Jeep 2" lift kit crate transformation

[Bret4207]

A few years back, the local liquor store build a walk-in beer cooler, lots of large glass panels and doors.
I seen some of the nicest, straightest, grade 3 pine 8' boards, most were 1" x 10" in the dumpster out front, ...from the crating of those windows/doors..

The contractor had disassembled all the crates to fit in the dumpster, and did a nice job of not cracking/busting the boards, but they were full of nails. I asked a fella working there if is was OK for me to grab a few boards. He said take all I want. So I filled my pickup box. I've made a lot of shelves with those boards, still have a few stashed away.

There is a local project under way to replace a power transmission line from the big Moses-Saunders dam on the St Lawrence to Utica. They're taking down the old power pole type towers and putting in much larger steel units. Every one of the old towers has what amounts to 2 crossed power pole braces that have never been in the ground. I'm told the contractors will drop as many as you want at your home. What a pole barn I could build! But, it seems someone must be grea$ing the $kid$ because none of these "free" poles are available. Same with the piles of used railroad ties we have locally. Can't get one, much less 50!

 

[Ian]

Yeah, or just know a guy.

I have a friend who used to be a lineman for our power cooperative and moved across to the next county. The co-op has a yard where they dump the used poles, free to members. The yard is always empty. Wonder why? Well, my friend knew when replacements were scheduled and would take his diesel pickup, big trailer, and small tractor to work and park it in the yard. If the fellas didn't unload right onto his trailer beside the tractor, he'd do it when he got off work. When he was getting ready to list his property he was cleaning up and I hauled about ten loads of poles out of there and only got about 2/3 of them. Had to cut them 13' or shorter for my little trailer but got to cherry pick the best sections of the diameter I wanted that way. Also hauled a bunch of 8' he cut for fence posts, then helped him burn the scraps and what was left. He had already built a 40x100 stock barn and a much smaller hay barn with used poles, not to mention a bunch of fence posts and got what he needed for his new place before I came along. I felt a little greedy but windfalls like that rarely happen to me and I have made good use of them. Maybe now there are some used poles available there, LOL!

 

[Bret4207]

The only windfalls I seem to run into are cordless tools with no battery and no charger- and always cheapies, bottom of the line stuff. People give them to me for some weird reason. No clue why. I took a box of them to the dump last year.

 

[JonB]

windfalls, just like gambling.
Gamblers only tell you about their casino trips if they won.
Scroungers who look for free wood, only tell the tales of windfalls, LOL.

I have a sad story about a Free huge pile treated deck boards that was posted on FB marketplace, from the photo, most looked usable. I seen the ad early on, contacted them and told them I'd come and pick them up. I was told they were mine and the owners at work now, so come at 5pm when they are home. I show up at 5pm and seen no huge pile, only tire ruts in the lawn where the supposed pile was. Glad this was only a 35 mile round trip. This type of thing happens all the time to us scroungers.

 

[Bret4207]

Oh man! That would peg my PO meter right out!!! Nothing gets me more than someone saying, "Yeah, come and get it when you get a chance! No hurry!", and you show up a short time later and it's gone. "I didn't think you wanted it, it's been 2.3 nanoseconds!"

 

[Kevin Stenberg]

Free plywood worked by a superior woodworker = fine cabinets! Whats the mystery.