Trash to Treasure 5 Garden-patio Table

by l8nite

7.3K715

Intro: Trash to Treasure 5 Garden-patio Table

This is another quick project with amazing results

STEP 1: The Finds

You find all kinds of things when you're curb mining, keeping an open mind is the key to re-purposing. This broken chair was thrown on the truck as scrap but it's ornate look caught my attention, it's rather heavy so it may even be brass but I'm not sure. A short while later I found a really nice smoked glass table with a severely rusted frame/stand. I actually went back with the car to get the glass so it wouldn't get broken. Seeing the 2 pieces together is when inspiration struck.....

 by the way, the burlap in the background, the metal frame its draped over and even the wood the glass is resting on are all found objects as well

STEP 2: Disassemble

A quick look showed the base was attached with 4 torx bolts, that looks easy enough! A couple minutes later I had an ornate base, a swivel base for the possibilium pile and a little scrap

STEP 3: Set It Up and Enjoy

It actually took me longer to find a place to set up the table than all the rest of the project, this shady area in the front garden will work for now.

15 Comments

l8nite 11 years ago

thank you rimar

rimar2000 11 years ago

You are lucky, in my town people does not throw to the waste even a cork.

l8nite 11 years ago

A lot of people in the U.S. have a "it has to be new" attitude, stain a towel ? Throw it away and buy new ! New style of shoe? throw out your 3 week old shoes and buy the new style! I have actually found whole bags of new clothes with the store tags still in place!

rimar2000 11 years ago

Yes, I have seen that trend, it is a pity. Here there are people that think so too, but as the income per person is lesser, they are rare bugs.

"The System" does not fights against that because they think the economy needs big consumers, but I think that's a costly mistake for humanity in general.

l8nite 11 years ago

My son is a home improvement contractor with a lot of high end clients, he is always ripping out kitchen cabinets, bathrooms and even doors because the client is "tired of the look". A friend of his was recently given a large outdoor fireplace made of cast iron because the people didn't like that it left rust stains on the concrete after a rain. Just last night my son stopped by with a truck full of childrens toys that a client PAID him to haul off

rimar2000 11 years ago

That is one of the things that I envy of the big cities or rich neighborhood. The average income in my city is low, the people saves almost all old things.

At Buenos Aires I have seen many air conditioners into a trash container, or a very big transformer (maybe 6 or 7 kg) lying beside a tree in the street.

sunshiine 11 years ago

The good news is . . . . .the trend is changing! People are wising up and re-using is the rage! Have a super day!
Sunshiine

rimar2000 11 years ago

Yes, I see that too, Sylvia. The today's named "Global Financial Crisis" is not financial, is Economic. If the earthlings do not change their habits for good, will be forced to do it the hard way...

pindari 11 years ago

Slowly, slowly, things are changing - and a terrific tool is Freecycle.com. I first heard about it on Oprah, and have since joined the 3 that are in the closest neighborhood to mine. It is truly amazing the things that are finding new homes and staying out of the trash. I've even seen things taken, used, and then re-posted!

rimar2000 11 years ago

That site is very interesting. Maybe here there are some like it. It is a pity that media are not concerned –still– in the matter.

l8nite 11 years ago

There is a ground swell of re-purposing but every trip I find examples of the opposite, from an Emiril Lagasse skillet still in its plastic wrapping that sells for $60-70us to a bag of children's clothes all with tags or a set of cordless tools with the charger still wrapped like from the factory. I was raised as a re-purposer, my maternal grandfather built an ENTIRE HOUSE from found/reused materials. There is a stigma attached to "trash picking" in the US but on one trip last week I found a working pool pump and filter worth over $300, a gas edger worth about $100, 2 all aluminum mountain bikes easily worth $200 (after oiling the chain there was nothing wrong with either) and a stainless steel outdoor gas grill that needed an o-ring in the regulator and a wheel that, I sold 2 days later for $250.
Thank you for commenting

rimar2000 11 years ago

WOW, and I am happy when find an totally used masonry cutting disk! Or two pieces of 3' x1" PVC tube!