Post a pic of something you have recycled

[DBC]

The steam boiler for my steam box was once the stainless fuel tank of a motor boat and a pillar that carried a huge gantry crane in a factory plus some more materials draged outof the piles at local scrap yards

The piping for my dust collector was once the ventilation system in a municipal health care center. The cyclone was some scraps at various scrap yards and the barrels used to hold the dust once contained pear juice concentrate. The blower also took a trip to the scrapyard before I bought it and rebuilt it.

The waterstone grinder in the background was once an industrial washing machine used for washing overalls at Kemira. Though a friend did most of the conversion work because I had no welder and had not yet learned metalwork back then.
The green tool cabinet was once a fitted kitchen cabinet heading for the dump. The red and blue timber shelf had for some reson ended up in a heap to be smelted at a local scrap yard. The brown chest of drawers was at the municipal dump to be chipped for fuel before I smuggled it out of there and put it to use as a tool cabinet.

Well..... I think I must quit now or I will need a recycling thread of my own.

I am interested if your extraction system made your workshop smell like pears. Pears smell nice. The first cyclone unit I made used a plastic barrel that had held pickled onions. When the extractor was running it used to pong. You could even smell it faintly months later.

 

[Jameshow]

The steam boiler for my steam box was once the stainless fuel tank of a motor boat and a pillar that carried a huge gantry crane in a factory plus some more materials draged outof the piles at local scrap yards

The piping for my dust collector was once the ventilation system in a municipal health care center. The cyclone was some scraps at various scrap yards and the barrels used to hold the dust once contained pear juice concentrate. The blower also took a trip to the scrapyard before I bought it and rebuilt it.

The waterstone grinder in the background was once an industrial washing machine used for washing overalls at Kemira. Though a friend did most of the conversion work because I had no welder and had not yet learned metalwork back then.
The green tool cabinet was once a fitted kitchen cabinet heading for the dump. The red and blue timber shelf had for some reson ended up in a heap to be smelted at a local scrap yard. The brown chest of drawers was at the municipal dump to be chipped for fuel before I smuggled it out of there and put it to use as a tool cabinet.

Well..... I think I must quit now or I will need a recycling thread of my own.

What the steam box used for? Building a boat?

 

[heimlaga]

What the steam box used for? Building a boat?

No. I don't have the necsessary quailifications to call myself a boatbuilder so I only repair them. A jack of all trades must draw a line somewhere or he will end up out of his depth. One rebuilt wooden boat will soon be ready for the owner to sand and oil and varnish and another boat will be coming in for a rebuild.

 

[Jameshow]

No. I don't have the necsessary quailifications to call myself a boatbuilder so I only repair them. A jack of all trades must draw a line somewhere or he will end up out of his depth. One rebuilt wooden boat will soon be ready for the owner to sand and oil and varnish and another boat will be coming in for a rebuild.

Any pics!

 

[rob1693]

Side table from an unusual piece of a tree trunk I got as fire wood had to put a couple of bow ties on underside to stop checks travelling been told it looks like the shape of Australia it does a bit when I checked it out

 

[heimlaga]

Any pics!

I posted a separate thread in the Projects section of the forum called "Wooden boat repairs"

 

[Thingybob]

This was the first wooden thing I ever made for myself. It was in 1987 a few months into my apprenticeship. I was really keen to make one for myself as the guy who I was apprenticed to had just had me make one for the workshop and I now considered myself a mallet specialist.

I found a lump of beech in my Dad’s garage. I said nothing when my Mum was later berating my Dad about him losing one of her Mum’s bed legs during the short time it was being stored in the same garage. Hey. I was only 17. Pretty sure Dad knew it was me but he kept schtum.View attachment 133825

But really I ‘recycle’ all the time. I try to group all my oak jobs together, pine jobs together etc. I did 3 furniture board jobs in a row after xmas this year. The third job, which was only a (L)3m x (H)0.75m and 180mm deep bookcase was pretty much made entirely from the offcuts from the previous jobs. Meaning I got to charge for this timber twice. Does that count as recycling?

No that is what is called tandemcycling

 

[Thingybob]

Heimlaga you must take recycler of the month with all your projects keep up the good work

 

[KingAether]

Motor and control board taken from a commercial reebok treadmill with a broken running board and bent frame, an obsolete arcade style controller(xbox 360) and the box section and 12mm plate came from a skip, the wheels a friend donated.
2" x 72", 3.5hp, variable speed up to 5000rpm.
I mostly use it for rough shaping wood now-a-days but it will eat steel (and thumbs) without a thought

 

[DBC]

Motor and control board taken from a commercial reebok treadmill with a broken running board and bent frame, an obsolete arcade style controller(xbox 360) and the box section and 12mm plate came from a skip, the wheels a friend donated.
2" x 72", 3.5hp, variable speed up to 5000rpm.
I mostly use it for rough shaping wood now-a-days but it will eat steel (and thumbs) without a thought
View attachment 133881View attachment 133883

That is great. And it has a mad scientist look about it. Don’t let it get up to 88mph ffs; you’ll rip the space time continuum.

