DIY and repurposing junk

[PowerPlant]

I occasionally enjoy some basic DIY projects, mostly repurposing junk stuff. So far my main achievements are a coffee table made from a wooden pallet, and a couple liquor bottle lamps. I usually try to keep costs as low as possible, but it doesn’t always work out like that ?

The table is based off a euro-pallet a friend gave to me, wanting to get rid of a bunch of them from his storage unit. I painted it white with some leftover wood paint I had, going for the “shabby-chic” style and not worrying about perfection. I bought the wheels at a local DIY/hardware store. They weren’t the cheapest, but worth it as they have the brake/stopper and rubber rather than plastic to roll on. The priciest thing was getting the glass cut to size at a local glass shop. The lamps are based on empty liquor bottles I had left over from various soirees.  I bought cheap new lamp kits at the hardware store, and used lampshades at a fleamarket, while the “content” of the Jack Daniels bottle are spent 9 mm casings from a place where I go shooting. I still have to find something cool to fill the Monkey Shoulder. Perhaps marbles or some sort of crystals from a craft store. Total cost for the lamps, not counting the consumed liquor, of course, was next to nothing. Maybe 5 bucks per lamp - including lightbulb! Does anyone else do similar stuff like this? Let us see! It can be any kind of DIY, from furniture to decorations, accessories, etc… just as long as it was not purchased from a store as is! 

Edited February 9, 2023 by PowerPlant

[cobraman]

Cool projects.

[TonyK]

Nice work and definitely some good conversation starters for your guests.

[webestang]

Very cool projects.

Here is one I did a few years back, old VHS speaker stands.......

 

[PowerPlant]

3 hours ago, cobraman said:

Cool projects.

Thank you!

1 hour ago, TonyK said:

Nice work and definitely some good conversation starters for your guests.

Thanks, they are indeed! The usual reaction to the JD lamp is “are those bullets?!” Nope. Just leftovers ?‍♂️?

Edited February 10, 2023 by PowerPlant

[PowerPlant]

40 minutes ago, webestang said:

Very cool projects.

Here is one I did a few years back, old VHS speaker stands.......

 

That is awesome! Screams 80’s ? Did you glue them together? I’ve been toying with a vinyl LP clock idea, but old VHS never crossed my mind, and I have a tonload of them ? I kinda dig the old crate shelf in the back also!

Edited February 10, 2023 by PowerPlant

[NYLIBUD]

Great ideas.I really like the JD lamp.

[PowerPlant]

3 minutes ago, NYLIBUD said:

Great ideas.I really like the JD lamp.

Thanks, it’s the one that started it all! ?

[Little Timmy]

I use to have an old Stratocaster  guitar that I found abandoned in a dumpster.  I turned it into a 3 legged table.

? 

 

[PowerPlant]

34 minutes ago, Little Timmy said:

I use to have an old Stratocaster  guitar that I found abandoned in a dumpster.  I turned it into a 3 legged table.

?

 

Would be great to see a pic if you have one! Sounds awesome! I have a cheap old drum kit I might take apart and do something with the components. The floor tom could make a nice bedside-table or something like that. 

[JollySipper]

These are really cool! I've wanted to take up making lamps and clocks as another hobby...... Besides the basic kits, what kind of tools would be needed? I'm guessing something to solder with?

[Lunajammer]

I love to see what people do with found objects. So creative and your pieces look right at home at your place. Lamps and assemblage art are some of my other hobbies too.

[PowerPlant]

12 hours ago, JollySipper said:

These are really cool! I've wanted to take up making lamps and clocks as another hobby...... Besides the basic kits, what kind of tools would be needed? I'm guessing something to solder with?

Actually, most modern DIY lamp kits are dead simple to put together, and no wire soldering is required. You literally “click” the wires into the socket, and screw everything together by hand. You may need a screwdriver at best to tighten the nut on the main cord running from the socket. If you are going to work the glass yourself, however, you need a decent power drill for the cord hole at the bottom rear side of the bottle, and a diamond tipped glass cutter helps also if you need to adjust the length of the bottle neck. I also use some silicone to fix the socket to the bottle neck, if required. That’s about it, really.

Edited February 10, 2023 by PowerPlant

[PowerPlant]

11 hours ago, Lunajammer said:

I love to see what people do with found objects. So creative and your pieces look right at home at your place. Lamps and assemblage art are some of my other hobbies too.

Thanks! I just enjoy messing around with interesting junk. People who drive plug-in cars have a fancy word for it. I think they call it “upcycling” ?

Edited February 10, 2023 by PowerPlant

[Tcoat]

Been doing this since the '70s!

1001 uses.

 

[webestang]

19 hours ago, PowerPlant said:

That is awesome! Screams 80’s ? Did you glue them together? I’ve been toying with a vinyl LP clock idea, but old VHS never crossed my mind, and I have a tonload of them ? I kinda dig the old crate shelf in the back also!

I used Gorilla glue. I also made a VHS shelf to display......well VHS. 

 

[Little Timmy]

22 hours ago, PowerPlant said:

Would be great to see a pic if you have one! Sounds awesome! I have a cheap old drum kit I might take apart and do something with the components. The floor tom could make a nice bedside-table or something like that. 

Sorry. It was 1985 and I never thought to take pictures of it. 

The front and side of it had been smashed Ala Jimmy Hendricks. 

I first put an old clock in it and hung it on the wall.  I then added glowing plastic strings to it.But it was unbalanced and kept slipping to one side. It finally fell off the wall ,so I took some old coffie table legs and screwed one leg to the end of the neck. ( right where the tuning pegs were.) Then I screwed two legs to the lower part of the body.

It was definitely cool looking, but it was constantly tipping over. So I traded it to a friend. 

If I were to build another one, I would probably mount the two  legs on the body at opposing angles. ( not a big angle, just enough to keep it stable.)

 

[bobthehobbyguy]

Nicely done. T h e lamps are a great idea.

[slusher]

I really like the pallet center table..

[stavanzer]

On 2/10/2023 at 11:45 AM, webestang said:

I used Gorilla glue. I also made a VHS shelf to display......well VHS. 

 

 

 

Barbara Stanwick! Be still my heart!

[thatz4u]

On 2/10/2023 at 11:53 AM, Tcoat said:

Been doing this since the '70s!

1001 uses.

 

Me too

[PowerPlant]

20 hours ago, bobthehobbyguy said:

Nicely done. T h e lamps are a great idea.

Thanks! Admittedly, I got the idea to use liquor bottles for lamps from the internet, years ago, but I do claim the idea of filling it up with bullet casings as my own. I’ve not seen that anywhere before ?

5 hours ago, slusher said:

I really like the pallet center table..

Thanks! I’m quite happy with it ?

[webestang]

1 hour ago, stavanzer said:

 

 

Barbara Stanwick! Be still my heart!

My favorite actress of all time. 

[89AKurt]

Where do I start?  I love taking junk and repurposing it.   Last fall I built a firewood shed, had scavenged the corrugated metal from an old garage, man..... that was about 30 years ago, and that had to be ..... old.  The solar light is mounted on a chopped up bed frame corner.  Inside, the hose is hanging on a ceiling fan motor housing.

[Claude Thibodeau]

All clever ideas! Who says IKEA alone came up with simple solutions that bring a smile? Certainly not us!

CT