The repurposing thread

[Old Man Roger]

I pulled too hard on the pull-chain for the light over my work bench, and broke the chain up inside the switch.
Because I'm sometimes a cheap bast@*&d, I added a toggle switch and made a bracket to hold it to the light, rather then throw the light away.

Light switch repair by jon72vega, on Flickr

Light switch repair by jon72vega, on Flickr

Light switch repair by jon72vega, on Flickr

The bracket was made from the map pocket cut from my V8 Vega dash when I installed additional gauges in it many years ago.
See, it does pay not to throw too much away!

Light switch repair by jon72vega, on Flickr


Light switch repair by jon72vega, on Flickr

For future reference, you can buy pullchain switches for a couple bucks.

 

[jon72vega]

For future reference, you can buy pullchain switches for a couple bucks.

That was the original plan.
The pull-chain switch was soldered to a circuit board on the end of the light, and I did not wish to tackle that.

 

[Old Man Roger]

That was the original plan.
The pull-chain switch was soldered to a circuit board on the end of the light, and I did not wish to tackle that.

I hear ya, that small stuff takes a whole new level of soldering skill..lol

 

[PugetDude]

That was the original plan.
The pull-chain switch was soldered to a circuit board on the end of the light, and I did not wish to tackle that.

I hear ya, that small stuff takes a whole new level of soldering skill..lol

Good call. I would have spent the $2 on the switch and then melted the circuit board down trying to solder it in.
Then had to throw the light in the trash and spend $50 on a replacement.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Good call. I would have spent the $2 on the switch and then melted the circuit board down trying to solder it in.
Then had to throw the light in the trash and spend $50 on a replacement.

Sounds about right, probably would have done the same..lol

 

[Monza Harry]

Good call. I would have spent the $2 on the switch and then melted the circuit board down trying to solder it in.
Then had to throw the light in the trash and spend $50 on a replacement.

Sounds about right, probably would have done the same.. lol

If you could get it out of the case, I have some I wanted to change the power cord style around on, after seeing that everything inside was either glued or 2 faced adhesive taped in so I just put the cap back on the end. Another great plan foiled by planned obsolescence! Harry

 

[captain14]

Good call. I would have spent the $2 on the switch and then melted the circuit board down trying to solder it in.
Then had to throw the light in the trash and spend $50 on a replacement.

Don’t forget all the action words you would be muttering the whole time.

 

[BMWBOB]

I'm going to steal this idea from you!

Made from an aluminum can for fumigant.

 

[BMWBOB]

Finally got around to making the MIG rest for the welding cart - out of a lawn mower blade, a big 1" nut, and a 1.25 x 5 x 2.5 chunk of used bar stock. Got a little messy with the paint...

 

[Modern Garage]

I was thinking to myself "I wonder if he put a magnet in there?" and then I realized how heavy a chunk of 5" bar stock is...

Joe

 

[BMWBOB]

I was thinking to myself "I wonder if he put a magnet in there?" and then I realized how heavy a chunk of 5" bar stock is...

Joe

Nope!

 

[Lorydr]

Old toy made into a new mature toy...I'll not completely grow up soon.
My wife gave me a basic, toy RC helicopter, waaay back. After a few years it wasn't working well. It sat around for more years. (she later bought a toyish drone for me) A week ago I gutted the electricals of the whirlybird, & put some junk-drawer scraps together to make a spinny mount. The neighbor & his boys like it...I like it...the wife will redeem some of the points I accumulated for a while and say it's ok.

 

[ChefRex]

Old toy made into a new mature toy...I'll not completely grow up soon.
My wife gave me a basic, toy RC helicopter, waaay back. After a few years it wasn't working well. It sat around for more years. (she later bought a toyish drone for me) A week ago I gutted the electricals of the whirlybird, & put some junk-drawer scraps together to make a spinny mount. The neighbor & his boys like it...I like it...the wife will redeem some of the points I accumulated for a while and say it's ok.

I take it that the cat[bird house?] isn't yours She's got nothing.

