Customer Creations

What some of our creative customers have done with products bought at Community Forklift!

If you have photos of projects that turned out particularly well, please email them to Bea@communityforklift.com, along with your name, a brief description of your project, and which materials you purchased here. Looking forward to expanding this section!!

Click on any photo for a larger version.

Artist Thalia Doukas says, "My work is about assembling & collaging, in 2D & 3D. The heads were an idea that sprouted on contact with the chips & bits of stone & other rubble collected around CF's front door, combined with tile samples and glass picked up while exploring the amazing deeps of the CF interior. I bumped into information about CF at Artomatic 2009 & have hopes of taking my heads there. I moved to College Park in 2007 & the nearness of CF is one reason I'm happy to be at my present address!"
Check out her full online portfolio here!

Derek and Lisa wanted to share our beautiful new addition to our home that they refinished - they bought a chestnut piece of wood, refinished it and mounted it on the two metal brackets. Looks beautiful!

Chris Desautels has two projects to share. "The coffee table is made from Mullberry with a surround of oak and inlay of oak and purpleheart. All wood from forklift, treeincarnation wood.

The other piece of furniture is not made from wood from forklift but I just had to include it because it's an extreme example of what can be accomplished with recycling. There's a before and after picture. Yes, it really did start out as a weather beaten old fence. A friend of mine tore down the fence on his property and discovered that it was made out of rough milled oak. The only thing I can figure is the previous owner of the property (about 20 acres of mostly woodland), milled the wood himself. I can't think of any other explanation for building a fence out of oak. The friend gave the wood to me at my request on the assumption that I could put it to better use. I managed to salvage enough lumber to make the chest of drawers. The only new material in the piece are the drawer bottoms and the handles (forged english brass, after all the work I put into it, I wasn't going to skimp on the finishing touches). The sides of the drawers are made from lumber I found being thrown out in my neighborhood, and the back of the piece is made out of the crate my woodshop's tablesaw shipped in."

I have 3 projects to share with you.
First was a garden makeover we did in our front yard. We were lucky enough to visit the Community Forklift when you had a large donation of Chinese granite in the yard and were able to buy 12 blocks which we thought would be perfect in creating a new retaining wall. We saved some of the original plants and also added some new flowers in a two-tier configuration. The photos show the garden before and after.

Second project was replacing the tile top on a dining room table (which I saved from the dumpster). We knew you guys would have a good selection of tile and were able to find most of what we needed including the tile spacers to set the tiles. The photo shows the final result.

The most recent project we did was to design and build an artistic setting / backdrop for a church conference in Virginia beach. We had some vague ideas of what we wanted to do but it wasn't until we actually came to the store and saw a few things that we had a real plan. We found a box of 20-30 stainless steel sink frames in the "Free on Fridays" section and a box of plastic fluorescent light diffusers for cheap. We cut out the diffusers to fit inside the sink frames, spray painted them white and red, then caulked around the back edge to secure them in the frames using caulk we purchased from you. One photo shows some of the cutout diffusers along with the sink frames. Last step was to attach the frames together (we used 1x2's and special screw hardware ordered online) and then hang them using some thin gauge steel cable and cable clamps we found in your hardware section. The photo shows one of the two crosses we hung, and the last photo shows the large backdrop hung behind the band stage. The whole project was well under budget even after buying all the extra materials online and from other hardware stores.

Hopefully these projects will be an inspiration to other people to come check you guys out and make something cool.
Mike & Susan

Zack Mully says, here are some "pictures of the laundry closet that I just finished tiling with tiles from CF. The grey wall tiles were a mixed lot of loose and backed, so we decided to remove all tiles from the backing and reset them in a running bond pattern. This was done with a lot of blue painters tape as you can see in the photos. The floor tile was salvaged off freecycle. Total cost for the tile was about $35 IIRC and it came out great." Check out more of his pics here!

Dave Gorrie recently moved away from Hyattsville, and his new home is new construction (aka slightly sterile), so they have been bringing stuff back from CF to get some character back! They found these old storm shutters, removed the hinges and just screwed them on the front - makes perfect wall decorations!

Marco Esparza of Takoma, DC screened in this porch using materials from Community Forklift. He and his family then did a tile mosaic on the floor of the porch using tiles and grout from Community Forklift.

James Ferguson bought a piece of granite at Community Forklift and transformed it (with the addition of a base table) into a beautiful kitchen island. The cost of the finished granite, including fabrication, was less than a $100.00. They love it. Irwin Aguilar fabricated the granite.

Artist Antonio Ole used some doors, shutters, etc. bought from Community Forklift to create work for a show at the National Museum of African Art. Check out the blog, here!

Plumber YB Leaky purchased an antique stove and sink at CF and installed them in his previously Katrina-flooded house in New Orleans, LA. They both work great and are used every time he's there! He also made this in-door-fan from recycled material only; you stick it in the doorway and it pulls all the air through other openings, at 200cu.ft. per minute. Great for where windows wont open or exhaust/window fans cannot be utilized. Final photo: Whirlpool from Community Forklift, plumbing by Leaky.

