Salvaging stuff

[landman]

The microwave died the other day. I took it apart and salvaged many little items which may become model parts some day. For example the timer display has the makings of a fine table.

[Darren B]

Very good sources to find parts, also that wound copper thingy has a lot of good copper wire on it, just snip one end and spool it out. great detailing for wires and hoses.....

[Deuces]

Had a 6 foot long cellphone charger cable go bad on me so I decided to cut out the 4 wires out of it..... That's enough plug wire to last me for quite a while..... ?

Edited November 3, 2018 by Deuces

[Darren B]

On 11/2/2018 at 9:07 PM, Deuces said:

Had a 6 foot long cellphone charger cable go bad on me so I decided to cut out the 4 wires out of it..... That's enough plug wire to last me for quite a while..... ?

That is me, my apple phones always goes thru the charging cables, as slow as I build mine will last a lifetime....

Edited November 8, 2018 by Darren B

[Darren B]

I love scrounging around for everyday items for model building. Years ago I had a large projection tv take a dump. Took out all the guts and have a lifetime of wires and do dads. Right after that I used a lot of those items to super detail my mpc/amt snow speeder. 

The possibilities are endless....

Edited November 8, 2018 by Darren B

[Bainford]

No fallen electronic items get thrown out of my house without first harvesting the model parts from inside. An old VCR provided a great pile of gears and similar components that only need the rust treatment to make a cool junk load for an old truck. Wires and diodes aplenty, of course. An old CD player had some perfect rubber suspension air bags. On a project a few years ago I needed an orange wire of a specific gauge, but could find nothing useful in my stash, so I started ripping apart electronic items in the house. Several sets of airplane headphones and an old DVD player bit the dust, but an old lap top provided the exact bit I needed.

[Gramps46]

On ‎10‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 2:09 PM, landman said:

The microwave died the other day. I took it apart and salvaged many little items which may become model parts some day. For example the timer display has the makings of a fine table.

Please be very careful with Microwaves.  My cousin's son was fatally electrocuted try to fix one.

 

 

[Flat32]

I pick up and save every discarded disposable cigarette lighter I find. Was taking them apart for the springs, but the other parts are interesting as well. I hang onto disposable razors, take them apart and study their construction. Likewise ballpoint pens. My Dad used to say "Never trow nuttin away" and never throw anything away without saving all the screws, washers, bolts, nuts and springs.  He'd bring home shipping crates that we kids had to take apart for the lumber and had to save the nails. Spent many hours as a kid straightening nails.  He never threw away a baby food jar.

[bbowser]

On 11/15/2018 at 5:25 PM, Flat32 said:

I pick up and save every discarded disposable cigarette lighter I find. Was taking them apart for the springs, but the other parts are interesting as well. I hang onto disposable razors, take them apart and study their construction. Likewise ballpoint pens. My Dad used to say "Never trow nuttin away" and never throw anything away without saving all the screws, washers, bolts, nuts and springs.  He'd bring home shipping crates that we kids had to take apart for the lumber and had to save the nails. Spent many hours as a kid straightening nails.  He never threw away a baby food jar.

My father is the same way.  I think many folks that lived through the "Great Depression" of the 30's have that mindset. 

[olsbooks]

Just found this thread and am jumping up and down with joy.  Re purposing provides such a rewarding sense compared to pulling out the wallet.  Brains over bucks I say.  A really good one recently discovered is for mica samples from Lowes or home depot.  In building a diorama, I wanted nice looking wood floors in a 1/87 building.  Also, flexible drinking straws make great air intake ducting going to air cleaner housings.  I use it extensively on 1/25 semi trucks.

Peace

Edited November 29, 2018 by olsbooks

[landman]

On 11/29/2018 at 5:36 PM, olsbooks said:

Just found this thread and am jumping up and down with joy.  Re purposing provides such a rewarding sense compared to pulling out the wallet.  Brains over bucks I say.  A really good one recently discovered is for mica samples from Lowes or home depot.  In building a diorama, I wanted nice looking wood floors in a 1/87 building.  Also, flexible drinking straws make great air intake ducting going to air cleaner housings.  I use it extensively on 1/25 semi trucks.

Peace

I truly agree with this. I do that with my woodworking too. I use a lot of recycled, salvaged wood. For example this mahogany chest was made with old door jambs.

[89AKurt]

I have a good stash of salvaged parts!  Springs primarily.  I have taken apart every dead electronic device, the older stuff has cool parts, not so much for newer.  I used a VCR head to make a turn-table.

Here is what CD player laser readers are good for, projector headlights.  The orange turn signals are LEDs.

[Chariots of Fire]

On ‎11‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 6:26 PM, Darren B said:

I love scrounging around for everyday items for model building. Years ago I had a large projection tv take a dump. Took out all the guts and have a lifetime of wires and do dads. Right after that I used a lot of those items to super detail my mpc/amt snow speeder. 

The possibilities are endless....

That looks like the beginning of a neat spacecraft model!

[Belugawrx]

I love salvaging

Most of this interior came from a portable CD player and a couple WiFi sticks

Edited December 2, 2018 by Belugawrx

[disabled modeler]

Another great thing to have is the drive belts from old junk computer printers....they make great looking blower drive belts.  Small capacitors make nice looking scale oil filters as well. 

[ChrisBcritter]

Take a close look at these shirt button extenders:

Should be some use there for smaller flexible exhaust or radiator hoses.O/D looks to be 1/16".

Edited December 26, 2018 by ChrisBcritter

[peteski]

Excellent tip!  Thanks.

[Spex84]

Love this kind of thing! It's a real kick to find just the right item in the stash, a piece of wire etc that was removed from a tape player 20 years ago and socked away for a rainy day

Electronics trash is truly treasure to me

[Casey]

On 12/27/2018 at 4:57 PM, Spex84 said:

Electronics are truly treasure

Indeed. I picked up an old radio, disassembled it, and found plenty of useable bits inside, like this .011" thick copper wire and this .027" thick fabric wrapped braided copper wire, which seems just about right for vintage spark plugs and wires. The fabric wrapped wire was used to slide the frequency pointer inside the radio. ?

Edited March 5, 2019 by Casey

[SCRWDRVR]

I have to admit that’s something that never crossed my mind but it’s there now and there to stay...

[NOBLNG]

My wife just got her guitar re-strung and I asked her to save the old strings. I read on here that some guys use the solid strings and hypodermic tubing for radio antennas. I noticed that the wrapping around the other strings can be removed to make very tiny springs as well.

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

My wife just got her guitar re-strung and I asked her to save the old strings. I read on here that some guys use the solid strings and hypodermic tubing for radio antennas. I noticed that the wrapping around the other strings can be removed to make very tiny springs as well.

 

 

 

Steve

[DumpyDan]

Nice work, I like!

[Darren B]

15 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

My wife just got her guitar re-strung and I asked her to save the old strings. I read on here that some guys use the solid strings and hypodermic tubing for radio antennas. I noticed that the wrapping around the other strings can be removed to make very tiny springs as well.

I also use the little brass looking thing that is on the wire for engine pulleys.

[Bainford]

23 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

 I read on here that some guys use the solid strings and hypodermic tubing for radio antennas.

I use guitar strings a lot. It's one of my favourite scratch building materials.  Brake lines, fuel lines, suspension bits, various rods, pipes, & tubes,1000s of uses.