I need to borrow some repurpose creativity

[rslaback]

Remember those computer carts that everyone got when we first got Apple IIe computers in school. Well, my district bought a bunch of them over the years. They worked well for the purpose and you could move the computer between rooms. However, no one shares computers anymore so they have moved off carts and onto tables and counters. They are just take up way too much room.

This year we have between 10 and 15 of these babies that are destine to become scrap. Each cart has a 6 or 4 outlet power strip on it. Some of them have the upper shelf, some don't. They have no real resale value to other districts.

Any thoughts on what I should use them for instead of of letting them go to scrap. I saved a heavier cart without a shelf to use as a material cart in my shop but I don't have the real estate to save them all.

Any thoughts?

 

[imanaddict]

Power tool charging cart?

 

[G_P]

If the power strips are removable at least pull them off of any carts that end up in the dumpster.

Sent via carrier pigeon.

 

[silentpoet]

Chop out the middle to narrow it and you got a welding cart. As is with some add ons you got a mobile tool cart.

 

[zkling]

Hum, how much weight do you think the casters could safely hold? I'd probably pull the casters and all the square tubing that isn't swiss cheesed with holes.
Unless I had a specific purpose, I don't think I would keep the entire cart intact, just not very space efficient. IMHO

Maybe save the top, narrow shelf for making a large shelving rack out of?

 

[kursplat]

you mean the highly collectable Apple IIe cart that no computer museum should be without.

another 20 years they'll probably be going for big bucks on ebay.


they would be good for a light weight movable work table. i have something similar i use when i'm doing a tune up or such in the driveway

 

[jakemac]

Mount a couple grinders on it and use it as a mobile grinding/polishing station. Roll it out of the way for storage.

You could take the tables off a few others and mount them underneath for extra shelves.

 

[CWP1616L]

They worked well for the purpose and you could move the computer between rooms. However, no one shares computers anymore so they have moved off carts and onto tables and counters.

What do you mean no one shares computers anymore?

Don't they have a computer room?

 

[rsanter]

One without the shelf would be good for bench top power tools like router table or band saw

Bob

 

[richfinn]

Wiring/soldering stations

 

[Hephaestus29]

As far as weight goes, since you have plenty why don't you start piling it on until it collapses then you'll know how strong they are.

I can't really tell about the shelves but the 1" square tubing looks stout fairly stout.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Good ideas so far.

What tasks do you do that would benefit from a rolling cart? I like the grinding station idea.

If you were to make it a "do everything" cart and add on some tool storage, would the design really work better than a common automotive shop cart?

Or would it be better suited to act as a dedicated lathe bench with less-commonly used stuff stored underneath that can be accessed with it rolled out?

 

[kythri]

What do you mean no one shares computers anymore?

Don't they have a computer room?

I think he means between classrooms.

Computers in that day were expensive jobs that, even with Apple subsidizing education, you'd only have a handful for the entire school, hence, a wheeled cart to share between classrooms.

Labs didn't exist - the library would typically serve as "the lab" if more than one computer was needed, and they were lucky if they had 4 of them.

It was the rare school that had one computer per classroom.

Computers are a commodity these days, it costs next to nothing to outfit classrooms and labs with tons of them, so they're not mounted on rolling carts anymore, they're placed on significantly smaller work surfaces that are fixed.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

I picked one of them, without the second level "riser", out of the dumpster at a local school last year. I found an trashed oak desk that I re-purposed the top of and use it as a work station in the basement.

I wired up a powerstrip with a 20' cord so I can move it around as needed. It has my Dazor fluorescent lamp sitting on it for task lighting.

The casters are good for general purpose. 2 or 3 grinders might be a little too much for them - depending on the floor surface.

The only problem I have with mine is that it's a perfect horizontal surface - so things land on it and clutter up the surface.

Cheers

Jim

 

[pepi]

One would make a great crash cart, I must keep my eyes out for one of those. Never saw em before.

 

[dfreeman616]

roughly were are you located, i'm sure you could find some people on here to rescue a few more.

 

[creativecars]

Several of them end to end could make a light duty work bench, you might put a light strip under the top shelf.

 

[rslaback]

roughly were are you located, i'm sure you could find some people on here to rescue a few more.

South central Wisconsin.

 

[dfreeman616]

bit south of madison, north of rockford? i know some people in the area who might be interested also.

 

[balane]

Give the kids multiple tubs of different colored paint, let them go nuts on the tables in any creative ways they can think up. (I'm sure you know they can be surprisingly original.) Then sell them at a school auction and use the proceeds for student benefits.

