# Quick tip



## Shadowracer (Sep 11, 2004)

Just a one off little bit I came across. We don't have a "quick tips" sticky like they do in the Customizing forum, but if we did I suppose it would go there.

Anyway, a friend of mine works in a grocery store and I was in the stockroom saying howdy the other day. There was a stack of these little crates sitting wating to be trashed, so I grabbed a bunch. These crates usually show up en masse here in Canada around Christmastime. They usually hold clementines or mandarin oranges.

The wood they're made of is fairly thin, and its pretty much junk wood, but I'm thinking it'd be great for some sort of slot car application....save the trip (and a little $) down to the hobby shop to buy balsawood anyway.

So after a half hour of pulling staples, I think I have a nice little stack of stuff to make billboards, and maybe even a pit building out of. At worst, you could probably use this stuff to shim something.

*Before* 









*After*









That is all. 

Trev


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Neat find!!! I'm still kicking my @$$ for abandoning 2 huge bags of balsa wood scraps I snagged from a dumpster down in Miami, FL. I had made a delivery to a place that made balsa airplanes, and the stuff I grabbed was assorted end cuts. These were BIG bags too.  When I moved all my stuff into storage I left the 2 bags in the shed.


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

I love repurposing stuff. Whenever I look at the cardboard or foam packing that the U-shaped fluorescent bulbs come in I'm always tempted to use them for tunnel forms for scenery. Check 'em out next time you are in the 'PO.


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## [email protected] (Jan 31, 2010)

Friends I have that are into model trains like to use pieces like that for scale buildings made from scratch. Cool use of material that would otherwise be in a landfill. :thumbsup:


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Great idea!!! :thumbsup:


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## SmittyinFLA (Jan 3, 2012)

Hmmm...I am just about to start planning the elevation changes for my track. This wood (depending on width) would be excellent for under track support. My plan for now is to use luan cut to fit with a jigsaw.

Great find, Shadow!


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

Good idea shadow :thumbsup:

Sometimes stuff like this saves yah some cash & sometimes it gives yah an idea that is going to need some cash to make it all work out in the end.

Bob...wish I could find some cash...zilla


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