To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

The repurposing thread

To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

cpttuna

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 31, 2014
Messages
13,137
Location
napoleon ohio
start with an old microwave. Some people toss it out as is. Some like myself, take it apart to save different pieces. I save the turntable. i use it to mix auto-body filler on. I save the 2 magnets. they usually end up on the refrig unless the kids steal them. finally the discharge capacitor is used as a weight to help hold down whatever I use to cover the top of the picnic table . for those interested, the handle on the discharge capacitor is made from the microwave power cord. shoe goo and 5 minute plastic welder were use to fasten the cord to the capacitor.
 

Attachments

  • 20260312_101143.jpg
    20260312_101143.jpg
    273.9 KB · Views: 127
  • 20260228_140140 - Copy (2).jpg
    20260228_140140 - Copy (2).jpg
    375.9 KB · Views: 100

Ultradog MN

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 20, 2024
Messages
727
Location
Twin Cities
start with an old microwave. Some people toss it out as is. Some like myself, take it apart to save different pieces. I save the turntable. i use it to mix auto-body filler on. I save the 2 magnets. they usually end up on the refrig unless the kids steal them. finally the discharge capacitor is used as a weight to help hold down whatever I use to cover the top of the picnic table . for those interested, the handle on the discharge capacitor is made from the microwave power cord. shoe goo and 5 minute plastic welder were use to fasten the cord to the capacitor.
No offense but that looks more like a crapacitor :)
 

ArmyVW_GuyInTX

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
May 17, 2013
Messages
447
Location
North of the Fort Worth/Dallas metro area
I previously posted this on my shed thread but thought I'd share it here.
If you have already seen this, just disregard.

Started life as a Menard's Over-The-Range Microwave display the were selling for $5.
I turned it into a bodywork cart.

Screenshot 2025-12-18 at 10.46.38 AM.png
Front - Done.jpgAir Tool Side - Done.jpgVise Grip Side - Done.jpg
Outstanding! The red finish makes it better!

This thread has me looking at ways to repurpose a pair of 120" x 24" x 2.125" maple tops from a closed school.
 

Snip's

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 29, 2017
Messages
1,829
Location
Ohio
start with an old microwave. Some people toss it out as is. Some like myself, take it apart to save different pieces. I save the turntable. i use it to mix auto-body filler on. I save the 2 magnets. they usually end up on the refrig unless the kids steal them. finally the discharge capacitor is used as a weight to help hold down whatever I use to cover the top of the picnic table . for those interested, the handle on the discharge capacitor is made from the microwave power cord. shoe goo and 5 minute plastic welder were use to fasten the cord to the capacitor.
Not a discharge capacitor... Itsa step up transformer that powers the magnetron (eyeball fryer)...
 

mikeinri

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 29, 2019
Messages
8,137
Location
MA
it is glass. I mix the autobody putty on it. the grind it smooth for the next time i want to use it. what do you mix autobody putty on if you use it?

Oh, I thought you meant the motorized bits! Was hoping to learn something new!

Not auto body putty, but I've mixed various epoxies. Paper plates work well.

Mike
 

Beerhippie

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2023
Messages
9,490
Location
Far NE Oregon
Oh, I thought you meant the motorized bits! Was hoping to learn something new!

Not auto body putty, but I've mixed various epoxies. Paper plates work well.

Mike
If you want longer open (or working) times, mix it on aluminum baking sheets. Epoxy curing is an exothermic process--it produces heat--so putting it on a heat sink greatly increases the amount of time time you have to work with it. In exteremis--like the Kona coast of Hawaii--we'd set the baking pan on ice.
 
Last edited:

dscheidt

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2017
Messages
2,875
Oh, I thought you meant the motorized bits! Was hoping to learn something new!

Not auto body putty, but I've mixed various epoxies. Paper plates work well.

Mike
I use small amounts of epoxy fairly often. I usually mix it on a piece of masking tape stuck to the bench. Easy to clean up immediately or easy to leave to see how the batch cured, and peel up after.
 

Copymutt

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 3, 2016
Messages
3,381
Location
Colorado
One of my fav threads. I just flashed back on the very first repurpose I can remember.
I was around 12 yrs. old and cutting lawns for money. We had a B&S powered reel mower. Decided it need customizing. Replaced the muffler w/ a chrome drain P trap, instant one off header. Then the clutch engagement handle got swapped for a beer tap.👏
 

Old Man Roger

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Messages
17,321
Location
Palm Coast Florida
One of my fav threads. I just flashed back on the very first repurpose I can remember.
I was around 12 yrs. old and cutting lawns for money. We had a B&S powered reel mower. Decided it need customizing. Replaced the muffler w/ a chrome drain P trap, instant one off header. Then the clutch engagement handle got swapped for a beer tap.👏
When I was a kid the local dump separated lawn equipment, reel mowers where always a cherished find.lol I don’t know if we were breaking the law by taking them, but mini bikes and go-karts needed engines.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

BMWBOB2

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2025
Messages
20
If you want longer open (or working) times, mix it on aluminum baking sheets. Epoxy curing is an exothermic process--it produces heat--so putting it on a heat sink greatly increases the amount of time time you have to work with it. In exteremis--like the Kona coast of Hawaii--we'd set the baking pan on ice.
Great idea!
 

starquestMM

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2013
Messages
1,068
Location
JC, Missouri
I needed some cabinets for my utility room and there are a lot of nice entertainment centers available for cheap, so...

