Re-Use - Recycle - Upcycle

[The Bigbee Line]

Good morning,

 

This thread is not for ranting about the environment and our plastic output.  Rather things that we throw away that may have a use in modelling.

 

My first topic is the 'Printer / Scanner' that I'm sure we all have at home.  I had a canon product, it worked well and I was pleased with its performance.  It then came up with error messages to suggest that the 'ink overflow tank' was full.  I fully explored the possible solutions, including those found on YouTube that required some dubious techniques...  To cut a long story short, I found a replacement in Tesco that was almost the same price as a set of replacement ink cartridges...  Explain that one.....

 

So I had my replacement printer, what do I do with the old one.  It say staring at me for some time.  Hmmm  I can use the glass screen for assembling plastic kits to keep it nice and square....  The disassembly of the machine needed the skills of a Bomb Disposal Expert...  Eventually with some brute force and various levers I fought my way in.  I eventualy had my glass screen, plus a couple of motors, some miniature plugs and sockets, numerous small self tappers and very inky fingers... 

 

The big motor looks like it has potential for re-use on O gauge.  It's body is approx. 45mm long, the diameter is approx 32mm and the shaft looks like 2mm.  I was wondering if the experts on this forum could comment on its possible re-use.

 

Many thanks

 

Ernie

 

 

. 

[polybear]

Turntable?  How slow does it run, and on what volts?

[The Johnster]

Or level crossing gates.

[ruggedpeak]

To cut a long story short, I found a replacement in Tesco that was almost the same price as a set of replacement ink cartridges...  Explain that one.....

https://www.howtogeek.com/174232/htg-explains-why-is-printer-ink-so-expensive/

 

Interesting thread. I'm regularly dismantling stuff that is defunct and can't be repaired to minimise what goes to the tip. Excellent source of screws, motors, power supplies, wire, switches, LED's etc. Not reused a motor yet.

[Martino]

I have a large box of stuff I have retained from disassembled bits of kit. I know they will come in useful one day. I’m sure of it. I think.

 

So far none of it has. Even the screws, nuts and bolts so lovingly sorted and placed in similarly recycled containers have had limited use.

 

However, I know the day after I consign them to ‘another place’ I will desperately need the exact things I just dumped.

[Reorte]

I have a large box of stuff I have retained from disassembled bits of kit. I know they will come in useful one day. I’m sure of it. I think.

 

So far none of it has. Even the screws, nuts and bolts so lovingly sorted and placed in similarly recycled containers have had limited use.

 

However, I know the day after I consign them to ‘another place’ I will desperately need the exact things I just dumped.

The only way to have some useful old bits is to have a vastly larger collection of old bits that'll never get used.

[The Johnster]

I've re-used mechanisms, coach bogies, and buffers fairly frequently, and my Hornby 2721 has been worked up with parts including the chimney, dome, and safety valve cover from a defunct Westward 64xx kit.  My LImbach 94xx presumably counts as recycling as well, but I bought a secondhand Baccy pannier as a mech donor for this.  The body of this donor has now lost it's cab roof, bunker, most of it's handrails, and buffers to other projects.

 

But by and large I bin small bits that I think are going to be useful one day, having learned over many years that they are not going to be useful, ever.  I keep screws, though I'm not anal enough to sort them into sizes, heads, and threads.  These often do come in useful as their friends are sacrificed to the Carpet Monster (layout's in a bedroom); if the friend turns up in the vacuum cleaner, which they do sometimes, it goes into the screw box

[Guius]

The only way to have some useful old bits is to have a vastly larger collection of old bits that'll never get used.

Very true Reorte, I too have a large collection of bolts, nuts, bar, plate, stud, metric and imperial etc. etc. most of which I will never use, but I can confidently tackle jobs/projects knowing that I will be able to lay my hands on mostly what I need when I need it.. mostly I say, though not everything. 

To rehash Parkinson's Law - collections of stuff that will "come in handy" expands to fill the space available to house it.

My golden rule now being, "It's no good having it if you can't find it" so my 'Stuff' is sorted and stored in Linbin type boxes and wall bars ... mostly

 

Guy

[Ray Von]

I've often wondered if manufacturers of plastic kit buildings etc would be able melt down and re-use the sprues that their models come attached to, if they were posted back to them? Sometimes I swear there is more sprue than model!

[96701]

I've often wondered if manufacturers of plastic kit buildings etc would be able melt down and re-use the sprues that their models come attached to, if they were posted back to them? Sometimes I swear there is more sprue than model!

If I were to do that, I wouldn't have anything with which to stir my paint.

[HonestTom]

I've often wondered if manufacturers of plastic kit buildings etc would be able melt down and re-use the sprues that their models come attached to, if they were posted back to them? Sometimes I swear there is more sprue than model!

 

Fun fact. One of the most iconic designs in Star Trek: The Next Generation is the cuboid Borg ships, which are these bulky, ugly things that look more like a steelworks than a spacecraft and are the total aesthetic opposite of the Enterprise, Voyager and other such sleek vessels. The design came about because the modelmakers found themselves with loads and loads of sprues and offcuts, so they stuck them on to a basic shell and so a sci-fi icon was born.

[Andy Hayter]

I've often wondered if manufacturers of plastic kit buildings etc would be able melt down and re-use the sprues that their models come attached to, if they were posted back to them? Sometimes I swear there is more sprue than model!

 

IN principle yes.  Most will already be recycling in-house the poorly moulded shots and other detritus.  Now what is that address in China...………….?