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Karen, call the office at your college that helps students find jobs. Hire a couple of students to move this furniture for you. It will be quick and probably cheaper than buying stuff to try to do it by yourself.
Unfortunately, there are very few students around this summer and in any case, my college doesn't have an employment service for them for casual labor for individuals (like this). But remember, I don't really need the furniture MOVED -- I can MOVE it myself on dollies/carts that I bought or built. The ONLY issue is getting the cabinets UPRIGHT AGAIN after I add the casters to them.
I actually HAVE a set, and they've come in handy for local moves. But they wouldn't work for my issue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by double6's
or put them up on some of those furniture dollies Harbor Freight sells..it's temporary and fairly easy to do if not too heavy..push against one side of cabinet lifting it up enough to slide the dolly under with your foot..then go around do the same thing on the other side with another dolly..
Quote:
Originally Posted by springfieldva
Agree. You can also post for help on your neighborhood website and HS/College kids home for summer break will be happy to make a little pocket cash.
Please see above responses to suzy_q! I don't need the furniture moved ... I CAN do that myself. The ONLY issue is getting the cabinets UPRIGHT AGAIN after I add the casters to them.
I was actually just down in the basement and will try 1 more thing once I have my mid-morning snack (fruit and nuts to TRY to keep myself going until dinner!). If what I'm going to try doesn't work, I very likely will post on my neighborhood list for a handyperson for an hour.
And Harry: thanks for the additional info. If I can get myself up to it, I will try again today with the 30"-high workbench ...
Thanks for the replies so far and reps to all I can!
I have a heavy cabinet (solid pine) that I added casters to. (The casters aren't on it right now because my brother broke a corner when "helping" me move it underneath door top when going from one room to another...I've done that a number of times; there's a way to do that which involves avoiding putting too much pressure on any one corner.)
Anyway, I've moved that cabinet several times and never had trouble lifting it. You don't have to bear all the weight the whole time while lifting it. You just need to get it up enough to where there's good contact with BOTH of the nearest casters, at which point, the weight is far less. You have to watch just letting it fly up...you don't want to do that. Once you get it partially or halfway up, well...I didn't have trouble controlling it while the rest of it naturally went down on the back 2 casters.
As far as grabbing it when it's down. you can put something short underneath it, so you can get good grasp on it. I didn't do that, but it's an option. As I lifted the top from near the floor, while hard to get it started, once started, it sort of naturally went up so that I didn't need to use that much strength to help it all the way up. Be sure there's nothing too close behind it.
Unfortunately, there are very few students around this summer and in any case, my college doesn't have an employment service for them for casual labor for individuals (like this). But remember, I don't really need the furniture MOVED -- I can MOVE it myself on dollies/carts that I bought or built. The ONLY issue is getting the cabinets UPRIGHT AGAIN after I add the casters to them.
I actually HAVE a set, and they've come in handy for local moves. But they wouldn't work for my issue.
See above responses to suzy_q! I don't need the furniture moved ... I CAN do that myself. The ONLY issue is getting the cabinets UPRIGHT AGAIN after I add the casters to them.
And Harry: thanks for the additional info. If I can get myself up to it, I will try again today with the 30"-high workbench ...
Thanks for the replies so far and reps to all I can!
Does your neighborhood have a social media page of some sort? People in my neighborhood post all the time looking for help with babysitting, dog sitting, yard work and moving furniture.
All you need is for someone to help you get the cabinet standing once you get the casters on. A kid like my 6'3" college junior could do that easily for you. I'll bet your neighbors have kids that would be glad to pop by to help you and would appreciate the reference for other jobs.
(Sorry if this sounds like nagging. It's not intended to be. I've just seen how it works in my neighborhood.)
Last edited by springfieldva; 06-14-2023 at 10:01 AM..
THANK YOU ALL ... I got it up!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, SUCCESS, and you could not possibly be more amazed than I am, LOL!
What worked was first moving the workbench into basement area #1-a (where the cabinets are/will be) and pushing it against the north wall.* The cabinet I added casters to yesterday was now on the floor, so I moved that over to in front of the workbench ...
Then I had to add OSB panels temporarily to the front of the workbench, otherwise the cabinet would start sliding underneath it (nothing can be easy, LOL!!). That's what you see below ...
