Repurposed plastic shop helpers

By Helen I. Driggs

I try to practice the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) daily, and I consider it my duty as a global citizen to repurpose and reuse everything I possibly can. Plastics are something I try to avoid purchasing or discarding, so when a recent kitchen remodel led to some leftover materials and tools, I quickly found a way to put them to work in my shop.

1. A simple 2-inch PVC pipe coupling makes a fantastic corral for disc cutter dies and prevents them from rolling off my worktop and crashing to the floor, which will dent or damage the cutting edge.

2. In the event a die does become dented or dull and unusable, just grind off the damaged cutting edge and use the stub of steel as a “pusher” for undamaged dies.

3. These PVC pry bars from a discount tool supply store helped me to remove base moldings in the kitchen, but now I use them when I’m foldforming.

4. The thin plastic can pry open the tightest folds, and, unlike a pocketknife, will not scratch the metal or cut you.

5. I had about 8 feet of leftover 1-inch PVC, so I took a hacksaw to it to create some protective sleeves for my ring mandrels.

6. I labeled the top edge of the pipe sections with the mandrel type inside and then arranged them all together in a recycled bleach bottle that I had sawn the top off. And, when I travel and need to bring a mandrel, I take the PVC sleeve along to protect it from damage.

Helen I. Driggs is an experienced metalsmith, lapidary, and studio jewelry instructor. Her book, The Jewelry Maker’s Field Guide, was published in 2013. Her latest book is planned for a Fall 2018 release.