The repurposing thread

[ckcorder]

Re-purposed this Ford valve cover and an unused power strip into man cave art!
Adding the aluminum backing plate first thing in the morning and up for sale she goes.

I love this!!

 

[stage20]

buddy stretched his truck by 40inches and build a deck to haul his race car. its a work in progress. the ramps will slide in the middle, and the deck overhangs the location of the spare tire a good amount. modified the mount a couple inches lower to help gain clearance from ramp and can now drop the spare with a long extension. wasnt even thinking, i should have told him to grab a snap on socket. haha.

 

[shaverjeff]

Recently helped a coworker move who gave me a weight set I am finding better uses for. I've started with a couple stands for my tabletop tools. Garage space is extremely limited so I typically only pull out the tools I need for a specific job. So far I have jigs/supports that accept my drill press, west saw, metal cutoff saw, miter saw, and band saw or most combinations of the two.

 

[shaverjeff]

Also on the list to finish with the remaining bits:
Pulley hoist for two kayaks.
Mobile welder/grinder stand
Engine Cart

 

[taumac]

Nice job on repurposing. I like the way it came out.

Have a good one, Gerard

Florida GJers ( FGJ)
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=117
The 5 Stitches Garage
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899

 

[nine4gmc]

Love the multi tool stand

 

[BFBOB]

I had several computers to dispose of. I disassembled and scrapped them, taking the circuit boards to one place, and the wire, motors and transformers to the place I regularly scrap the wire I generate in my business. No, not really worth the time, but I did it sitting watching TV and didn't make a special trip. Probably better than paid for the gas. But, I was left with the cases, and with steel scrap at a dime a pound, it's REALLY not worth the trip (my copper place doesn't take steel).
I came up with this reuse- storage for my metal shorts, an irritation to me for years. I cut the sides off some and riveted the resulting L shapes into other complete cases, forming nice pigeonholes. The depth is right to fit on my shelves, too. Now I can keep my metal scraps better organized- hopefully I'll make fewer trips to Shapiro to buy stuff I already have but can't find!

 

[shaverjeff]

A few more completed bits.
Welder/grinder/vise stand, engine cart, and kayak hoist.
There is still quite a bit of steel left and I have my best project saved for last. hopefully I can finish it in a week or so.

 

[Outlander]

I find this picture spectacular!

 

[Hephaestus29]

I re-purposed several things in this project, and while it is not my idea I did build it my way & used quite a bit of stuff I already had in the garage.

I've been calling it a Gonkulator LOL, but it's actually a Benjamin hand pump "for pumping up High pressure Air tanks" that's connected to a gear box & motor.

I had already made the dolly it's welded to and wasn't using it so now it has a purpose. I just welded it to the dolly for mobility and it works great for that.

The frame is part of a work-out machine I no longer used.
The crank arm & the thing on the bottom of the footplate that the bearing is connected to are parts off a pallet jack.

I got the Gear box & big pulley off ebay.

I already had a motor from a shopsmith attachment that was not being used so that came in handy.

I bought two bearings, did a little machine work & welding & now have an automatic H.P.A. pump.

Even if I don't have electricity I can always hook another belt up to the double pulley on the motor & run this thing with a bicycle.

 

[Hephaestus29]

$1 garage sale baseball bats make great mallets

I don't do much wood working but I like the idea & it looks good too.

 

[BMB]

Air tank Chiminea.

Rusty 30g air tank.
Flue is a fire extinguisher body.
Scrap tube for legs.

 

[MillerMav]

Not so much repurpose as rework.

I've had this cabinet that I got out of a dumpster with a broken lock/handle some time ago. I have always wanted to free up a side for my trimmer. So I recreated the inside with some 3/4" angle and 3/4" plywood. Worked perfectly!!

Needs some organization but least I am getting closer to a perfect home for my 86 Carrera.

Gratuitous 911 shots...

In the shop

On the street.

Rarely am I not posting from my phone....

 

[Fyrme]

I picked this brand new in the box projector cart for $5 at a surplus auction. It's become my new welder/plasma cutter cart. I still have to build a bottle rack on the back for it, but The height is gonna work out nicely.

Untitled by Fyrme, on Flickr
by Fyrme, on Flickr
by Fyrme, on Flickr

 

[nine4gmc]

Don't you know, a boat is just a hole in the water to throw your money in to

Fyrme, how you like that plasma?

 

[Fyrme]

It's great for general use. It has 120/230 voltage sensing and came with an adapter for each voltage. I pretty much only use it with 230v because on 120, anything over 1/8" will trip the internal overload. I've gouge cut 5/8" stainless with it like butter set at 30amps. I'd say for the money, it was a hard buy, but I'm glad I did. It's a Hypertherm PM30 btw.

 

[nine4gmc]

Oh, I thought it looked like Hobart to match the welder. I have a small Miller that I picked up a while back with the built in air compressor. It cuts well on some things but I noticed on 1/4" it struggles. I may have to look into one of those Hypertherm, I have heard lots of good things about them.

 

[Guster]

This is my boat, built from blueprints in my basement. It's a blast to sail, but it has been re-purposed into a barn dust collector and also serves to drain my wallet by paying for storage there!

