The repurposing thread

[Beerhippie]

Yesterday was "repurposing day".

The PTB (Powers That Be) requested that I make a rustic, brewery/pub-related holder for menus so folks can grab one as they walk by. I put my mind to it for a couple of days... weld something? Use old tap handles? Hmm.... I wandered through the pub Connex just looking for inspiration when I saw some old "flights" that we had made by the same artisan who makes our tap handles. The flights were used to serve samplers of our beers--five bucks per. But the servers hated them as it takes time to fill eight little glasses, so they haven't been used in years.

Here's one:



This will also be a great excuse to use my Stanley No. 9 1/2.

Two of those will do for the wooden parts. I'll be making some copper parts, too, so I need to convert some drops of 2" type L copper pipe into sheets.



Gotta get 'em good and hot to anneal them as this is "hard copper".



That's hot enough. At this point, I can grab them with couple of pairs of pliers and open them out, then flatten them on the bench plate with a BFH.



While those sit outside cooling, I'll get into the wood-working part.



Bevel one side of each flight and



One screw per side is good enough to hold them together while I get back into the metal-working.



I used the blue blending pads to knock the scale off and leave a "brushed" look. The dents are intentional to add to the "rustic" thing.

Done:



In place:



The hangers are made from the same copper sheet:



Tip: Don't try to brand wood which has a heavy polyurethane finish. Not only doesn't it look good, but the finish actually tried to push the brand away from the surface as it vaporized--and it really stank.

 

[BMWBOB2]

Nice job!

 

[Beerhippie]

Nice job!

Thanks!

Not bad for a $150 menu holder....

 

[Beerhippie]

I checked with management before repurposing the flights. Fine.

Now the pub gals inform me they're planning to start serving flights again this spring.

I CAN'T WIN!

 

[OccupantRJ]

Your idea makes me think of those motorcyle/atv jacks. It would be nice if everything in the garage that wasn't already on wheels was able to be easily moved. Like a pallet jack but smaller.

I have lower perimeter frames under my parts washer and sheet metal brake attached 3-1/2” off the floor to act as a lower shelf and also to allow moving the units with my pallet jack if needed. Other pieces either stay put or are on wheels.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Yesterday was "repurposing day".

The PTB (Powers That Be) requested that I make a rustic, brewery/pub-related holder for menus so folks can grab one as they walk by. I put my mind to it for a couple of days... weld something? Use old tap handles? Hmm.... I wandered through the pub Connex just looking for inspiration when I saw some old "flights" that we had made by the same artisan who makes our tap handles. The flights were used to serve samplers of our beers--five bucks per. But the servers hated them as it takes time to fill eight little glasses, so they haven't been used in years.

Here's one:



This will also be a great excuse to use my Stanley No. 9 1/2.

Two of those will do for the wooden parts. I'll be making some copper parts, too, so I need to convert some drops of 2" type L copper pipe into sheets.



Gotta get 'em good and hot to anneal them as this is "hard copper".



That's hot enough. At this point, I can grab them with couple of pairs of pliers and open them out, then flatten them on the bench plate with a BFH.



While those sit outside cooling, I'll get into the wood-working part.



Bevel one side of each flight and



One screw per side is good enough to hold them together while I get back into the metal-working.



I used the blue blending pads to knock the scale off and leave a "brushed" look. The dents are intentional to add to the "rustic" thing.

Done:



In place:



The hangers are made from the same copper sheet:



Tip: Don't try to brand wood which has a heavy polyurethane finish. Not only doesn't it look good, but the finish actually tried to push the brand away from the surface as it vaporized--and it really stank.

Part of the business I retired from made branding irons for woodworkers. I developed and built a pneumatic table top brander that could produce up to a 6”x12” brand or smaller from 200-1200 watts for repeat branding. Cabinet builders use them to brand their company logo into the inner wall of a drawer or such. You could sand across the brand and hit it with more poly to crisp it up.

