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Being a scavenger definitely does pay off.

Toni Ciuraneta

Toni Ciuraneta

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IMG_4080.jpegBefore retiring a was collecting stuff that they were throwing away at the company where I worked.
Now having time to work at the shop I decided to put it to use. I got a bunch of 2 meter long aluminium profiles, a dismantled desk and some sheets of industrial grade plywood of different thicknesses as well as some masonite 3 mm thick, so I made two cabinets with the only expense of 20€ for the coaster wheels, and 30€ for a blade for metal for my miter saw.
These are the profiles.


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I cut them to size and mounted them
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This is the desk top and the industrial grade plywood. It had some scratches as they used
It to cut carton sheets on it.
I inserted the plywood in the slots of the profiles, the masonite in the back and fixed
the desk top with screws.
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I took advantage of the slots and made sliding doors with the 3 mm masonite. I do not like them much as they prevent full access to the interior , but I can remove the easily bending them so no big deal compared to the money I have saved if I had to buy all this material.
I made two cabinets, the smaller one is of the same height of my TS so if needed I can use
It as outfeed table, and I still have enough profiles to make a third one. Now it is a matter of deciding how to organize the interior with shelves or if I make some drawers for them.
Here you can see the two of them.
sorry guys, the first pic is the plywood, I am posting this from my phone and I got it in the wrong place, and not being able to correct it. Being from the boomer generation has to show up sometimes…
 

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Excellent!! I really like working with aluminum profiles. They are like a giant erector set and can be used in many ways, but are very expensive. If you look up 80/20 aluminum you will find lots of ideas and a huge variety of fasteners.
Very nice cabinets! :thumb::thumb::thumb:
 
Pretty fancy looking cabinet/tables! That extrusion is nice looking stuff, certainly should make a substantial table frame!

I'm slightly curious about the industrial plywood, it looks like super dense stuff? Does it have something like a phenolic resin or plastic or something in it? Or is that just paint that looks like more than it is from the picture?
 
20 minutes ago I took out the trash and noticed my neighbor was tossing 2 razor scooters, her kids are too big for them. I knocked on her door to make sure they just didnt leave them out near the cans. And then I took the blue one for my grandson. someones trash is another ones treasure.
He has a bike helmet, so maybe soon he will learn how to use scooter.

people have become much smarter lately. even before the pandemic, people who live in certain areas of brooklyn and queens, in brownstones, have been putting their used books, small appliances like toasters and other household things that are functional on their stoops for anyone who might want it.
I was walking down a street one day and saw almost half the stoops on the block had something on it instead of tossing it into trash.
 
allen levine said:
...putting their used books, small appliances like toasters and other household things that are functional on their stoops for anyone who might want it.
I was walking down a street one day and saw almost half the stoops on the block had something on it instead of tossing it into trash.
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I like that idea. It was a pretty usual thing in my part of LA when I lived there, and we see it a fair amount here, too. Back in LA every Sunday the "metal men" would drive through the neighborhood collecting anything on the curb that could be reused or sold as scrap. Clothes, household things, and furniture are also pretty popular. LOML and I call it Homeless Depot, lol.

Back when I was in LA someone relatively near my house left a broken antique chair on the curb. I took it home and fixed it, then went back at night a week or so later and left the refurbished chair on their porch.

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Ryan Mooney said:
Pretty fancy looking cabinet/tables! That extrusion is nice looking stuff, certainly should make a substantial table frame!

I'm slightly curious about the industrial plywood, it looks like super dense stuff? Does it have something like a phenolic resin or plastic or something in it? Or is that just paint that looks like more than it is from the picture?
Click to expand...
It has more layers for the same thickness as the regular plywood, and the brown paint seems to be really hard. One side is smooth and the other side has a somewhat rough texture, (see pics) this is a 8mm thickness.
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allen levine said:
did you drive back the following week to see if they left a dead goldfish or an old car up on cinder blocks hoping the same guy comes back and fixes it all also.
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To be honest, I have been tempted to do it, but I left so pissed off that I swore myself never go back there again. I am still in touch with a couple of workmates/friends who also retired about the same time as I did.
 
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