 

[Jameshow]

I've saved two 3x2' 18mm veneered ply head boards any ideas what to recycle them into?

 

[Thingybob]

I've saved two 3x2' 18mm veneered ply head boards any ideas what to recycle them into?

This is the next part of recycling "Vision" what can i turn it into what do i need

 

[Thingybob]

James off the top of my head you could make some sort of tool storage box with dovetail jointed corners and that wayyou hone your woodworking skills and if it go s wrong it has not cost you for wood and its more sturdy than plastic boxes tools come in

 

[Jameshow]

James off the top of my head you could make some sort of tool storage box with dovetail jointed corners and that wayyou hone your woodworking skills and if it go s wrong it has not cost you for wood and its more sturdy than plastic boxes tools come in

Good idea!

I'll have a think!!

 

[KingAether]

That is great. And it has a mad scientist look about it. Don’t let it get up to 88mph ffs; you’ll rip the space time continuum.

Its either the light barrier breaking or the belt snapping and slapping me in the face at 88mph

 

[Thingybob]

Just been talking to my daughter and she makes recycled art pieces for show in the comunity she is looking for a 12" to 24"" clear plastic ball im at a loss to think where she can find one i did think a scraped toy dispencer you find outsde newsagents (hensteeth) any ideas from you guys

 

[Bojam]

Made this modular bookshelf unit for my baby daughter using reclaimed hardwood. Previously it had spent 40+ years as part of the frame of a hut/shelter (known as a “carbet” in French) on the forest research station that my wife is in charge of. Where people would sling their hammocks, cook meals, have meetings, etc. A lot of history. When a new carbet got built recently this wood needed repurposing.

Nothing very elaborate but the box joints were cut on the bandsaw which was a first for me. Just used the fence and a clamped stop block behind the blade to limit the cut. Worked a treat.

 

[Bojam]

Great thread btw - really enjoying seeing people’s creative use of old stuff!

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

I have posted this before, but it is worth airing again ....

Two years ago, a good friend, Rita, brought along an entrance hall table she wanted me to fit a drawer into …

(Note that these photos were taken in my entrance hall, not Rita's).


It was really a boring ... okay, ugly table. I thought that the proportions were completely ugh, and the legs reminded me of detention in a classroom. The table had been a kerbside salvage by her late husband, a close friend of mine, and a very good woodworker in his own right. It had been used as a work table. Rita had just moved into a new home, and the table was used because the width of the top fitted an alcove in the entrance hall.

I said to Rita that I would re-build the table. "But I must have a drawer", Rita emphasised.

The wood was good Jarrah. The first step was to pull it apart. This was not so easy as simply unscrewing the clips for the top …

Some evil tablemaker had used a nail gun to attach the corner blocks. Pulling them out left holes in the legs.

The legs were attached with dowels. I would never have guessed as the construction was very strong. Pulling them away caused some of the wood to tear along with it. No way to remove them other than saw the ends away.

Deconstructed ...

All done ... and the drawer is a little beauty. I did scratch my head over the construction. No doubt it has been done before, but I could not find any pictures of another like it. I am sure there will be interest in the design. I am chuffed with the efficiency of it. More on this in the next article.

For now, here is the completed table.

The legs have been brought inward, tapered, and a 3 degree splay added to the sides.

The top retained its width (I was threatened with death, or worse, if it was shortened) but was made shallower. A slight camber was added front-and-back to soften the outline …

The apron was also made shallower. The original was 100mm (4") high. It is now 65mm (2 1/2") high.

Oy .. where's the drawer gone?! I could have sworn it was there yesterday. Aah ... there it is ...

This is the drawer case …

With drawer inserted - you need to get close up to see the joins ..

It opens with a pull under the drawer ..

The drawer is shallow, of course, it is just for house keys and the odd remote control. It is just 45mm (1 3/4") high on the outside and 26mm (1") deep inside. The full dimensions are 230mm (9") wide and 280mm (11") deep …

The sides are 7mm thick. The drawer front is 18mm (roughly 3/4").


To maximise the internal height, the drawer bottom was attached with a groove into the drawer sides rather than using slips. Slips would have used a precious extra 3mm (1/8"). So they 6mm (1/4") drawer bottom has a 3mm rebate, fitting a 3mm groove.

The sides and bottom are quartersawn Tasmanian Oak, which is very stable and tough. One screw at the rear, with an expansion slot, to hold it firmly. A nice, tight drawer …

It sides in-and-out smoothly. I love that it disappears and is hidden.

Construction details on my website: Scan down to "Transformations" Furniture

In Rita's entrance hall ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[blackteaonesugar]

Washing machine doors on both ends of my allotment shed.