Dumpster diving finds - let's see yours

[ning]

During the dot com boom (2000-2001) I spent a couple days each week in the middle of silicon valley and stayed at a company-rented appartment

Occasionally I had to be there more than a couple days and my wife would sometimes come down and bring the kids

and one day the kids went out in the complex walking around and as they passed by the dumpsters they saw all kinds of good stuff
among the haul was a small-ish telescope with a whole set of eyepieces and two black&decker portable collapsible workbenches

I figure so many people were moving to that area at the time (if you could spell "C" or "vi" you could get a job in tech) people were probably moving from a bigger house, came to sv and found that they could barely afford a 2BR appt instead of the 4BR house + 2 car garage that they had and just dumped what they didn't positively need today

I still have the workmates, 24 years later

 

[tradosaurus]

I'm looking for ways to always get rid of crap. If I haven't used it in 3 years or more it usually gets sold or junked.
I don't want to be that dude whose estate sale looks like Sanford & Son.

 

[lman]

I'm looking for ways to always get rid of crap. If I haven't used it in 3 years or more it usually gets sold or junked.
I don't want to be that dude whose estate sale looks like Sanford & Son.

I tried to control my stored items until my Dad died, now I've got things that belonged to my parents along with my grandparents. I couldn't part with an Indiana license plate from 1913 along with a few other things from that era. That was the first year for license plates here.

 

[tradosaurus]

I tried to control my stored items until my Dad died, now I've got things that belonged to my parents along with my grandparents. I couldn't part with an Indiana license plate from 1913 along with a few other things from that era. That was the first year for license plates here.

I've got a set of fine china from my grandmother (passed in 1980) and I soon just as use it for skeet shooting.

 

[CalG]

This one takes the cake!

About 20 years ago, I was driving the loop that goes past the local high school. The "back way, out of town.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a roll off dumpster unit in the student parking area with what looks like shop table legs sticking out the top.
I pulled in for a closer look. (summer time, evening, not too many folks about)

Sure enough, it's a nice 5 foot, strip maple topped shop table turned upside down in the bin!
But get this, there is a horse and a half electric motor and motor starter switch attached. And when I tried to pull the table out for a better look, low and behold there is a "Spinning lathe" attached!

Whoa!
I had a few tools in a box in my car, so I grabbed it and jumped right in! First, off came the electric motor, then the lathe came off the other side. Those went into the trunk of the car. Then the table with legs it's self was carefully let down the side of the roll off and went onto the car roof. Tied down with ropes!

That spinning lathe and table are mighty nice in the shop. The lathe is General Purpose multi speed arbor, and the table has lots of room remaining. I even fitted a wood working vise!

Dumpster diving! I did feel sort of silly climbing in and out with the "goods" in my sweaty hands. Summer time, remember?

 

[lsgreg]

No photos, but I once got a TV from an apartment dumpster. It worked perfectly, and as newlyweds who couldn't afford such luxuries, we appreciated it.

We used it for about 5 years, then sold it for $50. That was in the late 80s.

As a college student, I used to forage food from the Kroger dumpster. I'd give it to my friends, those in the know would smile, those who didn't know would wonder about my source for all that great food!

 

[bdhsfz6]

My BIL works at the county recycle center. It's amazing what people take there. He had to put up a pole barn to house all the stuff he's collected!

He sells on eBay & Craigslist and also at local flea markets. It's a hobby for him that nets a tidy sum every year!

 

[1Mech]

Someone down the street was cleaning out the garage, or something, I pulled 3 weedeaters, a big fan a fire department used to clear smoke from a house, a couple lawn mowers, scrap metal, some good angle iron and a vintage Montgomery Ward gasoline horizontal shaft engine. All the lawn equipment works, I need a 1/3 hp motor for the fan, the gas engine is still waiting on me to check it out. Over the years I have found lots of good stuff others have discarded!

 

[Runner]

The best item I've picked up was not from a dumpster dive, just a floor lamp from a roadside find:

I did obtain a rolling workbench from a dumpster that is now an outfeed table for my table saw (just the steel frame, I built the top):

Most items that were either dumpster dived or picked up are hardware or raw material used for other projects, mainly steel. Also a few pallets. Lots of steel bed frames.

I don't know how many thousands of pounds of nuts, bolts, zip ties, etc. I picked up while running.

 

[Streetcar]

Neighbor threw out stihl chainsaw after cutting his tree done