While the House of Tomorrow was very unique, and did meet the criteria for historical significance, it was not on the Pierce County nor the National Historical Register list. Further, it was built near the floodplain along Clark’s Creek, and numerous flooding events took their toll on the property. Relocation of the house itself was considered, but deemed too costly to pursue, so the county was forced to slate it for demolition.

The County did however want to salvage as much usable material from the house before it was razed, so Second Use was selected to remove usable materials throughout the structure. Water damage did take a toll inside, but the kitchen and upper floors did have some solid cabinets, doors and more that all could be reused or repurposed for projects.

Our crew spent a day on site, carefully removing each item and transporting them back to our warehouse, and was available to the public within a day. These cabinets shared the rounded style that was typical of the Smyser’s interior design. See the remaining inventory in our Tacoma warehouse.

Jobs like these help Second Use keep more than 3,000 tons of used building materials out of landfills in the Tacoma and Seattle area every year. We’re always looking for more salvage opportunities, so if you’re planning a renovation, reach out for a free assessment of your potential construction waste.

Soak your hardware on medium heat for 2-4 hours. It may take longer if the paint is very thick.

With a plastic or silicone scraper, simply peel off the offending paint. Avoid using metal or anything that will scratch your hardware.

Pro-tip: a rounded or well-worn edge is less likely to scrape or damage the metal.

For brass and bronze: mix 1 part baking soda and 1 part lemon juice or white vinegar into a paste. Spread the paste over the piece and let it set for 30 minutes. Wipe clean with a soft damp cloth. If you want to get a newer, cleaner finish, you can use steel wool or a wire-bristle brush to get a little more shine from your hardware.

For plain copper, the same process can be used if you want to remove any patina or discoloration. However, if your pieces have a finish, like “Japanned” copper which uses heat and chemical treatments to achieve a striking mottled black finish contrasting with copper. This type of finish is easy to damage, so avoid using sharp tools or any acid that will corrode the color.

To remove rust, wipe the area with alcohol on a soft rag. If the rust is stubborn, a toothbrush is your answer. Most nylon bristles are fine to use on a softer metal like copper.

Once all the icky is removed, you can burnish your cleaned hardware with some beeswax and a clean soft cloth to seal and restore some luster.

Pro-tip: Place your beeswax puck on top of your crock pot lid to soften it up.

Most importantly, peeling old paint off of hardware is really satisfying. Be safe, don’t drink your chemicals, and have fun!

Here is a video going over these steps. Seeing the paint come right off after boiling really is quite satisfying to see!

Before:

Rachel’s grey brick home mid- paint job, with the old doors still installed.

Here’s a look at the old doors Rachel took out:

And the ones she got from Second Use, stained and ready to be installed!

After:

Rachel updated the exterior of her brick home with a fresh, modern coat of white paint, which pairs beautifully with her salvaged glowing fir doors from Second Use! Rachel replaced both the front and garage doors.

Beautiful work, Rachel! Thanks for sharing!

Have a 2U success story of your own? We’d love to hear from you! Send us an email at customerprojects@seconduse.com with pictures and a brief description of your project for a chance to be featured on our blog/instagram and $5 store credit!

Item #617597: Steel Shop Cabinet, $195

This sturdy shop cabinet has 27 drawers ready to store all your tools or knick knacks! With a little clean-up and a fresh coat of paint, this piece would glow with industrial chic charm! We love how the project below enhanced a similar cabinet with a bold color, painting over the existing details.

Item #617365: Low Shop Cabinet, $45

This sturdy plywood cabinet may not look like much, but with a little heavy metal, it could easily be your next entertainment stand! Add some wire locker baskets for extra storage capabilities!

Item #617599: 1950’s Mechanic Locker, $245

The handwritten notes on the doors of this locker dating back to 1953 are enough to make us swoon! We love the idea of using a multiple door locker for both hidden storage and open shelving, like the project below. Not ready to get rid of the visual history on this piece specifically? Find a space on your wall to repurpose the doors as decoration!

