What to salvage off an old bike?

[chris_irwin]

Hello all,

I bought a new bike recently because my old bike was falling to bits (it was a cheapo halfords one I bought 5 years ago. So before I chuck the bike in the scrap metal bin at the dump, what can I salvage from it for use?

So far I have inner tubes for firelighting, brake cable for wire bales and I'm giving the saddle and grips to a friend. Anyone got any ideas?

 

[Retired Member southey]

spokes for useing as pot stands, ball bearings many uses, I wonder if you could bbq forge an axe out of one of the cogs?

 

[Zingmo]

Old crankshafts with the ends cut off make useful soft-faced drifts for hitting things.

Z

 

[1234]

as southey said spokes for pot stand
you can cut a rim in 1/2 or a 1/3 and make a bow for a bow drill set
you can use a rim a fork and a handle bar and make a makeshift b-b hoop

candle holder

 

[JohnC]

I took as many of the spokes for use as I could, I took the handgrips off the bars to cover tool handles as grips, and cut a few lenghths of frame.

 

[shaggystu]

keep the chain and a sprocket or two and get someone to forge you a nice damascus knife, it'd have a lovely story behind it and would be as uniquely yours as is possible.

cheers

stuart

 

[Retired Member southey]

If your frame is sized right/cut right, you could make your own candle lantern that'll slide inside it's self, Or cadle holders with a reflector/wind shield.what is your frame made from? if steel then you have a supply of metal for anything that you can think up.

 

[R.Lewis]

Brake cables for bail handles for pots are excellent.

Inner tube for Tinder.

 

[Whittler Kev]

Have a search. You can make a wood turning lathe from an old bike and a back wheel. Fairly easy to make apparently. They send them out to the "Thirld World" if its still PC to say that
PM an email address and I can send the 4mb pdf

 

[chris_irwin]

Wow, those are some really inventive uses for an old bike! Thanks guys, I'm going to salvage the spokes, cable, inner tube, saddle and grips. I don't really have the space to keep anything large (town house with barely any garden) so I don't think I would really be able to make a turning lathe or anything. I like the idea of using the chain and sprocket to forge a knife. I don't do any forging myself as I don't have the space to do it, but would be nice to have a quote from someone as to how much they would do it for?

 

[Shewie]

You could maybe use some 6" sections of the handlebars and the front chainset rings to make a funky little wood burning stove. If it's got brake discs they could be handy too.

Don't forget to raid the other cables from the gearshifters etc

 

[slammer187]

You could save the pedals,chain, sprockets and frame and build yourself a nice foot powered grinder or forge blower if you can get an old blower!

 

[Hedgehog]

I'd make a grinding wheel with it.

or...
http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/pedal-powered-laptops-afghanistan/