Added a custom shelf to my stack-on 14 gun cabinet...

[Vegetaman]

Top view of shelf:

Bottom view of shelf w/ supports:

Drilling the shelf holes:

Templates and completed brackets:

Mounting brackets installed:

Essentially, I bought this on super discount as a sort of accessories cabinet. So since I don't want to store guns in it, instead of installing the gun racks, I instead drilled out the holes where they install for 1/4" hardware (had to drill an extra hole in the back, as there's only 2 on each side and I wanted 3).

Then I cut some nice 1x2" pine to about 15" in length, leveled it and marked and drilled my holes. Found the melamine shelf on the clearance rack at Home Depot for like $2 and only had to rip down about 4" off the side. Then just put an extra piece of 1x2 pine in the back to make up the extra cabinet space. I think the internal dimensions were about 20 and 3/4".

One thing is for sure while doing this, it became apparent just how easy it is to drill holes in one of these things. Cuts in like butter. But for an accessories cabinet, I have high hopes for it. Heavy stuff in the bottom, and lighter stuff in the top.

Sorry I don't have any full length pictures. The green surface just wants to reflect light and be blurry no matter what I do. But yeah, I'm quite happy with it.

 

[Vegetaman]

Anyone else have any custom gun cabinet or gun safe mods to share? Kind of debating if I want to install the black plastic "half shelf" that came with the cabinet somewhere underneath that shelf I installed yesterday, or what to do exactly... Anybody have tips or tricks?

 

[Frank46]

When I bought our second home found a double door cabinet all steel out in the garage. Since the shelves were only spot welded and was going to store my reloading stuff in I opted for 1/8th steel pop rivets. Had to rent one of the air powered pop rivet guns for a couple days. My old hand operated pop rivet gun was a total waste. 4 rivets on each of the three sides,after 20 plus years nothing has moved. One saving grace is that I was able to drill the holes from inside the cabinet. Nice work by the way. Frank

 

[Fishslayer]

Anyone else have any custom gun cabinet or gun safe mods to share?

I put in the slotted strips that let you put the little support tabs anywhere you want & move 'em later if need be. I use it for powder storage.

 

[g-dad]

Nice job on the shelf!

I've posted this before but thought I'd share again. I have a few mags and needed a way to store them close to their respective guns. (I know, the revolvers don't need mags. Semi autos are on the second floor). The top of my safe was vacant so I mounted magnet bars there.

 

[yaktamer]

I turned mine into an ammo locker. I bought a a couple of pieces of pre-drilled white melamine shelf boards and put one on each side with the little metal dowels to support the shelves. I made the shelves out of 3/4" plywood so they wouldn't bow under the weight. I cut them to fit snugly between the melamine uprights so there was no need to affix them to the cabinet.

3/4 in. x 15-3/4 in. x 8 ft. White Melamine Drilled Panel-371693 - The Home Depot

 

[Vegetaman]

Thanks for the responses and ideas guys, I think I may add a second shelf to mine now. And I really like the magnet magazine idea with all those prop rods and cradles for handguns.

When I bought our second home found a double door cabinet all steel out in the garage. Since the shelves were only spot welded and was going to store my reloading stuff in I opted for 1/8th steel pop rivets. Had to rent one of the air powered pop rivet guns for a couple days. My old hand operated pop rivet gun was a total waste. 4 rivets on each of the three sides,after 20 plus years nothing has moved. One saving grace is that I was able to drill the holes from inside the cabinet. Nice work by the way. Frank

Oh dang that sounds pretty heavy duty. I never thought of using rivets. And thanks!

Nice job on the shelf!

I've posted this before but thought I'd share again. I have a few mags and needed a way to store them close to their respective guns. (I know, the revolvers don't need mags. Semi autos are on the second floor). The top of my safe was vacant so I mounted magnet bars there.

Oh wow, those magnet bars are great, but I also like the cradles and prop rods you have to hold all the other guns up there. What exactly is the contraption you've got to hold all those handguns?

I turned mine into an ammo locker. I bought a a couple of pieces of pre-drilled white melamine shelf boards and put one on each side with the little metal dowels to support the shelves. I made the shelves out of 3/4" plywood so they wouldn't bow under the weight. I cut them to fit snugly between the melamine uprights so there was no need to affix them to the cabinet.

That sounds like a really solid idea as well. I kind of wandered the aisles at Home Depot looking for ideas but never found the pre-drilled melamine, I like that idea too.

I put in the slotted strips that let you put the little support tabs anywhere you want & move 'em later if need be. I use it for powder storage.

Hmmm... I've never seen/tried those. Sounds good, as mine are rather... Hard fixed.

 

[Vegetaman]

Hey guys, back again. I decided to add another shelf, and install the tiny black plastic shelf that came with it.

Same mounting idea as before with some 1x2 pine and 1/4" grade 8 bolts. This time though Home Depot was out of the small melanite shelf board, so I grabbed a long board of 1x8 pine and cut it down into two pieces (20 and 3/4") and then ripped 1 & 1/2" off the back of one piece and put them in there. Looks like its going to work great!

I also have ordered some of the stuff g-dad used in his gun safe, so hope to put that to use in the next couple of weeks, too. Thanks everybody.