Upcycled/repurposed projects (MANY)

[frustratedearthmother]

Now that looks like a useful tool. Every time I haul some round bales I tie a good bit of rope to make sure they are stable. And, every time I am killing myself to get the knots untied. If I had one of those I'd keep it in my truck at all times. Thanks for sharing that!

 

[Hinotori]

I could use one of those here

 

[Mini Horses]

Hmmm...I just use an old screwdriver.

 

[Joel_BC]

Hmmm...I just use an old screwdriver.

Which might work better if you ground the screwdriver tip off and ground the tool to a slightly blunted point. (No need to hide under a chair. LOL)

 

[Mini Horses]

LOL -- it is an old Phillips, so already worn pretty well, no sharp points left....I like the handle on it for my own grip. Plus repurposed nicely.

 

[lcertuche]

If I could get a spare wooden bookshelf I would make my granddaughter a doll house.

I'm trying to figure out how to make some old dog houses into rabbit hutches.

 

[Beekissed]

View attachment 1985 Hello - I haven’t posted here for a while. I thought I’d share this very simple and useful tool that I made from a few things lying around my shop. It’s a fid. A fid is used for untying tight knots in cord or rope, by pressing the pointed end in and working a loop (or loops) of the knot a bit until the knot is loosened and can then be pulled open with your fingers. Anyone who works with rope at times - and that includes virtually all homesteaders - finds a tool like this quite valuable.

The fid I made is a real basic, even fairly crude, tool that simply does the job. I made this from a 5/16" by 7” “lag bolt” (wood bolt). I cut off the hex head with an angle grinder fitted with a zip disc, but could have used a hacksaw. I sharpened the bolt at the other end to the point you see in the pic, using a wheel on my bench grinder.

I found two sizes of copper plumbing pipe around the shop such that one slipped fairly snugly around the bolt, and the other fit fairly snugly around the first pipe. I cut them to a comfortable handle length, and ground away any burrs remaining from the cutting procedure. I heated the handle end of the bolt with a propane torch, and applied flux and plumber’s 50/50 solder to it. With the pointy end of the bolt held secure in a bench vise, I slid the other end into the smaller copper pipe. Then I heated the copper piece with the torch and fed more solder into the space between (as if I was “sweating” a plumbing joint). After that, I melted a thin coat of solder onto the outside of the small copper pipe, then slid the other copper pipe over it and again fed solder in to bond the larger pipe around the smaller.

Once everything was cooled, I did a slapdash but sufficient job of grinding a bit of shape into the handle for comfort in the hand when using the tool.

That was basically it.

The tool works well for me and the threads left on the lance made from the bolt can actually be helpful for teasing portions of a knot as you work to loosen it’s loops.

Joel, I really like that and now I have a new word in my vocabulary! Countless times I've needed a fid. Sure wish I had workshop equipment around here for welding and such.

There's only one improvement I'd make on it to adapt it to MY place here...a bright orange piece of duct tape or even a bright orange coat of paint to the handle so I wouldn't lose it when I sat it down here and there. Brown hand tools have a way of getting lost around these parts, so I've taken to banding them all with fluorescent orange or pink duct tape so I can spot them more easily.

Wouldn't go amiss to glue or weld a magnet on one side too, so you can afix it to your tractor, work station, etc., as well.

 

[lcertuche]

That is a super idea, painting the tool handles a bright color to stand out. We spend so much time looking for tools the Wildbunch as took outside and never brought in. Of course complaint is answered "Not me. Not me."

 

[Joel_BC]

There's only one improvement I'd make on it to adapt it to MY place here...a bright orange piece of duct tape or even a bright orange coat of paint to the handle so I wouldn't lose it when I sat it down here and there. Brown hand tools have a way of getting lost around these parts, so I've taken to banding them all with fluorescent orange or pink duct tape so I can spot them more easily.

Wouldn't go amiss to glue or weld a magnet on one side too, so you can afix it to your tractor, work station, etc., as well.

Hi Beekissed. Those are good suggestions. LOL I lose things too.

 

[lcertuche]

Joel_BC posted "Okay, here's another clever repurposing how-to. This guy used imagination plus two truck wheel rims and not much else to make a stove for barbecuing, cooking a stew, and such."
View attachment 1063

More pictures and discussion here: http://ideas2live4.com/2015/09/10/bbq-firepit/


I know a fellow who makes these. They really are cool and I wish I had the $$$ to buy one and help him out because he said they aren't really moving. A sweet young husband and father that does nothing but work all the time. He has a garage that he works in when he isn't at work. Always tinkering. It's nice to see someone who doesn't spend all his time gaming or on the phone texting.