"Too_Many_Tools" wrote...
I would be interested in hearing what items fellow home shop owners
find in thrift stores and dollar stores that end up being useful in the
home shop environment.


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.


--
Timothy Juvenal
www.tjwoodworking.com