the retrofitted
workshop

I've always liked building stuff, but The Retrofitted Workshop essentially started in the kitchen of my tiny apartment in Richmond, Virginia. My uncle had given me an old film projector that no longer worked. But I liked the look of it and wondered what I could do with it. I decided to drill a hole in it and stick a lightbulb on top. Thus started my obsession of taking old things and turning them into new things.

THE RETROFITTED WORKSHOP

blendor lamp

I really wanted to create a lamp out of a blender but was having a hard time finding one that I really liked that didn't look dumb. Most had plastic bases, a million buttons, and handles on the glass. While trolling through eBay I came across this 1940s Waring Blendor (very fancy). It looked like a rocket ship ready to blast off. Made out of cast steel (?) it is heavy as all get out, even after I ripped out the 5lb motor. A sanding, fresh paint and some wiring. Let there be light.

five o'clock box

The Kodak Brownie 8mm Projector (farther below) comes in a classy, faux linen wrapped box. I had already turned the projector into a lamp, which meant it no longer fit. And now I was left with this classy box. But it wasn't classy enough. So I decided to turn it into a mini cocktail bar— shaker, bitters and all. Take it to the beach, park, or your apartment building's rooftop.

kodak dualflex desk lamp

Usually I like to use my old cameras. But they no longer make 620 film rolls and to respool new film onto old spools is a pain in the butt. Instead I decided to turn this little fella into a mini desk lamp, which also turned out to be a pain in the butt. I had to remove a bunch of the guts, dill a hole through the center, build a base, wire it up and put a wooden accent piece on top. It now sits on my desk and unlike my webcam, I know no one is watching me.

ammo booom box

I was trapesing around an old military supply store and saw a giant stack of old ammo tins. I decided to buy one for $10 then jumped on the internet to find a amplifier and speaker that would fit inside. Ninety-two holes and one drill bit later I had a tough and rugged boom box I could toss in the back of the car to take to the beach or camping. Best of all, nothing in it can kill people anymore.

projected light

Yes, fine, I like lamps. And this one is the most basic and easiest of my lamps, this was my first build that got me addicted to re-using old useless things. It has sentimental value. It's a broken 8mm Kodak projector that my uncle had given me because he knows I love all thing photography.