The repurposing thread

[harley jim]

I moved my battery location to the trunk several years ago but never got around to making a cover for it I liked OR more importantly could manage with my skills and materials on hand that would suit me. I wanted the whole thing pretty neutral. I was replacing old red carpet with new burtex trunk liner. So here is what it looked like before.

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So, one day, I just happened to walk by my small HF non-working-condition parts washer and the lite bulb went off, wheels began to turn and I began to envision my much needed battery cover.

The washer had served its purpose and FYI the pump motor had failed after using it for too long with simple green. It corroded out the pump shaft. I pondered the replacement of the pump for a few minutes and then weighed what it would take for me to fabricate something of like material.

Somehow I lost a few pics of my actions with my air cut-off wheel but trust me it happened…and it happened pretty fast.

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So here it is, sliced and diced with a light coat of primer.

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And now with the added Burtex material of the trunk liner. I'm real happy with the result and still feel like I got great use out of the HF parts washer both before AND after.

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But Wait! there's more! haha, I used the switch from the whole deal for my craftsman drill press rebuild. Works like a champ. win win. I can still feel okay about purchasing another parts washer complete and still be ahead,
Thanks for letting me share and be long-winded.

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Good save on the parts washer parts

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[y'sguy]

Thanks guys, what's interesting is i still have more formed steel left over from that dissection project that seem like it could still be used for something else. Don't know what yet but maybe it will happen. If it does I'll let you know. Thanks

 

[captain14]

Thanks guys, what's interesting is i still have more formed steel left over from that dissection project that seem like it could still be used for something else. Don't know what yet but maybe it will happen. If it does I'll let you know. Thanks

So what do you use in the new parts washer as a solvent?

 

[y'sguy]

So what do you use in the new parts washer as a solvent?

I may still use Simple green, I just won't store it in there and will learn to rinse it out instead of sitting all the time.

I still prefer to use a petrol based solvent although not as practical these days.
What about you?, what's your preference?

 

[ndnchf]

Kerosene work great and is readilly available.

 

[y'sguy]

A solution for storing my drills and cutting tools

After rebuilding my Craftsman drill press I found that I wanted to get all my cutting tools and bits in a good place. They were strung out in tins, indexes, and oddly matched sets of ****. Whenever I was in the middle of a project it seemed it all came out covering the top of my workspace, always consuming too much space, not to mention digging through the box to find the right thing.

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So first I moved the drawer under the drill press and added heavy duty soft close glides from Home Depot for about 18 bucks.

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I have a stash of old Smith-Victor slide boxes from my old ad agency days. I find these really great and just the right size for organizing task specific jobs like soldering and pop riveting, wiring, etc.

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This time I used one to cut up and make a tray out of to fit perfectly in the drawer.

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I cut up the lid section into pieces to use as dividers

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And added some liner.

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Added that tray to the drawer and built some other shelves /trays out of pegboard and wood and I think I'm pretty well set with a few tweaks as I go along. Not for everyone but works great for me.

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[y'sguy]

Kerosene work great and is readilly available.

Agreed!, I usually get Mineral Spirits as the smell doesn't get to me as much.

But I STILL have to get a new small parts washer. I've noticed HF doesn't carry the small one anymore in my area. I've found it at other places though for a decent price. It's size suits my needs fine.

 

[harley jim]

I'm reworking my blast cabinet and have redesigned several pieces. I added an exhaust fan and hooked it to the shop vac port on the side I added an air filter that I had laying around. I wanted something to shield the filter so it didnt fill up fast. So I got this old cake pan and made a filter cover.

Bought it for 25 cents

Marked and cut it

Drilled vent holes and installed three screws in the face to center the filter

Installed it with an old air cleaner bolt

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[harley jim]

Repurposed a bathroom exhaust fan to exhaust my cabinet

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[shortykorte]

Interesting Jim. Does it blow to the outside?


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[harley jim]

Shorty yes there is a 2" PVC through the wall. It did solve the dust problem where it was blowing out around the door and the cabinet is a lot clearer when I blast. I use a real fine powder so I still have a bit of a cloud but not bad.

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[moto_ridah]

Some pretty resourceful posts in this thread, here's my little repurpose. Found a pair Sorel boots with cracked lowers in the closet... trimmed one up and sewed the edges to make a leather sheath for this Collins Co hatchet.

 

[MushCreek]

I have a set of rear brake discs for a 3/4 ton van that I no longer have. Brand new, still in the wrappers, and couldn't give 'em away. I needed some weight lifting equipment for my home gym, since I don't go to the gym any more. It turns out that they weigh right at 25 lbs. each, perfect for old-man exercises. A little plywood and a piece of pipe, and I was in business. I also made dumbbells out of concrete and pipe. Since the pandemic, weights are stupid expensive. Weight is weight, right? My body doesn't know I'm not using 'Olympic' weights!

 

[Old Man Roger]

I have a set of rear brake discs for a 3/4 ton van that I no longer have. Brand new, still in the wrappers, and couldn't give 'em away. I needed some weight lifting equipment for my home gym, since I don't go to the gym any more. It turns out that they weigh right at 25 lbs. each, perfect for old-man exercises. A little plywood and a piece of pipe, and I was in business. I also made dumbbells out of concrete and pipe. Since the pandemic, weights are stupid expensive. Weight is weight, right? My body doesn't know I'm not using 'Olympic' weights!

I'm a little worried for you man.. Is that PVC? It's not good to use for air lines or weight lifting..lol

But seriously, it doesn't bend? How are you keeping the plywood attached to the PVC?

