Regularly Thinking Reuse - Part 2
The gym is finished and I am using it! Petey, our dog digs it, too.
As reuse goes, it is important to walk the walk. In my last post about this, I told you where the paint, the shelves and brackets, and most of the hardware came from, my "home Home Depot” as my friend calls it (shelves of materials and hardware in my basement and garage). I always shop there first!
Finishing up the project, I hung slotted metal channel on the ceiling to hang the punching bag, the pull-up bar, and ropes with grips for body-weight exercises. It was the last item that was the challenge but the shelf supply did not disappoint.
As you can see in the photo above, I made the loops out of 1-1/2” nylon strap. I found that on a discarded backpack in the street – salvaged it! I also had collected many clips and other hardware for strap over the years and found I had all I needed to make these devices: 1” wooden dowel, ¼” threaded rod, stainless steel fender washers, carpet tape, and ¼” lock nuts. To seal the holes through the nylon webbing for the threaded rod, I heated up a 1/4 " bolt with a torch and seared nice clean, sealed holes for those which would not unravel. I also cut circles of carpet tape to put between the washers and the webbing so the webbing would not slip out over time and countless uses. Then, over the dowel I put foam pipe insulation for a comfy grip. That I finally wrapped with bicycle handlebar tape to give it a sporty, comfortable finish (not shown).
The mirrors on the wall were freebies from several sources. Some are a bit worn, but it just makes the place look like it has some miles, while also looking like brand new. Vintage new maybe?
The only new materials were the foam flooring, the trim strips at the base of the walls, and some minor hardware purchases. Other than that, the entire transformation was made with only our labor and recaptured materials.
It’s not hard to reuse. It just takes a little extra thought. Soon, however, the efforts of many will be making reuse just another part of everyday life. That’s what we work on at ReCapturit every day.
Some also say that reuse takes extra skills and effort. Okay, but as Red Green, the man who made duct tape cool, said often, "If the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.” Works for me! Don’t leave the women out of that handy category, either. I know some who can wield power tools to shame a jobsite!
Keep up the reusing! We’re all with you!
Larry
