Green Tips and Ideas

[Randy Auxier]

I am a woodworker who uses all recycled material when possible.  I have some good tips for people to recycle instead of buy new.  I think this would make a good classification for a new group of messages.

One of my tips is when creating something that uses decorative brass hinges, do not go to the hardware shops first, but go to a thrift store and see what trinket box's and folding picture holder they have to sell.  At the local Bi-Mart here in Emmett, they sell the hinges for about $4.00, but I can buy a box for under $2.00 that has hinges that can be reused in my project.  I am a vendor at various venues and have learned many ways to reuse things.
Randy
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[Randy Auxier]

Need a piece of glass for a project?  I at one time was making picture frames.  I needed some 8 by 10 pieces of glass and went to a glass store.  They wanted a couple bucks apiece for them.  It occurred to me that the dollar store would have them cheaper, maybe for a dollar.  They did have them for a dollar, and a few other sizes, but it was still not the green way.
I went to a big thrift store in Meridian and found out back a huge pile of old storm windows.  They sold some of them to me for nearly nothing.  I took them home and started cutting them into the sizes I wanted.  I do not know how to get greener than this!
I had trouble cutting them so I went to a place online that tells how to cut glass.  The one step I had missed was cleaning them.  Glass needs to be clean to make a good cut.  Now they all cut perfect for me.  I make clocks and frame wood portraits of various sizes, now I can do them with ease.
Randy
You can see some of them on Facebook at, Middleton Farmers Market in Idaho, in the albums.  Come check our site out, we are going to have Heirloom Tomatoes next Saturday.