Buy Branding Tools in the US - Wall Lenk Corporation

Browse and buy our branding tools online, which are ideal for marking wood, leather, and other materials with precision and ease.

www.wlenk.com

 

[stinkity stoink]

The menu holders look great !!

 

[PugetDude]

Yesterday was "repurposing day".

The PTB (Powers That Be) requested that I make a rustic, brewery/pub-related holder for menus so folks can grab one as they walk by. I put my mind to it for a couple of days... weld something? Use old tap handles? Hmm.... I wandered through the pub Connex just looking for inspiration when I saw some old "flights" that we had made by the same artisan who makes our tap handles. The flights were used to serve samplers of our beers--five bucks per. But the servers hated them as it takes time to fill eight little glasses, so they haven't been used in years.

Here's one:



This will also be a great excuse to use my Stanley No. 9 1/2.

Two of those will do for the wooden parts. I'll be making some copper parts, too, so I need to convert some drops of 2" type L copper pipe into sheets.



Gotta get 'em good and hot to anneal them as this is "hard copper".



That's hot enough. At this point, I can grab them with couple of pairs of pliers and open them out, then flatten them on the bench plate with a BFH.



While those sit outside cooling, I'll get into the wood-working part.



Bevel one side of each flight and



One screw per side is good enough to hold them together while I get back into the metal-working.



I used the blue blending pads to knock the scale off and leave a "brushed" look. The dents are intentional to add to the "rustic" thing.

Done:



In place:



The hangers are made from the same copper sheet:



Tip: Don't try to brand wood which has a heavy polyurethane finish. Not only doesn't it look good, but the finish actually tried to push the brand away from the surface as it vaporized--and it really stank.

Holder looks great, but I'm hungry and want to know what's on the menu.

 

[mikeinri]

I checked with management before repurposing the flights. Fine.

Now the pub gals inform me they're planning to start serving flights again this spring.

I CAN'T WIN!

That's the restaurant business for you!!!

I blame management for not asking the staff how to incentivize them to sell the flights in the first place!

Mike

 

[Beerhippie]

That's the restaurant business for you!!!

I blame management for not asking the staff how to incentivize them to sell the flights in the first place!

Mike

I always thought getting rid of flights was a bad call. You can order a little--4 oz?--sampler of any beer for free, so selling samplers makes good sense. I mean, technically, you could just sit a the bar and order free samples all day long.

 

[Beerhippie]

Holder looks great, but I'm hungry and want to know what's on the menu.

Menu — Terminal Gravity Brewing

Find Terminal Gravity Brewpub's menu.

terminalgravitybrewing.com

I have no idea where on the site the menu pictures I take end up. Maybe our FB? Instagram?

 

[gahrajmahal]

Beerhippie, my post # 2316 in this thread, shows an alternative method of adding text and logos to your projects using an inkjet printer.

 

[gahrajmahal]

BMWBOB2, here is my method of corralling my rakes and shovels posted previously on the GJ. Using black iron pipe and flanges, bolt them to some thick plywood, then screw the plywood to the studs on your walls. This is a secure method to handle heavy garden tools, storing many in a small space.

 

[Beerhippie]

Beerhippie, my post # 2316 in this thread, shows an alternative method of adding text and logos to your projects using an inkjet printer.

I've used a similar technique to make etching masks for PC boards. Use a laser printer on regular printer paper, toner density set to max, mirror-image, then use a clothes iron to transfer the heat-sensitive ink to the PC board. It actually works!

The brand is for making these toppers for our tap handles:



Using this very technically-advanced jig and controlled heat source, I can crank out around 100 per hour:

 

[gahrajmahal]

Beerhippie, what a fun job you have!

 

[Beerhippie]

Beerhippie, what a fun job you have!

Oh, yeah. I particularly like those nice, relaxed evenings when I sit down to a well-earned shift beer, only to be rudely interrupted by an employee whining about something like "The kitchen is filling up with sewage!" or "Is there supposed to be water pouring out of the pub ceiling?"

Fun for sure.

 

[mikeinri]

Every business needs a guy like you, @Beerhippie!