 

[MushCreek]

That's PVC over black iron pipe, so they rotate easily as you lift. There are pipe caps on the end to keep everything trapped in place.

 

[Old Man Roger]

That's PVC over black iron pipe, so they rotate easily as you lift. There are pipe caps on the end to keep everything trapped in place.

Oh nice!

 

[sberry]

Welding booth. I was going to come up with a motor cover and about 3 ft away hanging on the wall was this old hardhat.

 

[y'sguy]

Welding booth. I was going to come up with a motor cover and about 3 ft away hanging on the wall was this old hardhat.

Works for me!.

Is that a Dryer OR washing machine you are using for a booth? If so, looks like they mite might work as one anyway.

 

[sberry]

I think it might be both. It is a dryer vent/motor, even used door hinges for the cab and the top was a washer and built the vent in to the lid.

 

[Kenstone1]

Golf ball file handles

 

[larry4406]

Golf ball file handles

Pretty clever!

 

[joe49]

Do golf balls still have a liquid center?

 

[atch]

Do golf balls still have a liquid center?

The only ones I've seen "opened up" had about a mile of very thin rubber band wound into a sphere.

 

[joe49]

Back when I was a kid, I cut one apart, rubber band down to a marble size rubber ball, cut into the ball and got sprayed with a white liquid.
Should mention that would have been in early 1960's.

 

[atch]

Back when I was a kid, I cut one apart, rubber band down to a marble size rubber ball, cut into the ball and got sprayed with a white liquid.
Should mention that would have been in early 1960's.

Makes sense. It's been at least 50 years since I unraveled the one I mentioned. There probably was a rubber center that I just don't remember.

I've got a few golf balls in my shop. Maybe I'll drill into one.

 

[Robo]

Back when I was a kid, I cut one apart, rubber band down to a marble size rubber ball, cut into the ball and got sprayed with a white liquid.
Should mention that would have been in early 1960's.

We put one of the rubber band types in a campfire once. As the rubber bands would melt and snap it would dance around the fire. Interesting show when your a kid!




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[steaks&anvils]

Golf ball file handles

I got these pictures off the web. Pretty good idea, uses the smaller table top mini pool/billiards balls.

 

[moto_ridah]

I have been doing a few of my handle-less files with golf balls. They seem to work better on the shorter tag files or else they feel a bit awkward. The ones I drilled out were solid pink rubber in the core... no rubber bands or mystery liquid.

 

[steaks&anvils]

I have been doing a few of my handle-less files with golf balls. They seem to work better on the shorter tag files or else they feel a bit awkward. The ones I drilled out were solid pink rubber in the core... no rubber bands or mystery liquid.

Try shortening the tang. Bring the golf ball closer to the file body?

 

[moto_ridah]

Try shortening the tang. Bring the golf ball closer to the file body?

Yeah that would probably help a bit. Not sure I want to deface decent USA files though. You end up with the golf ball in your palm which means most of the pressure is derived from the thumb pushing down on the tang.

Now thinking about drilling an oversized or slotted hole in one ball then using another as a **** cap. Two stacked might give better purchase. I got a whole shoe box of golf balls for $2 at a yard sale, so I can expirement a bit.

 

[Kenstone1]

I have been doing a few of my handle-less files with golf balls. They seem to work better on the shorter tag files or else they feel a bit awkward. The ones I drilled out were solid pink rubber in the core... no rubber bands or mystery liquid.

Cutting off the file shank/tang before installing the golf ball will get the ball closer the file teeth.
Of course this would require a BIGGER hole in the golf ball for rectangular/tapered tangs.
jmo,

Note: yes there's a big file in my pic, but golf ball file handles are intended for needle files/small files, not big honken mill bastards...

oops...echo

 

[sberry]

Bolt and lug nut oiler.

 

[Shootinok]

Working on the lower unit for my boat and bothered by the number of back and forth trips to the bench, I decided I wanted a small moveable work top.
Of course they sell them, but if you have an old bar stool and a plate from an anchor bolt template....


Add a couple holes, spray adhesive and some rubber drawer liner and Viola!
Now - Back to work on the boat

 

[shortykorte]

What is a nut and bolt oiler?


Great repurpose of bar stool. Nice table.


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[SuperCat]

I really like that bar stool table. It's better than what I have to work on! Great job.
If I see a trashed bar stool with a nice wide and stable base like that, I now know what to do with it.
Maybe add some casters with the wheel locks?

 

[sberry]

What is a nut and bolt oiler?


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Let's you put oil on a bolt for assembly.

 

[pvcrisp]

I have a set of rear brake discs for a 3/4 ton van that I no longer have. Brand new, still in the wrappers, and couldn't give 'em away. I needed some weight lifting equipment for my home gym, since I don't go to the gym any more. It turns out that they weigh right at 25 lbs. each, perfect for old-man exercises. A little plywood and a piece of pipe, and I was in business. I also made dumbbells out of concrete and pipe. Since the pandemic, weights are stupid expensive. Weight is weight, right? My body doesn't know I'm not using 'Olympic' weights!

Awesome, I have some sitting around as well, may set them up on a pully!

 

[landrover bodger]

Bolt and lug nut oiler.

thats a good idea . i wil be making one of them later today

 

[sberry]

It keeps from being a spill. Pour a little engine oil on it and give it a blast of perpetrating spray and squish it a little.

 

[PFSard]

I encountered this person's videos on YouTube a few days ago. Turns discarded items into some pretty nice products.

Epic UpCycling

I'd be interested in watching any others who do this type of work. Maybe someday I'll be patient enough ....LOL