Self Sufficient Living

Re: A second life for stuff

DigitalMat — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:23:46 GMT

Edey:
My feelings are that if a machine has a badly damaged paint job but can be saved by repainting and made usable again, I'd go for that then trying to maintain a possible antique value of the original but badly damaged finish. There are some beautiful car paint colors available, so it is a useful idea. Edey

I agree with you on the old look of the machines. We have a tendancy to leave things in their original condition, as long as flaking paint doesn't cause a mess. Imperfection in the old and ancient reused items is what our decor is all about. We've been told we are 'old souls' and I tend to think they are right. Fortunately, I have not begun flaking paint myself! Thanks for the cool info on this subject!

Re: A second life for stuff

DigitalMat — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:18:53 GMT

littlepitcher:
Those ashes work fine on steps or sidewalks, too, to keep from breaking a hip or leg.
My old firewood box was a two-bin laundry sink, painted antique green and beige, with the firewood on one side, kindling on the other. A coal scuttle painted in the same colors worked fine for ashes. Both were someone else's throwaways.

Hey, I really love the laundry sink idea, I'm going to have to keep my eye out for one of those!!!

Re: A second life for stuff

Edey — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 16:20:39 GMT

DigitalMat:
Perfect! I can see one being decorated with auto paint. Get this: Metalic Cherry Red with black accents and racing stripes! (What do you think?) hehehe!

There are some that are way ahead of you on that, and yes they did it the exact same way as painting a car, strip off the parts, mask and bead blast, repaint the with car paint, re-assemble. The Singer Featherweight sewing machine is the one that gets repainted professionally most often as it has a high resale value due to it's tiny size and light weight portability, it is also made of aluminum and some have had a problem of paint flaking off and "aluminum rot". I use car cleaning and waxing products on my machines, as long as it doesn't have any grit as the cleaning product.

I'm most familiar with Singers so what I talk about refers to them: Of the old black Singers, they can be either treadled or hand cranked even if they were motorized. If it had an external motor with a belt then it can be converted. The full size machines had the same bed size to fit into the treadle top opening. 3/4 machines were smaller, they were meant to be portable so there aren't many treadle bases for them. Either can be handcranked by adding the handcrank device. Singer went to a built-on motor, called a potted motor in some machines starting around about WWII; these can't be treadled or cranked as far as I've read about.

If you are interested in pictures, check out the albums of machines people own on www.webshots.com and type in sewing machine on the search bar. There are over 17,000 pictures there.

For extensive historical information and care of vintage and antique machines go to www.needlebar.org and look at their main site and their picture library. They frown on "hotrodding" machines even though the subject has come up for discussion but their purpose is restoration and preservation, so that would be understandable. There are some repaint pictures in the Picture library. My feelings are that if a machine has a badly damaged paint job but can be saved by repainting and made usable again, I'd go for that then trying to maintain a possible antique value of the original but badly damaged finish. There are some beautiful car paint colors available, so it is a useful idea. Edey

Re: A second life for stuff

littlepitcher — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:10:21 GMT

Those ashes work fine on steps or sidewalks, too, to keep from breaking a hip or leg.

My old firewood box was a two-bin laundry sink, painted antique green and beige, with the firewood on one side, kindling on the other. A coal scuttle painted in the same colors worked fine for ashes. Both were someone else's throwaways.

Re: A second life for stuff

DigitalMat — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:11:10 GMT

Thanks Edey!

I think the idea of using a hand crank with a sewing machine is really cool. It never occurred to me that an older machine could be adapted in that way, and get sewing off the grid. Perfect! I can see one being decorated with auto paint. Get this: Metalic Cherry Red with black accents and racing stripes! (What do you think?) hehehe!

Re: A second life for stuff

Edey — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:18:23 GMT

I like the things that you have done with your finds. I think a house set up like yours is comforting. Fancy decorated houses are not for me. I still like recycled Country. Edey

Re: A second life for stuff

DigitalMat — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:47:59 GMT

I really do enjoy giving second (and third) lives to all kinds of stuff. It's the purest kind of recycling! I have another use for the vernerable metal trashcan. I obtained a couple while helping friends move. They didn't need them anymore, and asked if wanted them. Of course I did! I use them for storing ashes from our wood burning stove. Sounds pretty common, but even the ashes have a second use. Our driveway has a steep portion we call "The Hump". When it is icy out there, I take the ashes and spread them over The Hump and we get instant traction.