 

[RCStocker]

Just put them up on Craigslist and say free for picking up. Put them out in front and they will be gone. In fact just put a sign on them free and some dumb *** will take them off your hands.

I rented a store front 30 years ago. It had all kinds of old thins and furniture in it. I did not want to haul it to the dump and pay fees. I put it out in front with a sigh that said free and went to lunch. I came back and it was all gone. I have done that with a lot of things sense. I even put my old dish washer with a sign that said working out on the curb it was gone. A scrap man might have taken it. The point is that if you don't have a use for it don't try to save it. I did that for years and had a barn full of really good stuff with no use. I called the scrap man to have him haul it off after 20 years. If you don't have a use for it and can't flip it for a buck leave it alone. I don't care what it is if you put free on it someone will be glad to remove it. LOL

 

[03protege]

I would resize it to fit the base of a chop saw.

 

[rslaback]

bit south of madison, north of rockford? i know some people in the area who might be interested also.

Yup. northeast Green County.

Computers are a commodity these days, it costs next to nothing to outfit classrooms and labs with tons of them, so they're not mounted on rolling carts anymore, they're placed on significantly smaller work surfaces that are fixed.

In our case the middle and high school students all have their own device. We do still have 2 computer labs but they will see significant drops in usage. There are also class specific labs (we have a business lab and I have 12 machines in a CAD/CAM lab).

 

[rslaback]

Just put them up on Craigslist and say free for picking up. Put them out in front and they will be gone. In fact just put a sign on them free and some dumb *** will take them off your hands.

I rented a store front 30 years ago. It had all kinds of old thins and furniture in it. I did not want to haul it to the dump and pay fees. I put it out in front with a sigh that said free and went to lunch. I came back and it was all gone. I have done that with a lot of things sense. I even put my old dish washer with a sign that said working out on the curb it was gone. A scrap man might have taken it. The point is that if you don't have a use for it don't try to save it. I did that for years and had a barn full of really good stuff with no use. I called the scrap man to have him haul it off after 20 years. If you don't have a use for it and can't flip it for a buck leave it alone. I don't care what it is if you put free on it someone will be glad to remove it. LOL

I've been told by the head of maintenance that I can't give anything away. It pisses off the taxpayers. If we do sell them instead of scrap them I have to get at least enough to make it worth the hassle compared to just scrapping them. Same thing with the metal kitchen cabinets and stainless counters that came out of the ag room.

 

[dfreeman616]

if you can come up with a price for any of that old stuff, i'll pass on the info to the people i know in the area.

 

[xclusivegarage]

My advice/idea would be... save at least two or three of them for yourself... then put the rest up for sale on Craigslist and other social media sites and let the American (and some global) free markets determine what they will be used for. There's a lot of individuals out there with a lot of different ideas that we will never be able to quantify collectively. Let them have at it

Plus if the items turn out to be high dollar collectibles in the near future, at least you kept 2 or 3 of them!

 

[crewchief888]

i'd find a use for some of them someplace in the garage or my basement workroom.

the rest i'd strip the power strips out of, and disassemble them and store them out of the way for a year or so.

if i havent found a use for them in a year, off the to scrapyard they'd go.

just my $0.02

 

[upndown]

Those would make a nice fishing work bench. Mount a small vise for maint. on rods and reels, tying flies etc.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Take them to a flea market and sell them.

Charles

 

[Flatintoone]

i could think of a thousand uses for those. let me know what you're selling them ffor, and when to pick them up!

 

[rslaback]

I talked with our maintenance guy today. He said $20 a cart.

 

[SlowPoke-Canada]

Personally, I wouldn't use it as a grinding station. If my tool is moving, I want my bench stationary.

That would make a great;
Hobby station for model building
Soldering station
Airbrushing station with the addition of surrounds
Engraving station
Fly tying station
Lure making station
Test bench for electronics
Lock picking bench

If you're looking to sell, post it as such in different categories and I ask $60. I'd take a couple off you if you were closer.

 

[EJM02]

Mobile paint table.

I have an old desk i put on casters so I can wheel it outside to sand, spray, brush or otherwise just get completely thrashed and not care.

The added power outlets make it easy to plug in a couple of power tools for whatever project and only need one extension cord to power the table.

 

[Ign]

I talked with our maintenance guy today. He said $20 a cart.

Honestly that seems high.

If it were free I'd consider using it as a collet cart. Bolt down some 5C and/or ER collet holders and roll it around. The shelf would be useful in this application as well.

 

[jeffmoss26]

We had tons of those when I was in school...memories!