Used And Broken Parts Box

[Boyd Gathwright]

“Used And Broken Parts Box”

.... Recently, I purchased a large homemade toy box at a very reasonable price at one of the local auctions. It was put together with heavy plywood and sheetrock screws. I needed to square it up, reinforce the bottom and install (5) wheels to make it mobile. I put two coats of paint on the inside, as well as, the outside with a third on the bottom where there most likely will be more wear and tear. Then I installed two large stainless steel trays, also purchased at the local auction at a very reasonable price. These will keep the oily parts from bleeding into the plywood. The corners of the trays were filled with construction adhesive where they had been bent by the use of a LARGE brake.

.... This is how I finally resolved my ongoing issue of where to put all of the old, used and broken parts, that I didn't want to throw away, that just seem to appear from year to year from the shop and maintenance, cars, house, etc. Now the Used And Broken Parts Box rests very conveniently, out of the way, under one of the workbenches and frees up a complete top of a workbench for other uses ;).


Boyd
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[mike malone]

nice job and good thinkin'
mike

[thomas prevost]

neat!

Just remember "No matter how many screws, bolts and nuts you have, you will never have the right one when you need it." :eek:

[Boyd Gathwright]

.... Hi Mike and Thomas,

.... This has been my first convenient opportunity to thank you for your responses. My thoughts are you had to have had some age along with your experiences to appreciate a project like this. Since it did not draw too much attention from most.

.... Most people today would rather throw a used or broken part away than hang on to it for possible future use. With baby boomer's and the like (younger) today, if you are not spending money you are NOT accomplishing anything. I remember when I thought more of a gift from someone, regardless of what it was, big or small used or new, you treasured it more than if you had to buy it yourself. Because it represented money YOU didn't likely have to spend. And you where grateful to the person giving the gift. Not true today, I think, because of how most people have come to look at things, it's more or less expected. But , for those of us who remember how difficult it was to earn an honest buck you did your best to make-do with what you had and your best to make it work. Something that I think has been lost in today's world. Easy come easy go, things are cheap, and are getting cheaper. But the cost of “cheap” is increasing with each day for most.

.... Thank again, just my thoughts ;).

Boyd
.

.... PS: Thomas, what you say about the right size is always Murphy's Law.



nice job and good thinkin'
mike



neat!

Just remember "No matter how many screws, bolts and nuts you have, you will never have the right one when you need it." :eek:



“Used And Broken Parts Box”

.... Recently, I purchased a large homemade toy box at a very reasonable price at one of the local auctions. It was put together with heavy plywood and sheetrock screws. I needed to square it up, reinforce the bottom and install (5) wheels to make it mobile. I put two coats of paint on the inside, as well as, the outside with a third on the bottom where there most likely will be more wear and tear. Then I installed two large stainless steel trays, also purchased at the local auction at a very reasonable price. These will keep the oily parts from bleeding into the plywood. The corners of the trays were filled with construction adhesive where they had been bent by the use of a LARGE brake.

.... This is how I finally resolved my ongoing issue of where to put all of the old, used and broken parts, that I didn't want to throw away, that just seem to appear from year to year from the shop and maintenance, cars, house, etc. Now the Used And Broken Parts Box rests very conveniently, out of the way, under one of the workbenches and frees up a complete top of a workbench for other uses ;).


Boyd
.

[Steve Stube]

Boyd, I'm a saver and in agreement with your comments regarding this throw-away group coming up. The reality is that it takes space to store and time to sort these treasures. Space and time are growing short at my place and I have to admit that the throw-away approach of others has some appeal...... but then I remember how I just happened to have this or that item put away that made it possible to complete a project in a timely manner. If I could get by with just one box like you have that would be the way to go and I'd be happy. 40 years of storing used and broken parts takes a smigen more space in my case. I do like your idea! Wish I could find some nice SS trays, cheap. As you said they are in the box to catch liquids but you also said they were fashioned on a brake, so they're broke and go in the box for that reason too, right. BTW, I have a throw-away friend that would be quick to point out that larger wheels would make it easier for me to roll it curb-side on pickup day. Maybe I've been a bit to helpful when he needs stock from my storehouse.

[Ray Bersch]

Boyd,
What I have found is that saving is easy, but payback is hell.

Last year I moved from my home of 24 years to our "move down" retirement place and the only thing that we have less of is a shop and storage for my stuff. I can't tell you how many times before the move I went into the shop and made two piles, save and throw away - and as moving day approached I began to panic because little went into the throw away pile - I planned to die in that place so I figured my daughter would get a few 40 yard dumpsters and get on with it - but no, that was not to be. Well, I did get rid of a lot, stored a bunch for a year at $200 per month and finally culled it down to a reasonable amount. And just to prove that I could actually use some of the stuff I saved, all of my workbench and wall storage cabinet (shown in a recent post) was made from material I brought along with me, including the peg board - in fact, the lumber for the bench was 5/4 stuff that I had stored for 30 Years - that's before we moved to our old place.

So, if you want to make a box to store stuff in - go right ahead, I can't do that because I would fill it up in a month.

By the way, nice job and I am especially glad to see that center wheel - you will need it - but you are missing large bumpers on each end - the kind you can snug your truck up to to move the thing around!
Ray