 

[foghorn1966]

Lorydr, I like the hose end clamp for the pole mount.

 

[Lorydr]

I take it that the cat[bird house?] isn't yours She's got nothing.

That is the previous neighbor's effort.

For the wife, I built 2 deck-rail planter boxes from scratch, and I'm almost halfway done with ground cover and new mulch around her flower beds. (on another thread). She's not super mobile after her stroke. Otherwise she would have done that.

In a few weeks I get to replace about 3 fence posts. Yeah! I suppose one of them is re-purposed to still hold up the fence temporarily.

 

[Provincial]

I ended up with 12 Kar Products and Lawson Products assortments from a retired mobile mechanic. He kept them piled on shelves in his truck, so they didn't come with the racks. I have hated unstacking them to get at the one I need, so when I saw an old airline meal rack for sale on Craigslist, I checked it out. It was a little too narrow to hold the boxes the normal direction, but by putting them in the long way, there is plenty of room to put a small assortment or two next to each one.

I figured out that the optimum shelf size was 1/2" thick, and was able to make all the shelves I needed from fall-down from old projects. I'd hate to buy the plywood at today's prices! I added a full-depth shelf from 3/4" plywood at waist height to pull out and set the box I'm working with on. I had to bevel the edges of the 3/4" to get it to slide properly, but it does with no slop.

I had to relabel the assortments on the ends because the regular markings aren't visible. Now, I open the door and can see what I want, pull out the shelf, pull the kit and place it on the shelf, open the lid, and pick the part!

Best of all, it is on wheels and rolls easily, even when fully loaded.

 

[mikeinri]

Very, very nice, @Provincial!

Mike

 

[Copymutt]

New hobby, new repurposing.
Picked up a pen lathe dirt cheap at yard sale. Included a set of HSS tools.
Outside of antique furniture parts replication, I didn’t have much appreciation for its capabilities. Spindles primarily.
First thing I noticed running through the variety of operations was the constant need to resharpen the tools. Granted I’ve been cutting iron wood, oak, walnut and fruit woods.
Looked up costs of carbide tools. Makes no sense. A 1/8 inch carbide tip for $60.00?
Remembered a stash of garbage circular saw blades. Bingo, cut off a tip W/ the carbide cutter attached and weld it to a steel bar. Make a handle. Great for shallow lines or just surface reduction.
We’ll see how long it cuts w/o sharpening. Now thinking of other scrap carbide bits that might be converted to other types of cutters, gouge, cut off, internal cuts.

 

[Shootinok]

^^^^ Brilliant repurpose use of old blades

 

[harley jim]

X2, great idea

 

[Monza Harry]

New hobby, new repurposing.
Picked up a pen lathe dirt cheap at yard sale. Included a set of HSS tools.
Outside of antique furniture parts replication, I didn’t have much appreciation for its capabilities. Spindles primarily.
First thing I noticed running through the variety of operations was the constant need to resharpen the tools. Granted I’ve been cutting iron wood, oak, walnut and fruit woods.
Looked up costs of carbide tools. Makes no sense. A 1/8 inch carbide tip for $60.00?
Remembered a stash of garbage circular saw blades. Bingo, cut off a tip W/ the carbide cutter attached and weld it to a steel bar. Make a handle. Great for shallow lines or just surface reduction.
We’ll see how long it cuts w/o sharpening. Now thinking of other scrap carbide bits that might be converted to other types of cutters, gouge, cut off, internal cuts.

^^^^ Brilliant repurpose use of old blades

X2, great idea

Some Thrift Store or Yard Sale screw drivers would make nice handles for those even easier than your purpose built solution. Harry

 

[vrinner]

So I have a **** load of Lynx Grills storage equipment. A bunch of nice drawers and cabinet door/drawer combos. Debating on building a full stainless workbench/storage of just selling but I know I won't get a good price for any of it. Seems kind of frivolous to make a workbench using $4k worth of stainless drawers but can't think of much else to use it for.