(BTW---it's for sale. Doesn't YOUR barn need cleaning?!! )

Nice boat. Similar lines to a Cherub, Spencer, Javelin etc. But no thanks! I just managed to sell my lawn ornament after many years of sitting at the bottom of my list of priorities. It was a sad day evicting all the homeless spiders and Weta or two. The lawn finally recovered and I don't feel guilty about not sailing it anymore.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Here my repurposing of some old style (late 1980s) snuff / chewing tobacco cans into parts bins.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Here are a couple of repurposed retail items from Osco Drug after they were absorbed into CVS..

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Here are a couple of my repurposed work benches..

The first one is an old high school chemistry lab table, top is heavy laminate phenolic. The second one is an old solid wood hospital door.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Repurposed old fashion (and heavy, fireproof) library card catalog cabinet.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Repurposed old throw away photo film canisters..

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

And last (for now) but not least.. Repurposed dresser, its on a set of stock wheels from Woodcraft, and has a back on it where the mirror use to be that holds many of my small parts bins..

Enjoy..

Dennis

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Also on the list to finish with the remaining bits:
Pulley hoist for two kayaks.
Mobile welder/grinder stand
Engine Cart

I've seen tons of these on trash day at the curb.. now I have to take a closer look... Great repurpose..

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

I agree, but you really wouldn't have to worry too much about clamping considering the gapping slots throughout the goliath piece of steel. IT'S WAY TOO HEAVY unless you have the equipment to move it around!!!

It would be great perfect if you wanted to get into the wagon wheel business. You couldn't ask for a better jig.

That's super cool, is if off a Blanchard or maybe a Bullard?

Cheers..

 

[Horror Business]

Great ideas in here!

 

[madoc1]

I don't believe I've seen a thread like this so I thought I'd start one.
Show off your repurposed items.
Prefer "useful" things versus scrap turned into "art".

I'll start with my plasma cart made from an old pressure washer cart.
Welded some shaped round stock around various places to hold the torch, ground and power cord. Made a big U bolt to hold the cutter on there which is secured by wing nuts for easy removal.

just starting. neat stuff!

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

A repurposed "scrap" brake drum (from a failed machine run off when I worked at Kelsey Hayes / Gunite). The drum is a 3141, typical Paccar rear brake drum.. Its used on a post I fabricated to accept my Craftsman grinder that is equipped with wire wheels..

Dennis

 

[Kentuckian]

Bump to top

 

[nonhog]

Just used part of an old treadmill, license plate support from my old Victory motorcycle and a section of driveshaft to hang up my sons pontoon boats in the shop. I'll snap pics later.

 

[shortykorte]

The brown cabinet (on casters) is my old drafting cabinet from my military days. It now serves as my drill press station. To the right is a stainless topped counter from Monkey Wards. I added casters, a vise and put in a bank file cabinet. The stove (on casters) is now used for powder coating. Of course the required brake drum stand. Used base cabinet (on casters) is now storage for wood working power tools. The upper cabinet is now used for auto supplies. The last are some upper cabinets I found at yard sale that are used as enclosed magazine library.

 

[metalhead212121]

subscribing..

 

[metalhead140]

Cool thread!

Sorry for the crappy picture, but I got some map cabinets at an auction the other day... should be nice for storage.

I built some map drawers (a little deeper than yours I think) into a bench I've been building, which is in turn built mostly from scrap/salvaged timber (and a few landscaping sleepers).

 

[cwh]

Very nicely done! Mine have made zero progress, as we're still framing the garage. In fact, the cabinets got moved outside and covered with a tarp. Kind of sad really...

 

[stage20]

those map cabinets are awesome. i cant seem to find a deal on one, but it would become my master nut, bolt, washer spring, cotter key hotel. the local antique shops always seem to get them off craigs before i can and then sell them for 1100 dollars. labeled as commercial or mid century blah blah. there is one on there now for 349 that is 5ft tall. i just cant justify spending that much for what i want to do with it.

 

[fred d]

Got these from Lowes. They use to hold the wallpaper back when they carried in the store
Now they are the sports lockers for my 9 & 13 year olds

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

I repurposed my MIG welder cart to hold my heavy spare milling vise, rotary table, and index head / chuck.... I had to get them off of a much lighter duty card as the load was bending the puny wheels.

 

[LumpyMusic]

Shopping cart Plasma/Grinding/Drilling mobile table -

The metal grate is part of a cell phone display unit in Wally's trash dumpster. Discarded Weber BBQ thing catches chips, empties by either pulling it out of the cart OR just open the rotary closure on the bottom designed for emptying charcoal waste.



Mini-Shopping cart Mig cart -

Both carts were found in Forest Service/BLM land miles from any store. I guess some homeless guys had a some kind of "CartStock" festival in the desert.


Sgt Lumpy

--

You sang all those car commercials?
You got it, Toyota.
www.LumpyMusic.com

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Shopping cart Plasma/Grinding/Drilling mobile table -

The metal grate is part of a cell phone display unit in Wally's trash dumpster. Discarded Weber BBQ thing catches chips, empties by either pulling it out of the cart OR just open the rotary closure on the bottom designed for emptying charcoal waste.



Mini-Shopping cart Mig cart -

Both carts were found in Forest Service/BLM land miles from any store. I guess some homeless guys had a some kind of "CartStock" festival in the desert.


Sgt Lumpy

--

You sang all those car commercials?
You got it, Toyota.
www.LumpyMusic.com

Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys would be proud of you!

Nice reuse of multiple "landfill bound" items.. true recycling..

Dennis