I picked up this one, mostly due to its height:
entertainment center.jpg

Bit of careful circular saw jenga and it turned out better than i was hoping.
moneyshot.jpg

The two side cabinet bottoms became a 24" deep laundry upper:
laundrycab.jpg

Nice to have a place for the vacuum, brooms and such:
butlercab.jpg
 

Jgaz

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Messages
1,607
Location
AZ
I needed some cabinets for my utility room and there are a lot of nice entertainment centers available for cheap, so...

I picked up this one, mostly due to its height:
entertainment center.jpg

Bit of careful circular saw jenga and it turned out better than i was hoping.
moneyshot.jpg

The two side cabinet bottoms became a 24" deep laundry upper:
laundrycab.jpg

Nice to have a place for the vacuum, brooms and such:
butlercab.jpg
Nice work!
 

rharman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
8,683
Location
SoCal
< snip >

I needed some cabinets for my utility room and there are a lot of nice entertainment centers available for cheap, so...

< /snip >

One source for cheap cabinetry is a hotel that is revamping their rooms. At a previous employer, we had a hotel on the grounds and they'd sell off the old armoires, dressers, and nightstands dirt cheap when rooms got updated. In our case, employees got first dibs but I'm sure there are brokers that get used a lot of times.
 

IndyGarage

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 29, 2010
Messages
9,662
Location
Indy
One source for cheap cabinetry is a hotel that is revamping their rooms. At a previous employer, we had a hotel on the grounds and they'd sell off the old armoires, dressers, and nightstands dirt cheap when rooms got updated. In our case, employees got first dibs but I'm sure there are brokers that get used a lot of times.
I get an entire set of desk chairs that way. They just had them sitting in the parking lot and said come get them. I took 8 for a conference room I was setting up.
 

Ultradog MN

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 20, 2024
Messages
727
Location
Twin Cities
I needed some cabinets for my utility room and there are a lot of nice entertainment centers available for cheap, so...

I picked up this one, mostly due to its height:
entertainment center.jpg

Bit of careful circular saw jenga and it turned out better than i was hoping.
moneyshot.jpg

The two side cabinet bottoms became a 24" deep laundry upper:
laundrycab.jpg

Nice to have a place for the vacuum, brooms and such:
butlercab.jpg
Very nice!
Reminds me of my little garage office.
They were going to tear an older house down to redevelop the lot. I was allowed to take out of there anything I wanted - free. I took some of the upper kitchen cabinets and a 2' closet door and frame and built them into my office.
 

Attachments

  • 31202664017.jpg
    31202664017.jpg
    643.4 KB · Views: 54

IMCA38

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 21, 2007
Messages
996
Location
Bennet, NE
Very nice!
Reminds me of my little garage office.
They were going to tear an older house down to redevelop the lot. I was allowed to take out of there anything I wanted - free. I took some of the upper kitchen cabinets and a 2' closet door and frame and built them into my office.
I absolutely cringe watching the various home reno shows where the made for TV highlight is destroying perfectly good cabinets with a sledge.
 

mikeinri

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 29, 2019
Messages
8,137
Location
MA
I get an entire set of desk chairs that way. They just had them sitting in the parking lot and said come get them. I took 8 for a conference room I was setting up.

Yeah... I've gotten some like-new chairs, after "management" (usually an executive assistant assigned to decor) decides that everyone needs the same chair, right now.

Usually that's after people get sore in the old worn-out chairs, and are allowed to buy their own ergonomic chairs. Before long, everyone has a different chair, and we can't have THAT!

Mike
 

rharman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
8,683
Location
SoCal
Yeah... I've gotten some like-new chairs, after "management" (usually an executive assistant assigned to decor) decides that everyone needs the same chair, right now.

Usually that's after people get sore in the old worn-out chairs, and are allowed to buy their own ergonomic chairs. Before long, everyone has a different chair, and we can't have THAT!

Mike

I got a great laugh years ago at a previous employer. A group of people from one department went to an event at TicketMaster. The clerks tried out an office chair they saw during their tour and loved it! Their manager came back and put in a request for chairs for 3-4 of the clerks.

Purchasing responded that the price was out of the $$ range for a "clerk" chair unless the safety department OK'd it due to ergonomics. So, that prompted a safety ergonomic review of the entire workspace. That resulted in new chairs PLUS a whole lot of other items to make a "safe" workspace for the clerks. Purchasing would have been better off just approving the chairs to begin with!
 

dscheidt

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2017
Messages
2,875
One source for cheap cabinetry is a hotel that is revamping their rooms. At a previous employer, we had a hotel on the grounds and they'd sell off the old armoires, dressers, and nightstands dirt cheap when rooms got updated. In our case, employees got first dibs but I'm sure there are brokers that get used a lot of times.
This kind of stuff shows up at the local habitat restore from time to time. A couple years ago, they had a bunch from an extended stay hotel.
 

jsaw

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 11, 2008
Messages
1,772
Location
Geneva, N.Y.
Harvested a blower from my old furnace. I repurposed the extension cord, electrical box, and HF cart as well. Only had to buy the switch (which I didn’t really have to use).

Breezy days in the garage now!

IMG_4344.jpeg
I have one like that. I pulled it off a Scrap pile 33 years ago. I did have to replace the motor a few years ago.
 

rharman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
8,683
Location
SoCal
I posted this back in 2013 in this thread. Repurposed a whole house fan into a 2-speed fan for my garage.

 

Radio Flyer

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2010
Messages
1,681
Location
Suburban Chicago
I posted this back in 2013 in this thread. Repurposed a whole house fan into a 2-speed fan for my garage.

I love the slim factor of this fan.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom