Garbage Pickers

[TychoMonolyth]

I don't know what it is. I love garbage picking. lol

Maybe it's because I loved going to the dump with the old man when I was a kid. I remember picking through the stuff while my dad was pulling a motor out of a washing machine. I usually found something to bring home. The best thing I found was a *Big box of comics! There was probably 500. I begged my dad to bring it home. It was in the mid to late 60s so I'm sure they would have been worth something today. I still get heart flutters when I find something by the side of the road.

There's a flowershop in town and they take their small plants, mix them in bigger pots and throw away the small ones. Sometimes I get a couple big ones. So I'm looking in their recycle bin and a guy come out all pissed yelling at me about it costs him 3k to have that bin. He thought I was putting garbage in it. I told him I was taking stuff OUT and was looking for flower pots. He said "I'm closing up. Follow me and I'll give you a bunch." So I followed him in my truck. He had a greenhouse at his place. He gave me so many pots in about 5 sizes, it filled my truck box.

Now I'm sad again because I don't get to visit my favorite recycle bin anymore.

Over the years I've pickup up everything from a working drill press, to new steel shelving for the garage. The best thing I picked up was this washing machine I want to turn into a debucking and bubble hash machine. Notice the gear shifters! lol

What have you scored on the side of the road?

 

[CrushnYuba]

Not sure what this has to do with outdoor growing. Maybe this is the wrong section for this thread.

But that washer machine looks cool as hell. Washer machines make good bubble hash. So do old cement mixers. The bubble hash machines that they sell are just rebranded portable washer machines.

I don't know how you would use it for bucking though. I have never seen a bucking machine that worked. Home made or store bought.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

HEY MODS, can you move this thread?

Put a plate with different size holes in front of the wringer.

 

[Teddybrae]

Many, many Moons ago ... there was little rubbish because the working class population had few left-overs ... a time when rubbish was not plastic and used to be dumped in creeks or swamps for time to swallow.

I woulda been five years old. I was walking along the seashore maybe a mile from my home when I found a Pedal Car dumped on rocks. I thought my Dad could fix it. My Dad could fix ANYTHING, I thought. So I dragged it home. No small task for a five year old.

Nowadays I can't recall whether Dad fixed it or not. These days I know he was a bit of a klutz with mechanical things ... but fond memories of discovery, on a now distant shore, a long time ago.

Thanks for the thread Lucky!

 

[Teddybrae]

I thought a few people would be interested in this thread. Sorry to see no one else is so far. A member here asked about repairing a Garbage Disposal tho ... but that's kinda up market ...

The attached pictures show an Alternator off a '91 Ford Falcon fitted to my 1966 70 HP Ford Tractor. The alternator cost nothing and a guy made a "B" section pulley for me and I found a piece of threaded rod left over from building something once, and some nuts and washers ... and hey presto the battery will charge once more.

The keen eyed among you will note I didn't grind the end of the threaded rod smooth. And a washer is the wrong side of the nut because sometimes I 'm dyslexic.

Hope your sense of aesthetics is not too much offended.

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

There should be a show made called 'Garbage Pickers' - and have a team going round the world to various garbage dumps prospecting for hidden treasures -

- one episode should be on the Manila 'Smokey Mountain' dump in Tondo - I spent a day there with a bunch of people that lived off the garbage dump once-upon-a-time - that was eye opening -

*oh - I moved the thread to here in the Tokers Den

 

[troutman]

I don't know what it is. I love garbage picking. lol

That's your great grandmothers rosin press.

 

[anoydas 666]

they had one of those washers in a block of flats where I stayed, I still remember the girl friend getting her hand stuck in the rollers and the fucker wouldn't release lol, brother smacked it hard n it flew apart, future wife was happy getting outa that mangle.

 

[anoydas 666]

not allowed to take anything off dump now unless you buy it from a dump shop, years ago I used to bring home more than I took, mainly big crate box's for bird cages n burning . car parts by the ton now like every thing else they fucked it.

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

When I lived in Osaka, Japan back in the late 80's - every two weeks people who wanted to throw out appliances and other assorted junk - had to bring them to a depot where anyone could go and pick what they wanted out of the unwanted stuff - So much of it wasn't really 'junk' but older models of TV's, washing machines etc that all worked -

In a nation with so much disposable income - many people just upgraded their appliances whenever a new model came out - and they would discard the still perfectly functional appliances - I managed to kit-out my apartment from these offerings -

 

[TychoMonolyth]

Garbage removal is a big expense for cities and landfills are a big headache for us. Canadians freak out and protest like it was 1973 when a proposed dump sight is suggested. So one solution to "good" items is to have one week a month spring to fall they call Free Neighborhood Pickup (or something like that) where you put out junk you don't want and people can drive around their hood and take stuff they want. I got a NEW Wine Fridge with adjustable shelves a couple years ago. It's my Seed Storage fridge

 

[TychoMonolyth]

There was a few years when people were getting rid of their rear projection TVs. You can still find the odd one on garbage day. I pulled a couple apart on the side of the road for the Fresnel Lens in it. I'm a firebug at heart so I love them.