Then I used a 6-foot 2x3 as a lever (didn't have a long 2x4 handy but was going to go get one from the garage if the 2x3 didn't work). I tried several times and couldn't quite get it up to the point where I could take over for the lever and push it the rest of the way up. FINALLY, I thought I'd try slipping a gray crate (one of those I had the cabinet on yesterday) underneath as I lifted with the lever -- the lever kept lifting and I kept pushing the gray crate with my foot further and further. (The gray crate also would have kept the lever from going all the way to the floor -- with the cabinet! -- if it got too heavy for me to handle and I had to drop it.) I did 2-3 "cycles" of the lever/push crate things and then the cabinet was high enough for me to push to the workbench ... AND IT'S UP!!
SUCCESS!! Just to make sure, I swiveled the cabinet around a few times and the casters worked fine.
So I am a happy camper right now!! Of course, now I have to remove the clothing bar at the top of the right side, get the top back on, get both doors screwed back into their hinges, add a 1/4" plywood "critter shield" underneath where the bottom drawer will go (the bottom drawer side of the cabinet is open to the floor, and the drawers don't go all the way to the back, so I am closing up that area entirely), put the drawers back in, drill more 1/4-inch shelf pin holes (since it was meant to be a wardrobe, the right side doesn't have many of those holes), and add shelves. Those things will all be easy -- maybe an hour total. THEN I CAN START USING IT -- finally!
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* Of course THE WALL would stop the cabinet from falling over too, but the next thing I was going to try was getting the cabinet onto the workbench (as I'd gotten it onto several gray crates yesterday to get it to a comfortable height for adding the casters). I am going to leave it in basement area #1-a for now -- will try it later today (if I can get up for it! ) on the cabinet that my electrician and I got down there -- I think I wrote that I have to re-do at least one of the casters on that one. (You can actually see that cabinet in the 3rd picture above -- it's also on the north wall, just to the left of the workbench.) Then I have to get 2 more cabinets from the garage down into the basement (MAYBE 3 more) with the pallet cart with big pneumatic wheels & the plywood plank. But I am feeling a TINY BIT more confident now that I can do this!!
I have a heavy cabinet (solid pine) that I added casters to. (The casters aren't on it right now because my brother broke a corner when "helping" me move it underneath door top when going from one room to another...I've done that a number of times; there's a way to do that which involves avoiding putting too much pressure on any one corner.)
Anyway, I've moved that cabinet several times and never had trouble lifting it. You don't have to bear all the weight the whole time while lifting it. You just need to get it up enough to where there's good contact with BOTH of the nearest casters, at which point, the weight is far less. You have to watch just letting it fly up...you don't want to do that. Once you get it partially or halfway up, well...I didn't have trouble controlling it while the rest of it naturally went down on the back 2 casters.
I could get it PARTLY up -- maybe 25 or 30 degrees -- but apparently 45 degrees, i.e. halfway, up is the crucial point at which it's likely to make it up all the way. My cabinet is 6 feet tall, 3 feet wide, 2 feet deep, and very heavy. (I lifted it from the 3' side; I wonder if it would be easier from the 2' side? I was afraid it would be too wobbly that way!)
Quote:
Originally Posted by bpollen
As far as grabbing it when it's down. you can put something short underneath it, so you can get good grasp on it. I didn't do that, but it's an option. As I lifted the top from near the floor, while hard to get it started, once started, it sort of naturally went up so that I didn't need to use that much strength to help it all the way up. Be sure there's nothing too close behind it.
I CAN grab it to START lifting it even if it's all the way down on the floor -- that's what I did later (see previous post! ). Note, you may very well be stronger than I am -- I am a 64-year-old woman who really needs to go back to doing weight training, LOL!
Quote:
Originally Posted by springfieldva
Does your neighborhood have a social media page of some sort? People in my neighborhood post all the time looking for help with babysitting, dog sitting, yard work and moving furniture.
All you need is for someone to help you get the cabinet standing once you get the casters on. A kid like my 6'3" college junior could do that easily for you. I'll bet your neighbors have kids that would be glad to pop by to help you and would appreciate the reference for other jobs.