I'll never forget Tony, our overnight "cleaner" at one of the McDonald's I worked at during my early college years. While he did clean the whole place (beyond the basic mopping and dishwashing that we did during normal working hours), I always remember his amazing ability to fix absolutely anything, and especially his attitude.

Super laid-back guy, barely spoke English, but understood well. Thick accent, and his answer to everything asked was: "I FEEEX!" And, he always did!

Mike

 

[Beerhippie]

....

Super laid-back guy, barely spoke English, but understood well. Thick accent, and his answer to everything asked was: "I FEEEX!" And, he always did!

Mike

Nope, that isn't me!

'Though I do wonder sometimes when speaking to the kids up front if we're speaking the same language.

 

[mikeinri]

Nope, that isn't me!

'Though I do wonder sometimes when speaking to the kids up front if we're speaking the same language.

Mike

 

[PugetDude]

Nope, that isn't me!

'Though I do wonder sometimes when speaking to the kids up front if we're speaking the same language.

You're not.

 

[BMWBOB2]

BMWBOB2, here is my method of corralling my rakes and shovels posted previously on the GJ. Using black iron pipe and flanges, bolt them to some thick plywood, then screw the plywood to the studs on your walls. This is a secure method to handle heavy garden tools, storing many in a small space.

I’ve made similar to this with angle iron welded to some strap. At the shop in Italy: almost no modern tools, and the walls are either hollow brick, concrete, or a combination of the 2, making it very hard to hang things on the wall. The few VERY old shelves in that shop are held up with pipes that go all the way through drilled holes through the wall with a long masonry bit. Quick, but not adjustable!

My plan is to through-bolt with ready rod, with vertical 2x6’s on both sides of the wall and attach misc brackets to them so they’re level AND adjustable

 

[BMWBOB2]

I have several useless blow mold cases for various sizes of torque wrenches, and the biggest fit my big tool chest pretty well. Used a box cutter and multi tool to remove the innerds and separate the 2 halves

 

[RyanE]

I've been hoarding various scrap for years behind by shed with the idea (copied from here or somewhere else) to build a vise stand since I acquired this Parkinsons Samsonia Perfect 38A back in 2018. A big truck brake drum I found in a gravel pit that had been used as a firepit. An axle tube cut off a scrap bent Ford 10.5 that I sourced an e-locker from. I did have a local fab shop cut out the plate for the vise, that would have taken me ages to do with a grinder and 1/2 plate! Made new aluminum jaws from barstock. Filled the drum with concrete - it ain't going anywhere!

 

[Beerhippie]

I've been hoarding various scrap for years behind by shed with the idea (copied from here or somewhere else) to build a vise stand since I acquired this Parkinsons Samsonia Perfect 38A back in 2018. A big truck brake drum I found in a gravel pit that had been used as a firepit. An axle tube cut off a scrap bent Ford 10.5 that I sourced an e-locker from. I did have a local fab shop cut out the plate for the vise, that would have taken me ages to do with a grinder and 1/2 plate! Made new aluminum jaws from barstock. Filled the drum with concrete - it ain't going anywhere!

Can you actually move that beast on those little casters?

I made a portable base for my Chas. Parker, but had to put a handle on it to keep the center of gravity manageable:

 

[southalabama]

Nope, that isn't me!

'Though I do wonder sometimes when speaking to the kids up front if we're speaking the same language.

Try having a kid say “six seven” at random then just laugh. It really doesn’t mean anything it’s just to drive older people crazy

 

[stinkity stoink]

Try having a kid say “six seven” at random then just laugh. It really doesn’t mean anything it’s just to drive older people crazy

I have been there !!

 

[OccupantRJ]

After the first time, you just say 68 right back to them, or 69 if she’s pretty.

 

[Old Man Roger]

42

 

[senlow]

138

 

[RyanE]

Can you actually move that beast on those little casters?

Not very well! I already had them in a drawer so it didn't cost anything to try the concept. They are too small and way under capacity.

