Recycling Things to Use in Your Shop.

[Tungsten dipper]

What have you recycled in your shop? For example:
This used to be a clothes locker at a public swimming pool. Now I use it to store larger stuff.

[J Tiers]

Just about everything in the shop is recycled, re-used, or re-purposed. Not a whole lot bought new in there.

[6270 Productions]

I have re-purposed a LeBlonde lathe in my garage into a "thing to lay miscellaneous stuff on". I really need to turn something.

[PStechPaul]

I have lots of these plastic containers from Mars food stores. They are a convenient size and shape, clean up and seal well, and can be easily stacked. They came in 1/2 and 1 pound sizes. I use them for small hardware as well as food storage. They are still in good shape several years after the Mars chain closed.

More recently I have been buying two pound containers of potato salad, macaroni salad, and cole slaw at Walmart, for less than $2.50 each. These are useful for larger parts. And I have also bought 3 pound containers of similar foods at Food Lion. Those containers are heavy duty.

[Tungsten dipper]

Do you use the containers because of rust?

[OaklandGB]

Yep, that Amish Potato salad is the best!! Along with the coleslaw, and a burger from the grill, makes a great summer dinner!! Their containers are a bonus.

[Paul Alciatore]

What do I recycle? It is more like what do I not recycle.

1. I have never purchased a bundle of shop rags. I seem to have enough old clothing, towels, and bed sheets in my household to no only keep my home shop in rags, but I was also able to use them where I worked too.

2. Rx pill bottles. Between myself, my wife, and my son; I have enough empty prescription bottles of several sizes to fill several grocery bags. And in spite of my using them, that collection seems to be growing. I cut the child-proof locks off and use them for screws, nuts, washers, and other small hardware storage. I have sheets of round labels in two sizes and use my CAD program to print nice labels for the tops. I store the bottles of hardware in cardboard bins, by screw sizes and other obvious categories.

3. Plastic trays that some medications come in. They make great small trays and bins for many purposes.

4. Power cords from old electronics and appliances. When I toss out an electric powered item I often find that the most valuable part is the electric cord. So I cut them off near the entrance grommet or just unplug them. I have a box for the cut cords and another one for the ones with connectors. These cords can cost $5 or a lot more but I almost never buy any for my electric or electronic projects.

5. File folders. A shop has many papers, manuals, drawings, etc. At least, mine does. I do have to buy the file folders from time to time, but I have a lot of recycled ones in my file drawers too.

6. Speaking of file drawers, I have three recycled file cabinets. Two here in my office and another one in the shop. One I acquired and repainted about 40+ years ago. It needs a new paint job again.

7. Metal stock, whenever, wherever I can find it. Roadside, scrap bin at work, bought on E-Bay, etc.

8. Motors. I have a nice assortment of various sizes of motors that came my way. They often come in handy. Even when I buy motors, I often buy used ones.

9. Shelving. About half the shelves in my shop are recycled. And I have a few that are awaiting a new purpose. I often use scraps from my shop shelf installation for various projects.

10. Tools, of course. When I see a worn out or broken tool, I see an opportunity to recycle it. Saws, electric drills, sanders, you name it. I guess my lathe is the top of the hill here, it is a South Bend that is older than I am. And that is saying something.

I could go on, but ten was enough for Johnny so I guess I will stop there. Besides I finished my dinner and need to get some shop time tonight.

Someone else's turn now.

[Tundra Twin Track]

I have recycled a lot of stuff from metal pile at Dump.Treadmill Motor flange mounted with Semi Truck Starter housing that machined to fit,Callender for holding small parts in Blast Cabinet.Also used hollow splined PTO shaft for Die Threading setup and Weedeater tank for gravity lubriction.

[mattthemuppet]

I'm like Paul and many others - what don't I recycle and reuse?! I have a gas powered leaf blower and pressure washer to get back in action, plus I found a really nice treadmill motor the other day which I've added to the pile (future belt sander?). That's just in the last week..

[ftownroe]

Pretty much like the previous posters I do not toss anything that has any conceivable future use. I will add what is probably the oddest item to the list; I save the hollow plastic cores from the rolls of dog poop bags that I accumulate. They seem like potential standoffs,insulators or who knows what? . Seems like a great school project; Who can come up with the most unique use for an obscure product?
.

[Tungsten dipper]

I'm like Paul and many others - what don't I recycle and reuse?! I have a gas powered leaf blower and pressure washer to get back in action, plus I found a really nice treadmill motor the other day which I've added to the pile (future belt sander?). That's just in the last week..

No wonder we have trouble cleaning our shops!

[AssertiveWall]

It's a small thing, but I find that altoid tins are really useful for holding cutting oil and little parts.

[lynnl]

I save the hollow plastic cores from the rolls of dog poop bags that I accumulate. They seem like potential standoffs,insulators or who knows what? .
.

Dog poop bags...? Really? Is that really a purchased item these days?

Now that seems like an ideal place for using re-purposed items.

[mattthemuppet]

No wonder we have trouble cleaning our shops!

yeah, it's getting to the point where I can't move around in there, which will prompt fixing those things the more I get annoyed with that!