% Things I've made from recycled materials % David Parsons % Thu Jan 17 15:25:27 PST 2008 #Recycling In 2004 I started doing some woodworking, initally as a way to consume the huge pile of lumber left after demolishing the [deck](/~orc/House/exterior.html#deck) and gutting the [Stupid Room](/~orc/House/second.html#stupidroom), but that quickly evolved into a way to consume the huge piles of shiny trinkets [the best](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~julie) and I have been picking up at [SCRAP](http://www.scrapaction.org) (a Portland business that warehouses old sample books, metal and wood parts, tile left over from building projects, and whatnot. It's a _very. very_ dangerous place to the Magpie Family to visit, and it's even more dangerous now that we visit every weekend), the small piles of hardwood scraps we pick up from [The Joinery](http://www.thejoinery.com), and the large piles of pallets I scavenge from work and local businesses. > [![The oggOmatic](/~orc/crafts/mini/jukebox_finished.jpg =281x205)](/~orc/crafts/mini/) > > ##[The oggOmatic](/~orc/crafts/mini)## > This [little computer](/~orc/crafts/mini) is made from an old CD-Rom > case, walnut side-panels from the [Joinery](http://www.thejoinery.com) > wood scrap pile and a little green led from the electronics pile. > I also built it a > [slipcover](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/07/02/002/index.html) > from a fabric scrap that I bought from [Trillium Artisans](http://www.trilliumartisans.org/).
> [![A 3-stall roundhouse](eng_house_1.jpg =266x200)](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/06/18/000/index.html) > > ##[A 3-stall roundhouse](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/06/18/000/index.html)## > This roundhouse is made from maple scraps from the > [Joinery](http://www.thejoinery.com) woodpile sawed down to thin > planks, glued, clamped, and sanded to within an inch of its life. > This lasted about 3 months before [the bears][] broke > out one of the side walls; it's been glued back together, but this > is not what I'd go out of my way to call fine woodworking.
> [![A tile-topped art table](Tile_Table.jpg =256x240)](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/05/18/001/index.html) > > ##[A tile-topped art table](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/05/18/001/index.html)## > This railroad table is built with a frame made of wood salvaged from the > [deck](/~orc/House/exterior.html#deck), then topped with plywood > salvaged from the [Stupid Room](/~orc/House/second.html#stupidroom), > and [tile](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/08/20/000/index.html) > from [SCRAP](http://www.scrapaction.com). This project came to a > screeching halt when I was foolish enough to put the almost-completed > table within reach of [the bears][].
> [![A children's workbench] (Workbench.jpg =256x240) ](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/07/18/000/index.html) > > ##[A children's workbench](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/07/18/000/index.html)## > This is made from more lumber salvaged from the > [deck](/~orc/House/exterior.html#deck), > plywood from the [Stupid Room](/~orc/House/second.html#stupidroom), > and linoleum from [SCRAP](http://www.scrapaction.com).
> [![A Tiny Special Bookshelf](Tiny_Special_Bookshelf_2.jpg =218x176)](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/10/09/000/index.html) > > ##[A Tiny Special Bookshelf](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/10/09/000/index.html)## > [Silas](/~silas) wanted a > Tiny Special (™ Russell Hoban) Bookcase, > so I built one out of boards salvaged from a pallet.
> [![A Green Toyshelf](Green_Toyshelf.jpg =211x288)](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/11/18/001/index.html) > > ##[A Green Toyshelf](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/11/18/001/index.html)## > After I built the > [Tiny Special Bookcase](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/10/09/000/index.html) for > [Silas](/~silas), > [Russell](/~russell) > wanted me to make something. We decided on this > [green](class:green) toyshelf, built from boards salvaged from > pallets and a sheet of plywood that was lying around after we > uncovered the bathroom window.
> [![A Monitor Stand](Monitor_Stand.jpg =266x200)](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/11/21/000/index.html) > > ##[A Monitor Stand](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/11/21/000/index.html)## > I used some pieces of walnut and cherry to build this monitor > stand. The grand intention was to put a shelf into it, but the > stand is still sitting at work sans storage compartmet.
> [![A decorative table lamp](Lamp_On.jpg =235x281)](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/12/05/000/index.html) > > ##[A Decorative Table Lamp](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/12/05/000/index.html)## > On Thanksgiving weekend, we went into > [SCRAP](http://www.scrapaction.com) > and found the motherlode of glass tile. > So I pulled out the stops and built this pretty little > glass and wood table lamp, > using [Joinery](http://www.thejoinery.com) scrapwood, > the tiles, and electrical bits and pieces from around the house.
> [![Another decorative table lamp](Lamp2.jpg =234x239)](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/12/20/000/index.html) > > ##[Another Decorative Table Lamp](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/12/20/000/index.html)## > This is the second of the tablelamps I've built > from the glass tile I got from > [SCRAP](http://www.scrapaction.com) > on Thankgiving weekend, 2004. > It's built from the same materials as > [the other lamp](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2004/12/05/000/index.html). > > Unfortunately, these lamps were only glued together, so this one fell > apart in 2006 and is awaiting the application of dowels to make it actually > lock together when I glue it up again.
> [![A not-so-tiny-workbench](Workbench_t.jpg =200x150)](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2005/03/06/002/index.html) > > ##[A Not-So-Tiny Workbench](http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/2005/03/06/002/index.html)## > I finally got tired of doing all my construction projects on the floor, > and built this workbench to get the work up to a more comfortable height. > This workbench is made of recycled pallets and wood that I salvaged when > I scrapped the deck at the back of our house.
> [![the glass PC](/~orc/crafts/glassPC/GlassPC03.jpg =219x160)](/~orc/crafts/glassPC/) > > ##[The Glass PC](/~orc/crafts/glassPC/)## > This little PC is made from colored glass from > [SCRAP](http://www.scrapaction.org), wood scrap from [The > Joinery](http://www.thejoinery.com), and a VIA ME-6000 motherboard. > I made it because I found the glass at SCRAP, bought it, and needed > to make something out of it.
[the bears]: /~orc/children/