Scott DeGraf & his wife Linda built a one room cottage in WV out of natural and recycled materials. It has a living roof, locust posts, and cordwood and strawbale walls. Most of the recycled material is from CF, including the doors, windows, lumber, insulation, woodstove, and stove pipe. See more photos of their beautiful cottage here!

James writes, "Just wanted to share my successful salvage of one of your doors. I'm not quite done, as I'm getting a stained glass transom made but I was able to repair the broken glass, rekey the original lockset to my house keys, and trim it down to fit my new opening. It worked out great." Check out his blog entry here!

Paul Lord made this lamp out of lamp parts from CF's “free on Friday” area and copper pipe from our plumbing stuff. The shade is parchment, glue, and wire, and the base is an old scrap of wood left over from a previous project.

Sat Jiwan Ikle-Khalsa (green building consultant through his company Truthful Living, and co-coordinator of the annual Takoma Green Homes Tour) found CF to be a useful resource when he was doing a complete green renovation of their house! Pictured here is some of the flooring they got from CF, and the blue sheet tile in the shower. They also were able to make huge truckloads of donations to CF to keep the cycle of re-use complete! Many more photos are on his website here, and a complete description of the green features of their renovation is found online here. We're glad we could play a role in the project!

Joe Edgell has covered C.F. several times in his green renovation blog--a recent post discusses reframing a wall with CF lumber.

Chuck Witmer of Scale house design designed and built this shed. He says, "I wanted to be able to build every part of it from scratch. I didn't want to use any fully assembled products and I wanted to reuse materials that would be less expensive and reduce depletion of our planets natural resources. I am an adversary and promoter of sustainable architecture and keeping our planet clean and around for future generations. In particular, for this project, I bought and used about 90' of your [CF's] old rough cut 2x8 floor joists to make my two 8'x4' hinged entry doors and the 16' horizontal window along the east facade. I also bought and used two 2'x6' tempered glass sheets for the glazing in the two doors. After completing this shed, I now have a place to build furniture and my wife has a painting studio." See more photos during its construction on this website!

Robin Buck's condo garden keeps expanding, and Community Forklift was able to help her maximize space in her container garden of herbs and various peppers. Robin says, "The best spot for afternoon sun is the area near the heat pumps. The first photo shows an earlier summer's herb collection. The new shelves allow for a cantilevered arrangement of pots. As you can see, much more room for a bountiful harvest!"

Casey and Dave Kneipp built this Halloween yard decoration using supplies from Community Forklift. They used scrap wood and pegboard for the framework and pink Styrofoam insulation sheets for the walls. They carved the Styrofoam to look like stone and painted it black, and then dry brushed the structure with grey paint. They used PVC pipes for the columns and gate. What a great project!

Duane Martz was looking for a unique mantel for his fireplace. He found it at Community Forklift, and saved a lot!

Andy McKim purchased an old shelf/mantle-piece, and six rusty, old doorknobs...all of which had serious "character". He used the doorknobs as hooks, each unique, rusty, and nifty. To get the "crackled" paint effect, he painted the shelf with a coat of diluted glue, immediately followed by some left-over paint. When it was dry, he sanded the edges and a few places on the surface to make it look worn, and finally added a coat of polyurethane to protect it, and prevent chipping. He also dipped the doorknobs in polyurethane to prevent rust from coming off. Finally, he drilled holes for the knobs, and held them in-place with lengths of brass tubing on the front, and cotter pins inserted through the holes at the end of the spindle(s) on the other side. His wife uses it to hang/store her dance-clothes on. He thanks Community Forklift for supplying the materials, and inspiration!

Justice Morris, 12 years old, came into Community Forklift with his family looking for affordable materials with which he could build a robot for a contest he was entering. The DC Region YMCAs sponsored their 14th Annual Thingamagig Invention Convention, where youth have to make up their own inventions using only recycled materials. They were also required to spend less than $20 on the entire project. Justice's project, called "Mr. Handsome," was made from various pieces of ductwork purchased at CF. The robot's head also lit up using solar power. Congratulations, Justice!

Glenn Fitzpatrick built an 8' x 10' shed, and loves CF! He spent $300 on all the materials, most of which was non-CF roof plywood and shingles. Everything else was from CF, including the shed doors that were already a set that fit perfectly. The framing is all dimensional lumber, the floor and sides are a combination of various widths of pine tongue and grove. Even the window is from CF!

The home of Community Forklift customer Amy Levin was featured on the popular blog, Apartment Therapy-- check it out! She also maintains her own website, including more details of the renovation and more photos. Items that came from Community Forklift include her master bedroom mirror and flagstone for top of front retaining wall to basement stairwell. She also purchased the wood portion of her countertop/bar, living room coffee table and all the trim throughout the house through Marcus Sims of Treincarnation (CF sells some of his wood pieces on consignment).

