recycling/reuse

show all recycling/reuse new to old

featured:
epson printer WP-4020 ink leak problem
I show how to disassemble the popular Epson Workforce WP-4020 printer to examine the source of the leaking yellow (or other color) ink. One of my more watched videos on YouTube.
work light led retrofit
My portable work light until recently used a 500 watt quartz halogen bulb. That was dangerous because it got hot enough to burn. Now it is an LED light which uses only 10 watts and barely gets warm while throwing lots of light.
new uses for old tv towers 2

Old television tower sections are low- or no- cost structural components that can be re-used for horizontal spans like this small footbridge that was made over a single weekend. The boards I used for the top and sides are salvaged 2x4's that otherwise would have been scrap.

new use for old television antenna towers

We have a large west facing deck which can become unbearably hot on a summer afternoon. I used old tv antenna towers to create horizontal struts on which to hang landscape fabric and created a very effective sunscreen that did not catch the wind.

sources for gear motors

I've had an interesting ongoing email conversation with a person in Mexico who bought my plans and was very interested in building a solar parabolic heating system for himself. He had been having trouble getting the specific gear motor that I recommend in the plans. In any DIY (Do It Yourself) project sometimes it is necessary to improvise.

2012 ford focus window regulator repair notes 2
This is a continuation of my original article and includes videos.
testing fluorescent fixtures - 40 watt
My first test in a series is this old florescent fixture with magnetic ballast and big T12 40 watt tubes which had been on my shop ceiling for years. It used 90 watts to give 60 footcandles illumination in my test jig at room temperature of 15C. The power factor was excellent.


testing fluorescent light fixtures - the test jig
The purpose of this work is to compare a variety of alternatives to come up with safe, modern high efficiency shop lighting while re-using as much as possible from the existing fixtures.
compost temperature
Knowing the temperature deep in my compost pile gives me an idea of how well decomposition is going. As shown by a thermocouple 24 inches into the pile, roughly in the center, temperature is almost 127F!
weatherproof rotation switches from recycled thermostats
A good source for rotational switches can be had in old thermostats which contain a mercury switch or two.
useful springs from old printers

Everyone who builds things needs to find sources of parts. A discarded printer is a gold mine of small springs for your projects.

when used is even better than new

Our economy depends on our collective desire to own more, the newer the better. Whatever the sponsors tell us, we want. But our behavior creates enormous problems for society in terms of credit and waste.

2 comments:

WpgiRagTrade said...

What an amazing website!! Thank you!

Could you please do a post on replacing the battery in solar garden lights? I have been trying to do so unsuccessfully. What sort of battery, and how does it get charged before you put it in, and what causes a solar light to stop working (probably, according to the string light post, rust).

I appreciated your post on repairing string lights. I have a solar set that got snapped and I would like to try to salvage them before discarding them.

George Plhak said...

Thanks for your kind comment.