I like your example - and I bet that handle really helps. I'd like to avoid having a handle for space saving reasons but will have to see.

I got an old oxy acetylene cart setup with cast iron/steel wheels that I think I'm going to modify/adapt that will work much better and look period correct for the vise.

 

[rslaback]

My house is at 72 in the summer and 66 in the winter. Those 6 degrees are the difference between spreadable butter and ripping holes in toast. Not anymore.

 

[Beerhippie]

Not very well! I already had them in a drawer so it didn't cost anything to try the concept. They are too small and way under capacity.

I like your example - and I bet that handle really helps. I'd like to avoid having a handle for space saving reasons but will have to see.

I got an old oxy acetylene cart setup with cast iron/steel wheels that I think I'm going to modify/adapt that will work much better and look period correct for the vise.

Make the handle removable. Easy enough. The solid-welded handle on mine is a PITA in a crowded shop. Wish I'd thought of that suggestion earlier.

My house is at 72 in the summer and 66 in the winter. Those 6 degrees are the difference between spreadable butter and ripping holes in toast. Not anymore.

This should be in the dictionary under "First-World-Problem".

Not that I don't sympathize. My butter is either a low-viscosity liquid or a rock, depending on the season or sometimes the day.

 

[Beerhippie]

Not very well! I already had them in a drawer so it didn't cost anything to try the concept. They are too small and way under capacity.

I like your example - and I bet that handle really helps. I'd like to avoid having a handle for space saving reasons but will have to see.

I got an old oxy acetylene cart setup with cast iron/steel wheels that I think I'm going to modify/adapt that will work much better and look period correct for the vise.

Damn yer hide! Now I need to cut the handle off mine and make it removable... find some square tubing that sleeves over that angle... add a couple of hooks on the back to hang the handle from when not in use... don't I have better things to do with my time?

 

[dscheidt]

Damn yer hide! Now I need to cut the handle off mine and make it removable... find some square tubing that sleeves over that angle... add a couple of hooks on the back to hang the handle from when not in use... don't I have better things to do with my time?

If you have some more of the same angle, weld a piece on the handle end (after you cut it), and use a bolt to attach it. 0r maybe pins, if you plan take it on and off a lot.

 

[Beerhippie]

If you have some more of the same angle, weld a piece on the handle end (after you cut it), and use a bolt to attach it. 0r maybe pins, if you plan take it on and off a lot.

Kind of where I'm going. More or less.

 

[DGersic]

My house is at 72 in the summer and 66 in the winter. Those 6 degrees are the difference between spreadable butter and ripping holes in toast. Not anymore.

I admire your dedication to spreadable butter.

 

[WoodsTruck]

Damn yer hide! Now I need to cut the handle off mine and make it removable... find some square tubing that sleeves over that angle... add a couple of hooks on the back to hang the handle from when not in use... don't I have better things to do with my time?

I was thinking a removable handle would be a nice add to your setup, but I was trying to save you the anguish of designing and building. All that seems to cut into your beer swilling time harassing the hired help.

 

[atch]

Damn yer hide! Now I need to cut the handle off mine and make it removable... find some square tubing that sleeves over that angle... add a couple of hooks on the back to hang the handle from when not in use... don't I have better things to do with my time?

If you have some more of the same angle, weld a piece on the handle end (after you cut it), and use a bolt to attach it. 0r maybe pins, if you plan take it on and off a lot.

While you're at it go ahead and put a hinge (or hinges) in the handle and have pin(s) to put into predrilled holes to hold it in the "up" position.

Pull the pin(s) and let it drop down out of the way.

 

[Beerhippie]

While you're at it go ahead and put a hinge (or hinges) in the handle and have pin(s) to put into predrilled holes to hold it in the "up" position.

Pull the pin(s) and let it drop down out of the way.

Aw, after looking at it some, I've decided to screw it and live with the handle taking up 8" of space--the amount it actually sticks out past the casters.

 

[rslaback]

Aw, after looking at it some, I've decided to screw it . . .

Be careful of tetanus.