Here in the United States of America it's election time and tomorrow we'll all find out if Tina Fey will get to go back to just working on 30 Rock or if she'll be busy on Saturday Night Live for at least the next four years. I've been a fan of Ms. Fey for quite a few years but I'm really hoping she'll be back down to one job in a day or so...
But something else happens once the election is done. All those campaign signs that are all along the roadside are supposed to go away. I give the campaigns a couple of days to pick up their signs but any that are left past that point I figure are free for the taking. So I take 'em, at least some of them, the ones made from coroplast. And I make things out of them. Bike things. Things like fenders, panniers and handlebar bags.
Join me at Bike Works for a fender making party on Saturday, November 8th. Drop by between 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM, and I'll walk you through the basics of how to turn old campaign signs into fenders, which you will surely need for riding through the rainy season! I've already laid in a stash of over 1000 zipties and I'm going to harvest some signs but I sure encourage you to bring your old campaign signs, zip ties, and/or colored duct-tape. We'll definitely be making fenders but we'll probably make some other cool stuff as well. This event is totally free but we will have a jar there to accept donations to Bike Works youth programs.
13 comments:
What a great idea. I'd love to attend but I'm a bit too far away. I'll look forward to a write up though.
6:30 to 9:30 am or pm? Neither are obvious Kent hours (although if it were just you and not a public event I'd guess am).
PM. I just updated the post. I'll be doing the session after I close up the shop on Saturday.
I have a sign shop nearby where I live and get sheets of coroplast from him every once in a while, damn useful stuff that.
I also found these which work rather well and look a lot better than zip-ties, along with being reusable: http://www.mrmcgroovys.com/
Yes, please, write a "how-to"! My bike desperately needs fenders...
Failing an on-line how-to, how about a trip south? I'd LOVE to host your class at my shop.
I'm currently building some for my commuter - although I'm going a bit different route. I'm making sides for the fenders - thinking that I should be able to scuff the surface of the signs and use contact cement to get them attached. Zip ties will be used to fasten it to the bike, but I think I'm going to carry extra zip ties with me on the first outing with them.
Michael
Kent, whither the coroplast yard signs? Here in Iowa, they all seem to be made out of this flimsy plastic-bag material that just slides over a U-shaped metal frame. I know I can buy the stuff at our local art supply store, but that seems so against the Coroplast Ethic.
Come to think of it, there *is* a billboard-sized McCain/Palin coroplast sign a few blocks from me (what can I say, we take all kinds in my neighborhood) that would fenderize a fleet of bikes. I wonder if they still want it... ;-)
My neighborhood, like Jason's, lacks coroplast. I'm wondering what can be done with the plastic bag material. I'm thinking Christmas wrapping or possibly lining for a messenger bag which isn't quite waterproof.
For those who are natural scavengers/pack rats like me:
Ask the local places who sell coroplast which customers buy large sheets frequently. Often those customers have little use for small cutoffs and will have a scrap bin that might be very fun to dig through. I work at an exhibit and tradeshow booth design place and dropped some scraps off for Kent, including a few pieces of other materials which may be useful. Can't make the fender party, have fun.
Lol now that is what i call recycling -- using the coroplast materials for your bike.
coroplast signs
All those campaign signs that are all along the roadside are supposed to go away. I give the campaigns a couple of days to pick up their signs but any that are left past that point I figure are free for the taking.
Pretty neat using the coroplast materials for your bike.
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