Other reusables: Our firewood holder on the hearth is a 15 gallon crock we got at a rummage sale for amazing cheapness.

Our coffee table is a metal Longaberger frame used for a hostess gift. We've since been told that with the basket it was worth over $150. We got the frame alone for $2. On top of this went a sanded down 24 inch concrete saw blade that was worn smooth around all the edges.I got that for another $2.

With our primitive decor we like using old wooded ladders. We have 2 step ladders, 4 and 6 feet tall, and two leaning ladders, 3 and 10 feet. Between cheap and free, we got them all for less than $10 total.

A small child's rocking chair is a perfect magazine holder.

Our wood stove is a late 70's Vermont Castings Vigilant Parlor stove. Afterwards, I saw them online for anywhere from $400 to $800. Ours was located at yet another rumage sale for $100. When the owner realized she knew me from school she quickly dropped $30 off and sold it to me for $70. It's much more efficient than the open fireplace, and has a special downdraft mode that is incredible for it's ability to get the most BTUs by reburning the smoke before it leaves. On top of the stove, we have a couple of those ancient detachable clothes irons for extra thermal mass. Beside it we have a small, thick cast iron pot that was used for melting lead years ago. We keep scented wax chips in it to melt as the fire burns.

Our 12' Christmas tree was obtained in February of one year. The box was slightly smashed but was intact. We paid about $70 for a $300 tree, and have been using it for over 10 years.

I'm loving the reusability of stuff!!

Re: A second life for stuff

Edey — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:36:48 GMT

My husband likes to buy Planters peanuts in a large square plastic jar, and these get used for storing homemade mixes, noodles, rice and lots of different things on my pantry shelves. I've paid for the jar already, why not use it again. They are wide bottom so sit easily on the shelf and it's easy enough to stack another jar on top of it. It all saves money that way. Edey

Re: A second life for stuff

KateHC — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:12:24 GMT

I just looked up in my kitchen, and realized I had another one! My mom saves all her old folgers jars for me (they drink instant, it's clear plastic) and I use a million of those things. Right now I have a bunch of herbs infusing in oil in some of them (I make healing herbal salves) some of them hold things like the home-made dishwasher powder, others hold bulk spices, and some hold loose tea. I love them because they don't break when I drop them (and oh, am I a clutz!) and I can put labels right on them easily.

Re: A second life for stuff

suzin — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 03:01:05 GMT

I make english muffins or buns in small food cans that I've cut the top and bottoms out of...the tuna cans don't work anymore because you can't cut the bottoms out...but I found some small size pineapple cans that you can....when I make a batch it takes 8 "rings", (cans) on my cookie sheet....I looked at many stores, garage sales, thrift shops, etc and couldn't find them.....all they had was the egg rings that you put in the skillet to fry eggs in and they are too short.....the tin cans work great....

Re: A second life for stuff

littlepitcher — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:43:41 GMT

He may want to download designs for turning really old water heaters into wood stoves. Can't use the newer ones, they're too thin.

And wallpaper...if you have one of those ghastly peeling hollow-core interior doors, finish peeling it with steam or a wet rag, and a scraper. Then find some great-looking last-roll-markdown wallpaper and resurface the door with it. Use the same paper for a matching surface on a closet door if a second door is in the room.

Re: A second life for stuff

wellsms — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:04:52 GMT

My brother takes old broken water heaters apart, cuts the long cylinder in half, welds on legs, thus he has animals feed troughs or water trough, they last forever

Re: A second life for stuff

mary w. — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:12:13 GMT

You guys/gals are so creative. It amazes me how much I have learned from you, not only about being frugal, but about finances, cooking, storage needs, health, friendship and shopping and saving. THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: A second life for stuff

gayla50 — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:33:33 GMT

My DD wanted a changing table she 's short when we got the furniture from my Dear Unlce house in Texas there was a chest of drawers that was the perfect size my DH put railing up and its the changing table .. my Dil is due today she asked for a changing table like Laney has my DH put on in the nursery for her she short too she in love with it he made about three of them for friends .. he make one for a friend who taking care of an aged parent it works great she has every right there . the aids even love it .

Re: A second life for stuff

TizzyLizzy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:32:09 GMT

I use felted wool sweaters to plug air drafts in the house. Being old, none of our doors meet where they should, so I cut a piece to size and jam it in - a screwdriver helps if the space is small...Liz