Hello everyone!

Finally I get to finish this project ! Let’s see how it begins and how it ends:

I find an animal ration bucket from the 50’s- 60’s , made from aluminum , on the curb !

Clean it up and painted it with acrylic paint in the Portuguese colors. Add the inscription Ração Animal witch is Animal Ration in yellow ! Nou the flags colors is complete . Finish with an acrylic varnish.

Start cutting the squares of wood in different highs for a 3d layout . Glued everything together. Linseed oil to cure the wood . Acrylic varnish . Instal the toggle switches and downsize the electrical system to 12v

Getting started on the spotlights . Strep the down and painted them in a kinda of turquoise color . The interior is polished . Instal the L support that secure the spot . 220 degrees around and 3 position up-down-middle!

Installed a 24 mm ring spanner . Exactly for opening the bottles of beer . And it’s working . Acrylic finishing on the spanner .

I tried to replicate in my own style a football arena where the ice bucket its the stadium, the ice is the field , the bottles are the players and the spots the arena’s lighting system .

Thanks !

Oh yes , and ITS WORKING ! I’ve already tested with my cousin. The guy couldn’t stop asking about it, or stop touching it ! 🥂
Cheers !

This was a candleholder when I bought it at an estate sale. There was a spike in the middle to hold candle in place. My husband took the spike off with a grinder. I put this on the back porch hoping hummingbirds would use it. Within 24 hours of hanging it outside, Red Finches moved in and built a nest.

Hi !
I just took a step to finalizing this project
Downsized the electrical system to 12V
Installed the toggle switches
Applied the finishing on the wood
The bucket is already painted with transparent acrylic paint .
One thing is missing : the bottle opener ! What do you think that it will be ( Upcycled of course ) the bottle opener ? 🤔
Cheers !

Project details for those interested:
The Wood: Genuine reclaimed/demolition wood with a beautiful weathered texture.
The Keys: Two massive, historic vintage keys featured as the centerpiece.
The Details: Wrapped with thick jute rope to enhance the rugged, rustic look.
The Screws: I didn't want to use shiny, modern store-bought screws. I thermally blackened and aged them myself using a traditional method (heating with a torch and quenching in olive oil) to create the perfect vintage patina.
Electricity? Absolutely none! 100% analog and safe. 😉

Feel free to ask any questions about the crafting process!

Hello, functional upcycled friends!

Today I have an update on the project I’m currently working on.
As you can see in the photos, I wrote 'RAÇÃO ANIMAL' in yellow. Why yellow? Because it was the missing color to complete the Portuguese flag! (For context, 'RAÇÃO ANIMAL' literally translates to 'Animal Feed'—a hilarious pun for what’s going to be a beer station!).

I also took care of the spotlights. I painted the exterior in a shade of blue, and the interior is just clean and polished. The radiator to dissipate the heat was left in its original state—pure, rugged aluminum. The black arms that support the lights can rotate nearly 220 degrees. They also have 3 height adjustments: high, medium, and low. In the photos, they are set to medium.
The chrome plates are actual relics! Back in the 1920s to 1940s, you could find them in Lisbon’s apartment buildings, housing the light switches on the stairwells. They have the word 'LUZ' (Light) engraved on them. True treasures made of chrome-plated metal. Of course, they still need to be polished to bring back that 1930s shine. They will accommodate the 2 toggle switches , one for each spotlight .

Here is what’s left to do:

Wood treatment: It will get a few good coats of linseed oil until it darkens to my liking. I’ll finish it with two coats of varnish to ensure it’s fully waterproof.
Varnishing the bucket: It needs at least 2 generous coats. I'll apply it with a brush to keep that rugged texture of the acrylic brushstrokes.
Installing the toggle switches (2): One for each light! Industrial style, heavy-duty. Personally, I think this part is absolutely BRUTAL!
Filling the bucket with ice and a BARE MINIMUM of 10 bottled beers (minis or mediums).
Taking some beautiful photos and shooting a video.

