Do you make do?

I really enjoy everyone's post as making do is so personal and in the moment. Don't have something?... what will take it's place? What will work for now? What will work for a while? What will work for the long term? Either for food or repairs or building or anything else you may be short on,trust yourself to find a solution!Read,search,look around,ask whatever it takes to making do. I've found not worrying about what other people are thinking helps a great deal when making do. IT'S YOUR LIFE.

Just got done making a 'tug a war' rope for my pup.

It came from sweat pants that were once new.
Their 2nd life was used for wearing around for farm work.
Their 3 rd life is a tug toy for the pup after cutting off the legs and knotting them.
Their 4th life will be to start the fire from bits and pieces she has left from play.

Yes FBB, there is a use for electrical cords. I use them to tie a tree when staked. Easy to open knot to loosen it or take off and doesn't hurt the trees bark. Same as using old hose to not have it cut into a tree.

Its simulates the imagination.
Tho I have had odd looks when I yell 'NO don't throw that out!'

High quality pre owned merchandise, is the new, modern currency.

Really, I don't like to spend $ on what I can make myself. It's part of being an artist, to look at something or have an idea in your head and figure out a way to make it. That way no one or a situation can stop you, You just have to use your imagination to work it out. That isn't a bad thing(as in being cheep), that, is the mother of all inventions. So sqirrle things away and a need might just make you see all that junk(stuff) in a new light.

Folks, the good screws make it easier for me to work on building and such by myself.....especially them new torx headed un's. They are $4 a lb., but I can go back and take a board off a one barn and put it on the other 'un where I need it at the momment, or till I can find another.

I am glad I was junk-yard trained, and very thankful to be able to think on my feet...not braggin either just thankful......there has been a many a time that thinking outside that old box enable me to fix something I couldn't buy new or replace.

As to making do in the house, I thought every body slept on iron bedsteads, sat on straight chairs and nagahyde davenports, and cooked in cast iron pots. I thought folks bought food at the grocery store just have goodies....stuff you couldn't raise or make yourself. I had alot to learn.

DH and I are Civil War reenactors. I needed a wooden box to take our kitchen stuff to events in that could sit out in camp and not look modern. I made the box from scrap lumber, used left over stain on it. Next, what to use for handles? Found some sea grass rope but, it was too skinny so I braided it, drilled holes in the ends of the box and knotted the rope handles on the inside. Then I needed hinges for the lid. DH's old cartridge belt is 2" wide thick leather, cut two four inch pieces off and used some upholstery tacks to attach the leather "hinges". Made a lid stay out of an old leather shoelace. Made do, 19th Century style. Gotta good lookin box too!

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Maggie

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plowhand, i'm the same about screws. When one works by themselves, a screw is much easer to move and what one is constructing, with one hand sometimes you need to move things more than once to get em right. can't do that with a nail easly.

I'm awfully old fashioned, and stupid enough to do things like still falling trees with and axe, got a chainsaw...shoveling a dump truck load of clay sand over a new culvert tile, got a tractor and equipment....but I just fell in love with my big cordless drill. It makes working by yourself easier......wanting one a those dewalt cordless saws-alls next......perfect for sawing pallets and such like apart

Can not remember where I saw this but.........


What is the most important tool a farmer (or anyone) can have?



....................a working brain!

We make do with what the Good Lord provides but never feel like we have to "make do". We love using up what we have and living light from the land....James

Another screw user here. I have a shed full of screws and my father built everything with screws. It has come in real handy in re-using wood for other purposes. Also, with my arthritis, drilling a pilot hole and then screwing is a lot easier on my arms than nailing.

As far as making do. I have no money right now, so all I do is make do or do without. It's become a lifestyle out of necessity and even my "get it" kids tease me about it as I take it to the extreme. (which I tend to do with everything)

Torx heads? You LIKE them?

Hokey smokes.

I was owned by a CJ-7 for many years. What I learned about torx head screws is that "torx" is Latin for "Strips out every time."

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Je ne suis pas Alice

http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/

Well, yeah, but they are better than Phillips. For driving in wood, I like the square (socket) screws, but one doesn't find them much any more. Mostly, I build everything with "drywall" type screws than anything else. Heh, it is a pain when you are taking something apart to work or it ant there are 4 different headed screws holding it together.

I guess "necessity is the mother of invention" is a saying that has been practiced by homesteaders for ever.

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Moving to that big black hole in the night satellite photo. (also the hole in cell phone coverage )

LOL! Yeah, we use drywall screws here, too. They hold very well, are incredibly easy to install/uninstall, and we got a great deal on a WHOLE lot of them.

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Je ne suis pas Alice

http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/

Back to making do. Homesteads previous owner was an Amish cabinet maker so we are always finding square drive screws around the place. Don't mind using them but had to go out and buy the right screw driver in order to use them. Pretty frustrating when you have 18 different Phillips head drivers lying around. We asked him why he preferred the Square drive and he said 'cause I had a lot of them'.

Talk about being the experts of getting by and msking do. It has to be the Amish.

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I'm in my own little world, but it's ok. They know me here!

................I've quit using the Phillips head screws , I've switched over to the square head driver screws and like them much better and I use Torx as well . I like the square type best . , fordy

Just this morning Ms grumpy had a broken belt on the vacuum so I took it out to my shop where I have a commercial sewing machine and sewed it back together using a piece of vinyl as backing and she's using it right now and it will last for today until i get down to the store for another .I don't like making trips to town for 1 item .

"Ms Grumpy", Heeeee,heeeeee!!!

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Living Large Down on the Farm.

make do...hah! I have been called cheap in so many different ways that I cannot even keep count anymore. We go by the same theory as Nick and Pony; make do, use it up, or wear it out! Another thing for me is that I just do not like, need, or want anymore "stuff". Seriously, just because I find something to be attractive, cute, effective, etc etc. does NOT mean I want one more "thing'!

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Trish

Seriously, I am COMPLETELY dressed!

Just keep moving...just keep moving!

I went from the phillips head....working on my barn and neighbor give me a can of the self tapping wood screws. Then I tried the socket type head, they didn't wring out as bad as the phillips, but $7 a lb. Then a welder told me about the torx heads at my local small hardware, coated for pressure treated lumber and $3.75 lb. They strip out the least of any Ive tried, course I'm a putting them through 2x lumber into light poles at the most, I used them for nearly everthing now, using drywall screws that I have left for little projects that are under cover till I use them up!
I go to the pond shop and get the torx heads for about 10 cent....they are $2.99 apiece at the hardware!

As to other making do, I use all the free lumber I can get. Alot of my livestock barn was floating in the ocean and tidal creeks a few years ago....I've got gates built out of salt water grade pressure teated lumber thats almost 20 years old, solid as a rock and the lumber was free except for the gas to pull the trailer for pickup. I try not to throw any thing away, and try to figure out how to use something for more than 1 thing.

I finally graduated to a 1963 model hayrake, after my 1945 model busted beyond repair. I use equipment so old that folk laugh at me. I don't care, I laugh and keep a getting it.