Hamilton Type Cabinet - Wood Type Cases
I have two Hamilton cabinets (single and double) I am restoring and am looking for some advice or potentially a trade. The cases are all former California cases, as all the dividers have been removed. As my wood type collection grows I am looking for a home for my type. I’d love to have proper wood type cases to keep everything in order.
In a perfect world, I’d love to find 75 wood type cases and swap out the current cases, rather than try and take these apart to modify them. Realizing that may not be very likely I am also entertaining the idea of having new cases made but curious if anyone out there has had much luck with that.
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Quite honestly unless you want or need the adjustable dividers that come with cases designed for wood type, there is little difference between them and a stripped California case except that there are two dividers instead of one.
You appear to have a set of pretty handsome cabinets (especially if you can strip the white paint off) with matched cases, I’d sooner keep those than worry about finding “perfect” cases. Your wood type really won’t care what kind of case it’s laid in.
Fair point for sure! I’m really exploring the ideas of the dividers since about 20 cases are either missing or water damaged or the bottom is damaged. Since I’ll either need to find or make new cases I thought I’d see what the chance was to track down ones for wood type.
Since I’m restoring these anyways, figured I’d just try and make them “perfect” for me.
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Damaged case bottoms can be replaced with some appropriate labor. One or more door skins can be purchased from a large lumber yard. These are 3/16” plywood. Cut only with a many tooth plywood blade.
Lots of my wood type cases are altered California cases. I discovered that thin wood paint mixing sticks, which you can get at a hardware store for like 15 cents each, are almost perfect for separating rows of type in those cases. They are just a little short of the width of each 1/3 case.