Useful Items From Thrift And Dollar Stores For The Shop

For thrift stores.. that would make a long list of tool gloat. However, for dollar stores, I suggest a full set of basic tools...for lending out!

Boris Beizer

Nothing useful that I remember came from dollar stores.

From pawn shops, I bought many useful tools like Mitutoyo Digimatic caliper for $20, lots of hand tools. That was years ago, we do not have pawn shops close to where I live.

i

Sad items found in our local thrift shops are cheaply priced, well made and often signed turned bowls and other pieces. Also nice mini bird houses and other nicely done ornaments that sell for 50 cents, but were likely owned and enjoyed by a late resident.

Depressing items are the trashy imports valued the same or even above the sad items. Happy items are an unused printer for my WebTv, sockets, plugs and cords for my table lamps, navy uniform buttons for my marine oriented wine bottle coasters and cabochons for my box tops plus comfortable long sleeve cotton 'turning shirts'.

I'm old and secure enough not to live in fear that the initials on a shirt not originally mine, will be recognized by the previous owner, but here in S. Fla. (aka 'God's Waiting Room') he's probably deceased.

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Not much at the dollar store maybe some use once throw away hand tools.

Thrift store is another story. I got two floor standing 3/4hp, 5/8" chuck drill presses, Dremel Advantage (the one with the large motor), 24" aluminum pipe wrench (lighter than my 24" Rigid), a combination wrench set (beautifully highly polished black nickel plating more for show than work, I don't need another wrench set but tools are hard to refuse), various other Chinese and name brand hand tools.

If thrift shop includes Harbor Freight, see my post below.

I used two ThrustMaster Top gun video game joy sticks as stick grips in my Baby Belle helicopter. They look pretty much identical to those selling for $150 in aviation catalogs. I think that I got both for less than $20. I've removed the bases, did a very small wiring mod and sold them with adapters for $100 each. $50. w/o adapters. The TopGun joysticks are available on ebay typically for less than $20. each.

Well, mine's not a home shop, but...

Back in the early 80's there was a job lot store on Atwells Ave in Providence; got pumice & rottenstone, neswting Diston saws, circular saw blades, some really swell chrome plated brass Deco/Moderne pulls with burgundy and black stripes which, 25 years later, I still have and still haven't found a use for, lots of cheap spring clamps that still get used every week in the shop.

At thrift shops, I'm always looking for stuff thats nice & can be turned around quick; favorites are heavy commercial type steel cafe table bases - I throw away the crappy tops, hammerite the bases, and make a nice top. I've got a couple here now, one with I made a round curly maple top for, and the other a teal crackle glazed tile top with a teal-dyed curly maple edge. People buy them for sun rooms, breakfast nooks and such. An easy sale.

Also any quaint chair that will have that country look when done, popular in these parts. Did one a few weeks ago, paid 5 bucks for an old chair with half the black and white paint job chipped off it. Blew the loose chips off with the air gun, left the rest. Washed it, dyed & stained the exposed wood, sprayed with transparent tobacco brown tinted lacquer, put some brown glaze on it. Some lucky New Yorker will be happy to pay 250 for it, took me an hour and a half to do. Got a couple other thrift shop finds tucked away in the shop waiting there turn - a childs executive desk blue hammerite and chrome steel bottom with curly maple top, and an oak school chair/writing desk thing.

.. snip

Just took a look at your web site. Nice layout and very nice examples of work.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

One of my most used tools is free.

I take a 16 oz soda bottle, and drill a small hole in the cap. I fill the bottle with whatever coolant/lubricant I want, then use it for a squirt bottle to apply to my work while I'm cutting. I never have to fuss with the stupid cheap pump bottles, and I get the coolant exactly where I want it.

Next time try a plastic bottle with a push/pull top that comes with dish washing soap in it.

Also quite useful for filling wet cell batteries with distilled water.

Lew

Yea, I've used those too. They tend to apply more liquid than I usually like to use.

I used to have one of those, but I dropped it behind a set of shelves and I've nothing to reach it with...

Big Lots has the best price on plastic container's, peg board hooks, if you know the good stuff from the really cheap stuff you can do ok

What ... no shop cat?

Bill

Mine's so so fat she'd get cought 1/2way down the wall!

>

Wrong tool. Shop cat = self cleaning wiping rag. Generally better if not self owned, next doors cat is cheaper to run.

John

I'm very dependent on two items I bought at the thrift store - don't think I spent more than $5.00 combined.

The first is a very large canning pot that I use to boil roughed bowls of the 12"ish size. It's one of those blue speckled enamel jobs with a lid. I think the price of $2 is still on the lid.

The second item is a 3"ish deep teflon coated fryer. I drop old candles and crayons in to melt and use it to dip green wood that I may not get to soon enough. Works like a champ and is much quicker and better at sealing - and waaay less expensive - than the Anchorseal type products. Everytime I look at the $3.00 Sharpie-d price on the lid it just makes me feel all good and warm and nifty inside.

From the dollar store, a large scissors that I use to cut sandpaper sheets into squares and strips. Cuts through 4 sheets at once. Been using it since forever, not sure I ever had to resharpen it.