(Sorry if this sounds like nagging. It's not intended to be. I've just seen how it works in my neighborhood.)
I wrote in an earlier post that we DO have a neighborhood email list, and that was going to be my last resort -- to offer to pay someone to come for an hour to help me get all 4 (or 5) back upright. The biggest problem with that is that I'd have to get them all down to the basement, add casters to them all, etc. before I could even use the FIRST. I would have done it if needed, though!
And it didn't sound like you were nagging at all! Your posts are always kind and helpful.
As for my strength, I'm not very strong, even for a woman. I'm in my late 60s, but last time I moved it, I was about 64. I moved it while I was in my 50s a number of times from room to room. And I put the casters on myself decades ago.
My cabinet isn't very wide or deep, but it's 7 ft tall and solid pine...Pine is very heavy.
I've lived alone for years, so I've figured ways to move things. I try to take it slowly and safely.
I have a dolly and several low-riding luggage carts with wheels. Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU DID IT! That's an awesome cabinet.
As for my strength, I'm not very strong, even for a woman. I'm in my late 60s, but last time I moved it, I was about 64. I moved it while I was in my 50s a number of times from room to room. And I put the casters on myself decades ago.
My cabinet isn't very wide or deep, but it's 7 ft tall and solid pine...Pine is very heavy.
I've lived alone for years, so I've figured ways to move things. I try to take it slowly and safely.
I have a dolly and several low-riding luggage carts with wheels. Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU DID IT! That's an awesome cabinet.
Dang, I'm 57 and I feel like a wimp! I just had my college kid help me get a load of books down our flight of stairs.
Thank you both for your very kind comments! I WAS pretty excited, LOL!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by springfieldva
Dang, I'm 57 and I feel like a wimp! I just had my college kid help me get a load of books down our flight of stairs.
You need a plank, LOL!
I had mostly heard that term as "walk the plank" in pirate movies , but my electrician was going to bring his if we couldn't get the first cabinet down the bulkhead stairs by carrying it (UGH). We got it down, but I was curious so I looked up "plank" and that's when I decided to make my own. It's just a piece of half-inch plywood 24" wide by 96" long that I happened to have left over from some previous project (I may cut it to ~90" so I can just KEEP IT in the bulkhead stairs) -- I had covered it with an old bedspread to get cabinet #2 down to the basement (the one I took myself), but I wanted something more permanent. I bought some cheap pillows and batting at Walmart -- will use those for padding, then cover them with a tarp and screw that tarp on to the plank in several places on the back (so the screws won't scratch whatever I slide down the plank on the pillows-and-batting side). That's another project for this week ...
Thank you both for your very kind comments! I WAS pretty excited, LOL!
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You need a plank, LOL!
I had mostly heard that term as "walk the plank" in pirate movies , but my electrician was going to bring his if we couldn't get the first cabinet down the bulkhead stairs by carrying it (UGH). We got it down, but I was curious so I looked up "plank" and that's when I decided to make my own. It's just a piece of half-inch plywood 24" wide by 96" long that I happened to have left over from some previous project (I may cut it to ~90" so I can just KEEP IT in the bulkhead stairs) -- I had covered it with an old bedspread to get cabinet #2 down to the basement (the one I took myself), but I wanted something more permanent. I bought some cheap pillows and batting at Walmart -- will use those for padding, then cover them with a tarp and screw that tarp on to the plank in several places on the back (so the screws won't scratch whatever I slide down the plank on the pillows-and-batting side). That's another project for this week ...
I admire your determination, ingenuity and vision. It's really cool how you made this plan and are following through on each step no matter what the obstacle may be. You're figuring it out.
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But they wouldn't work for my issue.
THANK YOU ALL ... I got it up!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
) on the cabinet that my electrician and I got down there -- I think I wrote that I have to re-do at least one of the casters on that one. (You can actually see that cabinet in the 3rd picture above -- it's also on the north wall, just to the left of the workbench.) Then I have to get 2 more cabinets from the garage down into the basement (MAYBE 3 more) with the pallet cart with big pneumatic wheels & the plywood plank. But I am feeling a TINY BIT more confident now that I can do this!! 
I was afraid it would be too wobbly that way!)