 

[larry4406]

So I have a **** load of Lynx Grills storage equipment. A bunch of nice drawers and cabinet door/drawer combos. Debating on building a full stainless workbench/storage of just selling but I know I won't get a good price for any of it. Seems kind of frivolous to make a workbench using $4k worth of stainless drawers but can't think of much else to use it for.

I think it’s time to build your ultimate outdoor grilling station!

 

[vrinner]

I think it’s time to build your ultimate outdoor grilling station!

I actually have more stuff than I would need. I mean there is ultimate, and then there is excessive! I know this is is GJ and everything is in excess but just trying to see if there are any ideas on something else to do with stuff like this outside of the obvious.

 

[harley jim]

I think a SS workbenches would be cool.

 

[Slednut]

Did this last night to cut out a new shifter gate for my side by side. I don't know if this is a total repurpose though.

 

[Kenstone1]

OK, made this sidewalk out of (repurposed) Square Edge Composite Deck Boards.

I spaced the boards with cheap poly tubing about 3/4" long threaded on Para-cord and stabled to the bottom of boards.
Using a $15 HF stapler.

To further "repurpose" some of the left-over decking, I made some screwdriver racks.


.

 

[mikeinri]

Did this last night to cut out a new shifter gate for my side by side. I don't know if this is a total repurpose though.

That's a very interesting idea!

Mike

 

[ArkTinkerer]

Evaporator from a bus--cut the dryer, valve, other parts off to keep just the coil and the fans. Inset some cut to size filters. Added a high current 12V power supply I had scrounged surplus to power the fans. Now cools the air going from compressor pump to the tank. Does an awesome job at it. Ambient temp was 82F, from the pump was about 113F, going into the tank it was 84F! Pulls a huge amount of water out of the compressed air so it never gets to the tank.

 

[Dutch01]

I have posted pictures somewhere else, but here is my campfire popcorn popper made from 2 repurposed stainless steel colanders. They discoloured because of the open flames. Works like a charm with rotisserie

 

[PCustoms]

I have posted pictures somewhere else, but here is my campfire popcorn popper made from 2 repurposed stainless steel colanders. They discoloured because of the open flames. Works like a charm with rotisserie

Yep, stealing this.

 

[Dutch01]

Yep, stealing this.

You are welcome Some advice when using. It works (for me) best over open flames. I just put enough kernels to cover the bottom of the colander. I found that I do not have to use any oil. You will hear the corn kernels start popping, first time for me it felt like ages before they did. When popping stops, they are done.
Important: Do not stop the rotissirie over the flames! The popcorn will burn! Take it off flames if you want to check.

 

[Dutch01]

Sorry I posted in wrong thread. Content was deleted

 

[cpttuna]

The two simplicity cabinets in the middle of the picture were purchased in 1990 when the local TG&Y went out of business. The held sewing patterns in them. The bottom one is on wheels . They now hold tools and misc stuff.

 

[cpttuna]

Nice job rdsk8ter. Show everyone your custom made cutter. After seeing yours I made one too. I can now cut down the juice bottles I use in about a quarter of the time that I used to.

old two liter bottles cut in half and some donated holders from the pop delivery man

 

[Chris Stapley]

The two simplicity cabinets in the middle of the picture were purchased in 1990 when the local TG&Y went out of business. The held sewing patterns in them. The bottom one is on wheels . They now hold tools and misc stuff.

My dad had a couple sets of these cabinets in the shop forever, they are so well built with roller drawers etc too, very easy to load them overly heavy,lol..

 

[Chris Stapley]

Just a few goofy ideas I've built out of leftovers in my shop..

 

[Wiz02]

Has anyone repurposed a radial arm saw? Hardly worth putting it on Craigslist.

 

[PugetDude]

Has anyone repurposed a radial arm saw? Hardly worth putting it on Craigslist.

If you post it on CL you have to list it as a "radio alarm saw"

 

[jives]

If you post it on CL you have to list it as a "radio alarm saw"

There is a thread on GJ about turning a RAS into a radial arm router. Some RASs even came with router attachments.