Finished another scrap material project: Rod Rack

So y'all probably know by now that with all the junk I have laying around, I'd rather build something than buy it. Well I've got another finished (or at least halfway finished) project to show off, and I'm a little proud of this one. I had about one and a half old ez-up tents that had most of the braces bent or broken. The other half of one went toward a rickshaw cart I built last duck season. Most of my materials and hardware came from that and a piece of scrap plywood. I designed and built a rod rack, but I'd like to think it's a little bit different and better than those available in-store.

I started by cutting the plywood to fit between the ribs and the width of my boat. Then I screwed a length of black pipe and a floor flange (the only pieces I bought) to that. The rest I fashioned out of pieces of the tents.


The rack assembly is on a length of square tubing that slides over the pipe. I used leftover PVC from my bed extender project to make the rod tubes. Here's the final product:


Now, the bonus features. Since its on the pipe, the whole assembly can swivel 360°, but the flange gives enough friction to hold it when you need it to. Also, the pieces I used are off of the tent legs that slide up and down, so I have 5 different height settings. I plan to swivel it inside at the lowest setting during transport, like so:

Because of the way I sit to drive, it's not in my way at all, but I plan to swivel it outside at the highest setting when in the boat.

I've still got plenty of parts to make one for the other side, but I need 21" of PVC for 2 more tubes.
I just wanted to share this with y'all and maybe someone will find some inspiration in it or something, haha

Ingenious! :idea:
I love to see something useful made out of junk. It takes the will to want to, a little bit of know how, and an envision to be able to manufacture.
(I like your caption!) :beer:

=D> =D> =D>

I'll swap those pics out with some daytime ones as soon as I take some and I'll update and try to grab some pics in use when I go tomorrow. I just wish there were some career where I could redesign things that already exist, make them either less functional or durable, and make the end price way higher than any production brand haha. Most of my projects end up costing more than it would if I bought one, but I'm only in this one about $14.15. $1.87 for 1"x2" to hold the base together, $2.08 per floor flange x2, and $3.43 per 1/2"x10" black pipe x2, so I guess that's not too bad, especially since that will get me storage for 8 rods total and scrap has been at 4¢/lb.

But yeah, that's what I love to do. Digging through pieces gave me an idea for a collapsible flagpole, but we'll see if that ever happens. Just a week and a half until I go back home from school to my 60 acre scrapyard

I never really thought about it, but I guess I'm the same way. I hate to throw things away that I figure I could re-purpose some day. Here's one I built a few years ago. Care to guess what it was before? :lol: If you want to guess, scroll down slowly but don't go past the bottom of the picture until you want to see the answer.








It was a stainless steel floor lamp. I removed the top section of the post (there were 3) along with all the wire and other stuff that made it a lamp. I figured the weighted base would be useful for this application. Then I made the upper and lower wood pieces and attached them to the lamp base. The latches at the top of each slot pivot on the screw that attaches them to the top section. The latches are supposed to look like fish hooks. :mrgreen: 2 of the latches have broken over the last few years and I've been meaning to replace them but just never got it done. But now that you've got me thinking about it, I think I'm just going to make all new latches out of 1/8" aluminum and I won't have to worry about them breaking again.

I think you guys are on to a great thread! Re-purposing! =D> =D> =D>

So, since you guys are in the "know", here's a questions for you; :?:

I need a top cap for the transom on an old aluminum Lone Star. I want to re-purpose, not buy one or have one made. The measurements:
1.5" wide with 1"-2" sides that overlap the wood ("C" channel, if you will). It's on a curve so it has to be something that is aluminum that I can bend, with a little heat and a dead hammer.
Overall length before it is bent 47".

I have not made a trip to the metal scrap yard yet, but I am going to. Any ideas? :idea: :?:
M
Tyler, Texas

The first thing that comes to mind for me would be to make a template of the shape you need and then build it using stack lamination of your wood of choice. Then I think I'd try to cover it with some thin sheet aluminum like what is used by vinyl siding installers. It's referred to as "coil stock" in the siding business. The same stuff I used in my build to make new side panels to cover my foam and a piece to cover the wood in my transom to keep rain and sun off the wood. Of course my ideas are influenced by the fact that I have that aluminum sheeting on hand and I have all the clamps, woodworking tools, and knowledge to do stack lamination.

That's awesome JMichael! Your project looks better than most of mine ever have. I recently went the other direction and made a light fixture out of an old brake rotor, wheel hub, and a cone from a work light. Ended up being too heavy to mount on the ceiling, so I turned it upside down and added some convoluted tubing between the cone and rotor to make it a desk lamp. I've got a bunch of old dozer gears, hydraulic arms, leaf springs, and other similar parts that I've been trying to get to form a stool or something similar. I too hate trashing anything I believe I can repurpose, but unfortunately that ends up being just about everything I need to throw away.

LoneStar, I know for me, this "vision" if you will works based on what I see around me that looks like it can be easily adapted or modified to serve a new purpose. I usually can't envision projects unless I have the materials around me. That being said, I can mentally go through my yard, as aluminum is set aside, and kind of remember what I have there. Most are pieces of siding and trim, as mentioned. The only other thing with any curve in it that I can think of would be a wheel well lip on an aluminum car fender. I have a body shop, so that's mostly what I work with.
Good luck to you, sir

Thank you both for your comments. I truly appreciate your taking the time to answer. Gives me some ideas to work with.

Keep up the good work in the re-purposing! You guys do some awesome stuff!

Thank you again, and pardon me for intruding on your thread. (Thought about it later, and it was rather rude of me to do that. Sorry. ) You both have been very kind. Thank you for sharing. 8)
M
Tyler, Texas