Wombles and Wombling

[Holly1]

I think many of us can understand how good it feels to buy a brand new item to put towards our personal endeavours. It does feel really good.

Perhaps (maybe or maybe not) an overlooked way to get more stuff is by dumpster diving, seeing what other neighbours in the area are giving away for free or for a small price, scavenging and then repurposing the items.

For instance, a couple of months back here in the UK, we had some strong winds. My neighbour's fence, sadly, did not survive them. She is an older lady and no longer drives and it would have cost her money to have the broken wood removed.
I asked her if I could have it and offered her money or groceries (what ever she needed) in return for the broken wood. She did not want anything. All she wanted was the panels off her grass as it was making the grass yellow and discoloured.
I happily moved all of the waste wood from her garden and she was quite happy about it.
I now have some useful wood for garden projects. Yes, some of it is a bit rotten but that would burn in a rocket stove to boil water or cook some bread if the power goes off again. There are other pieces that will make a very good covering for my quail runs, to keep my little monsters out of the rain - we use tarp at the moment but they are getting worn and I can do better than that. I have bought new tools to help me but the wood has cost me nothing.
I freely admit that my woodwork skills are not very good. I am, however, learning. The larger posts (the fence support posts) I am going to use to make the structural supports for a deeper raised bed in the not too distant future.
So my neighbour is happy because her grass is no longer dying. I am happy because I have wood for fuel and wood for projects - I have seen the price of wood in the DIY improvement depot types of stores and ...WOW, scary! I just need to teach myself how to do it now.
I feel very lucky as I have now found this site. I have had a very friendly welcome and I do not feel put down or belittled by the very knowledgeable members here. This is a good, friendly group - ready to have a joke - but also ready to help. I will ask for help and advice from you all from time to time as I do not know everything - not by a long ways.

So, what was your best 'womble?' Or, in other words, what was the best thing you got for free that you can now use for one of your projects?

Oh, any wood work advice for a wally who does not know one end of a saw from another would be greatly appreciated.

I hope this post may give a place for fun comments and light-hearted advice.

I am hoping for you all, prepper families ... where ever you are.

 

[Buttoni]

I found one of those washer/dryer elevation pedestals for $10 at a garage sale a couple years back. I put it in the workshop/storage building at our BOL in the corner to store my bags of garden fertilizers and small garden tools. That building has no heat or A/C (has ceiling fan) other than a very small portable A/C/heat unit we bought to basically just dehumidify the room. It actually does better than we thought it would, getting the room slightly cool in high summer Texas heat.

 

[Holly1]

I found one of those washer/dryer elevation pedestals for $10 at a garage sale a couple years back. I put it in the workshop/storage building at our BOL in the corner to store my bags of garden fertilizers and small garden tools. That building has no heat or A/C (has ceiling fan) other than a very small portable A/C/heat unit we bought to basically just dehumidify the room. It actually does better than we thought it would, getting the room slightly lcool in high summer Texas heat.

That is great. I am so very happy for you. Where I live is drought (but not humid) and then ice - a lot less rain than I have ever seen in many years.
Thank you for your living with conditions advise with regard to your situation.
All knowledge is good knowledge.

 

[Amish Heart]

Pallets. I got a big stack of nice ones from the seed place down the road a ways. I know the owners. There's more if I want, and he was so sweet to deliver them, too.

 

[Cindyd]

Pallets. I got a big stack of nice ones from the seed place down the road a ways. I know the owners. There's more if I want, and he was so sweet to deliver them, too.

I hate to be a copy cat, BUT, I also was able to land some pallets for free from the local Dollar Genearal...When I pulled in parking lot, I saw they had a big truck back of parking lot with driver stacking the pallets up..I found the manager and asked if i could have them (told her I wanted to use them for a new chicken coop), she looked at me like I had 3 heads but said sure! I called my son to come load them up. Son had just finished building our greenhouse so I had him make legs for the pallets, and saw several of them in half, had him line them inside along the sides of the greenhouse. Great worktables! I try to nab pallets every chance I get. Many repurpose uses.

 

[Amish Heart]

I want to put another greenhouse up. The one I have now, I mostly use for seeding starts and getting plants to the size to put out. The new one I want to make grow boxes on both long sides of the greenhouse. With wood so expensive, I'll do something with the pallets.

 

[Cindyd]

Grow boxes sound like a great idea for the pallets use!

 

[Acdoctor]

I want to put another greenhouse up. The one I have now, I mostly use for seeding starts and getting plants to the size to put out. The new one I want to make grow boxes on both long sides of the greenhouse. With wood so expensive, I'll do something with the pallets.

Wish you were closer AMISH , I would bring you a truckload of pallets.
we can’t hardly give them away here except for winter , I have a little 70 year old widow that I bust the pallets apart for her to use to get a fire started .

 

[Amish Heart]

You need to find a family with young boys. They just like to hammer away and build stuff. It's good practice
Geesh, I probably need the practice, I'm building impaired. It's great to have extra wood around, I'm a natural scrounger.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I want to put another greenhouse up. The one I have now, I mostly use for seeding starts and getting plants to the size to put out. The new one I want to make grow boxes on both long sides of the greenhouse. With wood so expensive, I'll do something with the pallets.

We are planning on building cold frames on one side of the greenhouse. Will of course be able to use them with the lids up or off in the spring and summer. Excited about doing these! It’s a bit down on our work list, but will get to it this summer. I’m looking at making ours 24” high so they are easy to plant, harvest and maintain.

 

[Amish Heart]

I want each of the inside long sides of the greenhouse made into a long growing box, about 3 feet high. I know that's alot of dirt, but I can do the bottom foot in sticks and leaves.

 

[EastenerWesterner]

A woman that I worked with wanted to replace the decking around the above ground pool. She was about ready to put a new liner in.
Most of the deck was redwood and good. But the deck supports weren’t. Husband came home and I showed him how rotted they were. He was actually happy and wanted to get rid of the pool. I told him I would demolish for what I can salvage.
Built a pretty big deck off the Mobile home I owned. Had to replace a few boards every year. No big deal.
10 years after I sold it, I ran into the girl that bought it from me She was complaining she had to replace it all. 20 yr old pool deck, 5 years I had it, 10 years she had it.
I think it had a useful life.