Trash to Treasure

[Duer 157099]

I was just watching this show today, haven't seen it before, but I really liked the concept and was wondering: how does one go about learning all of the techniques used to do the sorts of things they do?

I'm pretty handy and creative, but no formal training in this sort of thing -- what's the best way to learn some more things? I always see great deals at garage sales and thrift stores, but I'm intimidated by not knowing (for example) what tool I might need for a certain job.

(BTW, the premise of the show is there are 2 teams of 3 people, and they are given $200 to go to garage sales/thrift stores/swapmeets etc to find items they can makeover and sell for a profit and whichever team makes the most, wins. They only get 8 hours for the makeover, and 1 day to sell.)

I saw one item I couldn't believe -- these guys fround a stainless steel bowl they thought would be cool as a lampshade (!?!) and made a lamp from it AND... someone bought it! Yikes, a metal lampshade??? Not only did light not penetrate, but that baby is gonna get hot!

Another team found a cool white acrylic cube (about 2.5 feet cubed) and put a base on it and drilled a hole in a corner for a testtube that they put a flower in (lame!). I would have made a light table/cube out of it (maybe mounted a fluorescent bulb along one interior corner)

[NMDemDist2]

1. just keep watching the shows

i've learned so much from watching and then trying

[politicat]

2. Take a theater sets class.

Most community colleges have them and they're cheap and easy and fun.

That's how I learned to do 90% of what I do. But don't buy a power tool. Ever. Because they're like potato chips -- you can't have just one. Rent 'em, borrow 'em but don't buy 'em. That way lies ruin.

(Except for drills. Those are different.)

[Duer 157099]

3. lol

Well, it's too late for me. I already have a drill. And some sort of sander thingy (I used it once to sand my oak kitchen table -- with the guidance of someone who knew what they were doing, of course -- ok, that's not true, I mostly watched while *he* did it).

I watch these cool DIY shows and it's frustrating because I don't have all those tools and things that you need to do most stuff -- table saws, etc. They actually scare me a bit, I'm sure I'd cut off a finger or something.

That's good advice about the theater sets class... I'll have to look into it...

[politicat]

5. The thing about a sets class is that you learn to use the tools

under supervision. You start out with paintbrushes and paint (and usually learn at least half a dozen faux painting techniques) and work your way up to power tools.

Saws are the scary part, and there are lots of them. The basics you need depend on the steadiness of your hands and eyes. The first one we bought was a jigsaw,. and that was a mistake. Using a jigsaw for much of anything is tough until you've had a lot of practice with other power tools. A table saw is more expensive, but a better investment over all. A compound miter saw is a wonderful thing to have if you're doing lots of small angles. A bandsaw and a scroll saw are advanced tools you're not likely to need starting out. A sawzall is a wonderful implement of destruction and can be used for all sorts of things, but it requires practice and forethought.

A small sander (palm sized or a Mouse) is a good sander, and the more you know about general process the more you'll be able to do. Hit the library or book store and pick up a Dummy's guide to household repair or The single woman's guide to home ownership (both excellent books) and look at one of the series of books on household maintenance (Sunset has a very good line.)

And start with things where you can't cut off a finger - paint, wallpaper, gardening - and work up from there.

I still have all 10, and I'm a disgustingly over-educated little chick. If I can do it, anyone can.

[Warpy]

4. I watched that one before it was a contest

when I'd visit my pop, who had cable. I found their basic premise solid but their creativity on the rabid side, often taking usable castoffs and turning them into something for a fantasy movie set but not for real life.

I've been turning trash into treasure my whole life and have furnished multiple apartments solely with castoffs I found on the street. I still have one floor lamp I found on the street and rewired. It's my reminder of how far I've come, although I still prefer thrift shops to furniture stores, buying items with a history and redoing them to suit my own taste.

It's easy to learn how to refinish furniture, just read the directions on the cans of stripper, stain and varnish and follow them. Repairs can be found on the side of a can of plastic wood and in books available in most libraries--and now online.

I agree, though, the metal lamp idea was beyond stupid and into dangerous.