Thread: Odd Things We've Done To Build With

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As I was cleaning the garage to make room for the new family member I got to thinkin what I've used to build parts with. I'm sure we've all use odd items. Thought maybe this was a way to bring back some memories.
I have a piece of MOEN stainless still trim from a sink below my key lock on my deck lid of my 69 GTO. I figured if I can make it fit, then why not. "Looks good enough for who it's for". My father-in-law told me that saying.

my 3" exhaust is made from 3" stainless pipe removed from a citrus juice plant. Just couldn't pass up the deal $10 a pipe 10' long I took every one he had

the old saying of..............."necessity is the mother of invention"............is so true if you are a good ole hot rodder.

Toilet flush handle for decklid..........

Anything from the hardware store is fair game for carburator linkage








And the package store can be a great source for fuel tanks.

Those kegs are like gold up this way! Forget trying to find one, we use to get'em dented at the scrapyard but not anymore, and the package stores collect a premium sized deposit to ensure they come back! If you take one to the scrapyard now it's almost a guarantee to draw the attention of a squad car and then 50 questions! And I'm not kidding! Our city has taken to welding down cast iron manhole covers! Thieves would grab'em and haul'em out of town to be scrapped!

[QUOTE=cffisher;454603]my 3" exhaust is made from 3" stainless pipe removed from a citrus juice plant.]

I was assigned to a Destroyer Escort (USS McClelland DE 750) back in part of '52, all of '53, and part of '54. Her main guns were 3" 50 calibers.

Some of the guys recycled those brass shell casings by turning them into straight-through mufflers.

Well, they called 'em mufflers, but they didn't do a heck of a lot of muffling.

One guy who made one for his old '40 Ford two door even went so far as to polish his out.

I guess not many guys polish their mufflers any more.

A shame!


Jim

The chrome water pipe trim from the hardware store make very nice pieces that go under the window crank handles and door handles.

Jim,
I'd love to have one of those 3" shell casings to make a coolant recovery can from................................doesn't need to be polished.

Uncle Bob

I'm thinking that during combat and gunnery practice the proper method of disposal for those things was to fling them over the side.

I'm not sure about that because during drills they kept me below decks and out of the way in one of the engine rooms. Probably a wise move.

They did bring a lot of the brass back to port where it was hauled away and, I guess, recycled.

I'd like to have one to stand in the den just to make damn fools ask questions!

(That was my grandfather's standard response when he was asked what things were for.)


Jim

Originally Posted by 34_40

Our city has taken to welding down cast iron manhole covers! Thieves would grab'em and haul'em out of town to be scrapped!

Sounds like a good business opportunity for an enterprising person to design and make reinforced concrete manhole covers.

I made seat mounts out of bed rails. By the way, bed rails are a great source of angle iron. Very hard metal, and you can usually find a set at a thrift store much cheaper than raw steel at a dealer.

Pat

I grab bed rails frames every chance I get. I have a cart that I put engines on built out of them. Even to hang stuff from the ceiling.

Originally Posted by Stu Cool

I made seat mounts out of bed rails. By the way, bed rails are a great source of angle iron. Very hard metal, and you can usually find a set at a thrift store much cheaper than raw steel at a dealer.

Pat

My bride laughs at me when I rat hole stuff like bed rails. When I show her what use they ultimately provide she can only walk away muttering, "I know, I know..............."
What was it Charlie said? It's not junk, it's just good stuff I haven't found a use for yet....

I use chromed supply lines meant for sinks and toilets in place of ugly hose to supply vacuum to power brakes!