Upcycled/repurposed projects (MANY)

MoonShadows

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How/where does he try to sell them? There's got to be a market...just a matter of finding it.
 

frustratedearthmother

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Those are so cool - and what a great way to use up something that usually has just one function in life. I'd use one if I had one!
 

lcertuche

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They really are great. He has shown them on Facebook and at our local 'Trade Days' once a month street sale.
 

MoonShadows

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Tell him to try Craig's List. Also, he should look up and find "craft shows or events" that will have people like car buffs, motorcyclists, campers, bored husbands, etc. I don't think your "average person" will buy one of these...even though they are good. They want the latest Charm-Glo grill. He needs to appeal to more self sufficient, outdoorsy, junk-yard-appreciative type people.
 

lcertuche

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Moon it's funny you mention car buffs because he's always going to car shows. He has an old car he shows. Next time I see him I'll mention your ideas. He really has a great product and I wish he could make it work for him.
 

Beekissed

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Traded some labor with my brother for some old stuff in his basement, with the intent of using the old stuff on upcoming projects. We helped him trade out furniture yesterday and then shopped in his ancient house basement for old fixtures. Came home with an old, sturdy screen door(they don't make them like that anymore) to use in our outhouse rebuild, some other old, large framed out screens to use for making garden gates, and a little box of glass door and cupboard knobs.

Can't wait to use this stuff!!! :weee
 

sumi

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And we can't wait to see what you're going to do with that stuff! ;)
 

Beekissed

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Today I'm repurposing pallets and reclaimed lumber into a dog bench for Ben's tie out area...something for him to get on top of or underneath, depending on his mood at the time. Come winter I'll put a temporary bottom on it and pack it full of hay for a winter snuggle place for the dogs, if they so desire.

I'll also be utilizing some silver lined bubble wrap for underneath the roofing materials on the bench, so as to add more insulation there...that will help with summer and winter. This bench will be in the shade anyway, so it won't be too hot there but dogs still seem to love to crawl underneath things to stay cool.
 

Joel_BC

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This is ingenious. It's a small-scale soil cultivator that is powered by a cordless electric drill. The prototype device can be powered by the drill because its gear ratio reduces the rpm (revolutions per minute) provided by the drill's motor, which at the same time increases the turning power (torque).
I found the video on this site: https://www.milkwood.net/2014/12/15/drill-powered-microfarming-slow-tools-humanity/

The drill's battery can be recharged from any appropriate source, such as your regular 110/120v house or shop electricity. And also, as the page says, "this means that if you’re on solar power (or whatever renewable power source) then you can re-charge this device, in the form of the drill batteries, as much as needed... It’s also quiet (or, only as loud as a drill), and light to carry.

This cultivator is designed to cultivate the top of an already prepared bed to a fine tilth – either as a final stage before planting small seeds, or to incorporate compost into the future seedbed layer." IOW, it's not a rototiller.


To my mind, what this prototype mainly does is to show the principle of using a fairly low-power electric motor, having a rechargeable power supply, to operate the tilther. Probably this fairly small drill's motor or battery would be overtaxed and worn out before too long. But you can see the implication as to how a slightly beefier motor (like from a larger, more heavy-duty type of electric drill, etc) could be adapted to do the job of providing motive power.
 
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