Item #612921: Slanted Top Locker, $95

Is it just us, or would this not make the PERFECT broom closet? It’s the perfect height, and is already painted a sweet light green. Store away!

See something you like? Give us a call to put items on a 24 hour hold any day of the week, 9am to 6pm!

Seattle: 206-763-6929

Tacoma: 253-267-0820

Scott also made this wonderful chair from reclaimed material!

Thanks for sharing, Scott! If you’ve got pictures of projects you’ve used 2U materials in, send them our way! Email us at customerprojects@seconduse.com for a chance to be featured on our blog and receive $5 in store credit.

Held in conjunction with our Second Use Fall Fest, the market will feature the work of 30+ local artists and craftsmen that work with reclaimed materials alongside a parade of festive food, a beer garden, family friendly games, an Art & Design Competition, and our largest sale of the year.

We are currently accepting applications for vendors at:www.seconduseevents.com through August 13th.

Questions? Check out our FAQ! Still have questions? Send us an email at: events@seconduse.com

Last month we got in some substantial chunks of purpleheart wood.  Our crafty customers and employees alike were excited to get their hands on it.  For those unfamiliar with purpleheart, it is a tropical hardwood found naturally in Central and South America and its heartwood is a truly breathtaking deep purple color.

One of our employees, Ricky, snagged a few pieces and created this gorgeous table, complete with vintage hairpin legs from Second Use SODO.  The surface was made using two pieces of purpleheart. He split a longer piece into a book-matched set for the center and cut a shorter piece in half to create the ends. The wood was then glued and finished with two coats of oil, two coats of clear polyurethane, and two coats of wax. The hairpin legs were sanded down to bare steel and lacquered with clear coat and waxed before attaching them to their new top. The legs fold down diagonally against the table, making it easy to transport and stow. Beautiful work, Ricky!

Are you inspired to do a DIY reclaimed wood project? Check out our current selection of tracked lumber here, or come by our store to check out even more untracked material.  And don’t forget to send your project photos and descriptions to adj@seconduse.com to be featured in our blog!

We couldn’t be more excited to announce the talented lineup of vendors we have for Saturday, September 17th’s Handmade & Reclaimed Market. This unique market is paired with our Annual Fall Fest, a celebration of salvage, Second Use, and the community that surrounds us. In keeping with the salvage theme, each artist selected for the Handmade & Reclaimed Market incorporates upcycled materials into their work. Outside of that commonality however, the selection of work is vast, ranging from clothing and accessories to homegoods to art.

The gallery above highlights some of our favorite items that will be available at the market.

Featured Vendors Include:
All About Cookies
Art By Paul Hunsberger
Barbi Lock Lee
BeerCanHatLady – Leni Rodoni
Bill Hodge Wood Art
Capable Father
Colleen Monette
Dirtsugar
Forestlife Dean
Green Cemetery Ladies
Jesus Mary Anne Joseph
Kitten Mittens
Kittywake Designs
Lavendar Hill Farms
Second Use Lightshop
Linda McClamrock Recycled Paper Collage
Magicknightmares
Magpie Mouse Studios Jewelry Pop-up Shop
Moon Femme Collection
Seattle Natural Awakenings
Open the Cellar Door
Nice Nests
Recycled Tech Creations
Repurposely Different
Robert Johnson Fruit
Salvage Crafters Jewelry
Secondhandmade
Soapy Business
Spirit Line Pottery
Stuffed Shirt Fashions
Stuffmapper
Sweet Caroline’s Jams and Jellies
Tami’s 2Go
Tanks A lot
Tie One On
tingol
Trnka
Turningsmith Studios
Up & Undies

And a special thanks to Seattle Natural Awakenings and Stuffmapper for their partial sponsorship of this event!

Don’t forget that Fall Fest is a free, family friendly activity with all ages indoor and outdoor attractions including free food, games, screen print your own shirt, a beer garden, and Art + Design Competition, and beyond!