Bill Merkel's work is "recycling urban trees to lumber". He has used wood purchased at Community Forklift to create a variety of hand-crafted toys, furniture, and play equipment. Check out his website for more photos!

Gary Vogan built an entire hunting camp from recycled lumber purchased at Community Forklift!

Chris Nostrand built this dove-tailed oak drawer from tongue-in-groove flooring purchased at Community Forklift. He said, "In the custom wood-working I do, I can pass substantial savings on to my customers because of the good deals I get on materials at Community Forklift!"

Dana Schwartz plays percussion in the Rockville Concert Band, the Wind Ensemble of the Greenbelt Concert Band, in the Bay Winds Concert Band in Annapolis, and in the Olney Concert Band. Without a trap table, he used to have to keep the small equipment on the floor, on a chair, on tops of containers, or just about any surface available. Thanks to Community Forklift and Ebay, he was able to build one cheaply from a shallow drawer, a 24x24 carpet tile, and a metal stand. He attached them together with some scrap wood and clamps, so that it could be disassembled and transported easier while remaining stable when in use. The result was a savings of about $80 when compared to the price of a "professional" model!

Marcie Wolf-Hubbard used items bought at Community Forklift to create these pieces. The first two are acrylic on tar paper, and the 3rd is mixed media on a kitchen cabinet door. See more of her work on her website, or on exhibit at National Institutes of Health, Clinical Research Center Bethesda, MD.

Mark (of MarkZ Signs) uses reclaimed lumber from Community Forklift to create faux vintage signs. Check out his work at www.markzsigns.com - he can do custom orders or consignments, and he'll give 10% off to all CF customers!

Prince George’s Little Theatre’s production of “Steel Magnolias” is set in 1987 in a beauty salon in Louisiana. The salon is supposed to be a converted carport at a private home. Set designer Mary Seng used many CF items to create the feel of the outside of the house that was then enclosed to create the salon. Complementing the wall of Faux painted bricks on sheets of luan plywood (yes…the bricks are just paint and plywood!), items from CF include vinyl siding, a door with four glass panes, vinyl clad window, all kitchen cabinets and a hair washing sink. Water was plumbed to the sink so the actors could actually wash hair on stage during Act 1. For information about Prince George’s Little Theatre, Inc. (founded in 1960) and their productions (which always use CF items!) check out their website at www.pglt.org

Tim Godshall sent some pictures of the shelf/drawer units he made using all those 35 inch maple planks from Community Forklift. These are in a house in Hyattsville where the homeowners wanted to make the space in their eves a bit more functional. With the exception of the drawer bottoms, the back panels of the shelves, and the shelves in the blue room, all the wood is from Community Forklift.

Sandra Morris used Community Forklift's ceramic tile to create an impressive mosaic relief piece on her wall. It holds fruit, and hides a hole in the plaster!

Barbara Klieforth made a beautiful picture frame using the old heart pine floorboards she got at Community Forklift!

Malek Naz Freidouni refinished a salvaged mantelpiece, turning it into a classy headboard!

Lisa Lincoln purchased a low flow toilet from Community Forklift (the vanity was purchased from the Habitat Restore and the sink bowl is recycled copper). She purchased the bifold doors from Community Forklift and painted them to use as a room divider.

Laura Atkinson redid most of her kitchen with second-hand materials; she bought 4 cabinets at CF to match her existing cabinets, and also some chair rail which she stained to match. She also bought a piece of granite, which she used as a base for her electric wood burning stove.

Bea Trickett used Community Forklift's windows, plywood, 2x4s, and paint to build a cold frame for starting seeds earlier in the spring. She also gave her Bunny a fun tunnel in the form of a concrete form!

Enrique Landi made a composter from pressure treated lumber he bought at Community Forklift. He also made a base for his wood stove from granite pavers that he got here (originally from a fountain).

Volunteer Susan Chapin is turning CF miscellany into functional (& just plain fun) art! Check out her website, or stop into the store on a Saturday afternoon to meet her, and view her gallery in person! She's pictured here with two of her bowls (featuring many surplus nails and doorstops), and also here is a photo of a collage she made out of an old cabinet door.

Volunteer Luci Blodgett used her store credit to buy a $8 window and turn it into a work of art! She donated the completed stained glass back to hang in our store. She’s available to make custom pieces if you’re interested, check out her blog at www.itsasignofthe-green-times.com.

Brian Higgins' rain barrel installation features: reused 55 gallon containers; Trex lumber from CF; 2x lumber from Nature Neutral (special ordered through CF), as well as numerous other recycled materials, such as rebar, concrete mix, etc. . This installation holds close to 300 gallons of water storage. Check out his website here!

Call: 301-985-5180. To leave information about possible material donations: use extension 2
Email: To send us information and pictures of your possible donations use: donations@communityforklift.com,
for everything else use: info@communityforklift.com.
Visit: 4671 Tanglewood Drive, Edmonston, MD 20781   Directions: 5 minutes from DC in Prince George's County
Hours: Wednesday & Thursday 10am - 8pm, and Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 9am - 6 pm
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