Never mind burning ants with a magnifying glass. How would you like one that is 100,000x more powerful?

They make awesome solar ovens, but you have to be careful you don't melt your cast iron pot! It'll melt rock.
[iframe1]XoNEsYc98_w[/iframe1]

 

[troutman]

^^^ Maybe, I can finally build a Death Star ray.

Solar Death Ray 10,000 suns 48" DIY Giant Archimedes Parabolic Mirror Reflector

 

[Sunshineinabag]

I thought a few people would be interested in this thread. Sorry to see no one else is so far. A member here asked about repairing a Garbage Disposal tho ... but that's kinda up market ...

The attached pictures show an Alternator off a '91 Ford Falcon fitted to my 1966 70 HP Ford Tractor. The alternator cost nothing and a guy made a "B" section pulley for me and I found a piece of threaded rod left over from building something once, and some nuts and washers ... and hey presto the battery will charge once more.

The keen eyed among you will note I didn't grind the end of the threaded rod smooth. And a washer is the wrong side of the nut because sometimes I 'm dyslexic.

Hope your sense of aesthetics is not too much offended.


PHOTOS WON"T UPLOAD> TOO MUCH TRAFFIC PROBABLY> SEE YOU TOMORROW>

https://youtu.be/Xa8ImA_wSKI

call me st stephan cause i gather what other men spill........one mans garbage is an educated mans obtanium!

 

[xavier7995]

I thought a few people would be interested in this thread. Sorry to see no one else is so far. A member here asked about repairing a Garbage Disposal tho ... but that's kinda up market ...

The attached pictures show an Alternator off a '91 Ford Falcon fitted to my 1966 70 HP Ford Tractor. The alternator cost nothing and a guy made a "B" section pulley for me and I found a piece of threaded rod left over from building something once, and some nuts and washers ... and hey presto the battery will charge once more.

The keen eyed among you will note I didn't grind the end of the threaded rod smooth. And a washer is the wrong side of the nut because sometimes I 'm dyslexic.

Hope your sense of aesthetics is not too much offended.


PHOTOS WON"T UPLOAD> TOO MUCH TRAFFIC PROBABLY> SEE YOU TOMORROW>

Consider me interested in hearing of your finds and fixes. Not my scene...but man my kid is hopped up on the idea of rescuing junk cars and fixing them up so it is a topic I hear about quite a bit. Closest we do is to peruse the free stuff section of Nextdoor and grab whatever and try to fix it. Currently rebuilding a lawnmower.

 

[flylowgethigh]

And don't forget the "scrappers" who go around and pick put recyclable metal from the roadside trash. Around here the county will pick through trash you pile on the side of the road, once a month. People will drive around when "trash time" comes and pick through the stuff. When people move, or get moved, their stuff is often piled on the side of the road.

Estate sales are another good source of cheap stuff. The one we had for my Father's stuff was 50% the 1st day, 25% he 2nd, and FREE the third. It all went in a dumpster after that.

 

[TychoMonolyth]

And don't forget the "scrappers" who go around and pick put recyclable metal from the roadside trash. Around here the county will pick through trash you pile on the side of the road, once a month. People will drive around when "trash time" comes and pick through the stuff. When people move, or get moved, their stuff is often piled on the side of the road.

Estate sales are another good source of cheap stuff. The one we had for my Father's stuff was 50% the 1st day, 25% he 2nd, and FREE the third. It all went in a dumpster after that.

You from around here? lol. We call them scrappers here too. Pickup trucks and trailers loaded to the gills. I know someone who worked at a crap yard. He said some guys can make $500 a load. But prices have tanked so I some will hoard it until prices rebound.

I have to be picky when I pick up stuff, and do it on the sly because the wife will take away my keys if I bring home junk. lol

 

[Sunshineinabag]

my god remember when copper was pricey......

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

- pic is of Harry H. Corbett and Wilfred Bramble - as Steptoe and Son - who were in a TV series about 2 Rag and Bone men -

- When I was a nipper - back in the 60's growing up - we had 'Rag and Bone Men' - who would be out on the streets shouting - 'Old Iron - Lumber - Rag and Bone!' - most of them would be out in a horse and cart for collections - and they would take away just about anything - a family relative was one of these rag and bone men - and we used to go and play in his yard - amongst piles of cloth/clothes and rags -

 

[aridbud]

There should be a show made called 'Garbage Pickers' - and have a team going round the world to various garbage dumps prospecting for hidden treasures -

- one episode should be on the Manila 'Smokey Mountain' dump in Tondo - I spent a day there with a bunch of people that lived off the garbage dump once-upon-a-time - that was eye opening -

*oh - I moved the thread to here in the Tokers Den

They had a Canadian show: Junk Bros. They'd take stuff dumped on curb, transform it into something aesthetic or functional, then return it, ring the doorbell and watch resident's (who dumped furniture, metal, etc.) reaction.

Would love to see that again!!