Wilt wrote in post #18995595
Go to the discount store that sells camping stuff. Buy yourself closed foam bedrolls, meant to be used with sleeping bags on the ground. Cut it to fit the bottom of the lateral file draw. Instant padding in the bottom of the drawer!
Or go to a fabric or upholstery store and buy yourself a roll of polyurethane foam to make the pads for the bottom of the drawer, if you want something a bit more compressive than closed cell bedroll pad.
Wilt wrote in post #18995610An alternative approach: Forget buying the expensive metal office lateral files. Get yourself a chest of metal drawers intended for a carpenter/automechanic, or even a simply household set of wooden drawers (for a bedroom).
Both of these are good ideas (I've used them, too).
You should be able to find a mildly convoluted form of the bedroll foam, which solves the problem of lenses and things rolling around as you pull open the drawers. For something thinner, use yoga mats.
Good tool cabinets aren't necessarily cheaper than metal office files, but good tool cabinets are built to hold and move a very heavy set of tools for a lifetime.
It can be hard to find a good set of wooden drawers these days from Ikea or anywhere else that will be well made of solid wood (dovetailed drawer sides, high quality drawer slides). If you want wood, you may be luckier checking out Salvation Army or Goodwill for an old chest of drawers made of solid wood.
