bunch of those cabinets new, I'll be about 10^6 times more pissed off.In which case I'll post the contact details of the demo company and treasure location here. You can try asking too. I don't expect it could change their mind, but they deserve to be asked about it over and over.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 07, 2021, 08:36:27 am
content: I'd say their reasoning is pretty fair, considering they don't have to let you on-site at all, ever. They are liable if something goes wrong, even years later. The fact they are conducting asbestos removal says to me that there is asbestos in there to be removed. They would have tested the site months ago to determine the presence of hazardous materials.You'll just have to chop that one up to a missed opportunity.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2021, 09:08:25 am
content: Of course. I am fully aware it's their call. Did I not mention that I'm just upset I missed it? By 2 f-ing weeks, over Christmas, sh*t.It's also sickening that in the apparently months of lead up to this situation (which I didn't hear about) NO ONE thought to bother to sell off such assets. Too much trouble, what's a few thou in relation to a many millions of $ property deal?My actual question is, are metal-frame Capstan parts cabinets still made and available? If so, where? Because I really do need to buy some and google doesn't seem to know of them. Apart from a few old dregs via auctions etc.All the fully plastic equivalents are crap. Too small, break too easily, waste too much space on bulky frames, won't take weight, can't securely screw to a backing board, etc.For those who don't know of Capstan parts cabinets, here's a representative pic. They come in various sizes, this is just an old one I have. It's not a good sign that there is no web URL on the label. It's that old.Like everything great, I should have bought a lifetime supply. Have they really stopped making these too?

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 07, 2021, 10:31:43 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on January 07, 2021, 09:08:25 amWelcome to my world. Work was literally throwing away tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of "old", out of warranty gear, into the dumpster for destruction. I managed to save some bits that didn't contain any storage. Everything else was shredded.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2021, 03:47:28 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on January 07, 2021, 10:31:43 amIt's crazy how wasteful companies are, just because of legal/political BS. I worked in a hospital and it infuriated me to see the waste there, it's horrible.

author: Tomorokoshi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2021, 04:30:09 am
content: Maybe turn the "hazardous waste" angle to your advantage. Claim that some of the parts contain germanium, cadmium, lead, mercury, etc. (which is all probably true) and that they will have to dispose of them properly.Then offer to dispose of them properly yourself. It might work, as long as you don't have to show some kind of license.