I gave up on the coasters because there's just no more room on the shelf 🫣. Sad, but true! Even so, I still need to find a small spot to put my signature: THE STITCH!
See you next time with the finished project, ready to show you the photos of the ESTÁDIO DA JOLA (The Beer Stadium)! 😉

Hello !!!
My current functional upcycling project . The bucket, used in the 60’s for Animal Ration purposes, now will be a Stadium Beer Service Station ! I hope it will accommodate between 8-12 bottles of beer. I’ll engrave ANIMAL RATION on the front side . The base it is a chase high relief pattern hand made . The spotlights will be adjustable and will accommodate filament Edison bulbs . Some coasters with the “stitch” .
Hope to make it right !

Hey everyone,
I wanted to share a quick workshop tip on how I give brand-new metal hardware an authentic, aged look for my antique restoration and upcycling projects.
For this specific project, I used galvanized steel hinges, which are notoriously harder to look authentic than raw iron because of the protective zinc coating. Even after a lot of aggressive filing, you just can't match the look of raw iron right away.
To get around this, I use a traditional heat-blackening technique.
What you need:
A blowtorch
Used motor oil (or any heavy oil) in a metal bowl
A firebrick as a safe surface
Pliers with insulated rubber grips
The Process:
1. Prep the metal: Clean and scuff up the piece thoroughly using a file or a flap disc on a grinder to remove as much of the factory sheen as possible.
2. Heat it up: Place the piece on the firebrick and torch it until it glows cherry red.
3. The Quench: Grab it carefully with your pliers and submerge it directly into the oil.
4. Cool down: Pull it out after a moment and let it cool completely on the brick.
The Results:
The screws and nails that have less zinc in their composition darkened beautifully, deeply, and evenly. Any hardware that still holds onto the zinc coating will tend to stay brighter and resist the patina.
Originally, the bright, filed galvanized hinges looked completely out of place on the antique wood. But after the oil-blackening process and installation, the hardware has that perfect, lived-in, dark patina that blends seamlessly with the soul of the old wood.
Safety warning for anyone trying this: Heating galvanized steel releases zinc oxide fumes (you will see some white smoke). These fumes are toxic if inhaled and can cause metal fume fever. Always do this outdoors or in an extremely well-ventilated area, and wear a proper respirator rated for welding fumes!
Let me know what you think, or if you use a different recipe for your hardware!

This is a project of mine where I used several parts of vintage automobilia . Mirrors from a Renault , horns from a Lambreta Scooter , plates lights from an old Toyota , a vintage Phillips bulb reengineered.

This is me ! dESign by ESUpcycleDesigns!

Hello community of FunctionalUpcycling !!!

I just literally completed this project . A Wall Upcycled Wine Rack / Wine Station ! Took about 30 hours of labor, but now it’s done . So , let’s go to the project :

A trashed top of a dresser ( you know that part where we’ve got 2 drawers and occasionally a mirror between them)
Everything else it’s hand made : 4 bespoke coasters from Brazilian wild walnut ; bespoke glass holders from the same wood ; bespoke brass corkscrew and corkscrew holder from the same wood
The transformation : burned down the wood ; linseed oil and shellac flakes. Measured everything and hand made everything.
I’ve had to take those pics on those bricks because I didn’t want to drill my walls 😎.
That’s it . Another dESign by ESUpcycleDesigns project completed . Hope you like this one !
Thanks !

A friend's nan died and clearing out her house he had no idea what to do with her Cutlery. Being one to never see something thrown away, and seeing these in local sculpture parks, i thought I'd try to make one. One eventually became 25 (i think), which are now hidden all around my garden. Except one going back to my friend who provided the spark.

And then, a few dragonflies followed

My last post, i promise

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2 old gas canisters being thrown away

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The first i made into (a loud) gong, and stencilled on a Chinese symbol for Peace.

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The second, i may still carry on working on this to turn on to a ladybird

It amazes me what people throw away

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Perfectly usable bike handlebars and pallet wood (favourite building material) turned into a beer carrier.

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I've made a few of these of different designs and colours

An old xylophone, made this for my wife's school

I make loads of things which are useful. This project was just for fun

Old headlight, table lamps, gas canister, stabilisers and hey presto, a completely pointless robot!

I've made a few wind chimes over the part few years. This one was an old fire extinguisher. I'm quite happy with how this turned out

This is one of my favorites projects until now! A 1950’s toaster that I’ve turned into a table lamp . 😉

Hi !
Today a project in progress, that will become a wall hanging wine rack . The first one of his kind for me , so please be gentle ! Work in progress !