Election Reminder

[Guest]

PC180149 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

No, no, nothing controversial. Post-election there will be yard signs aplenty for the taking. Our dump has a specific day when campaign workers drop off collected loads. Years ago I asked a visiting campaign worker if I could have some after the election; I wasn’t home when he dropped them off and the missus was none too pleased.

He dropped off a freaking truckload pile; way too many to keep, but I now wish I’d kept more, I’m starting to run out. Most of those signs are 1/8” thick Coroplast, a stiff corrugated plastic. Some of the giant ones are doubled ¼” thick.

PB010037 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

That stuff cuts like butter with a bandsaw (or even an Exacto knife), and is awesome for making rigid templates. Free, and easier than using scrap wood.

PB010043 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Templates and other things; my tripping journal “field desk” is about out of unscribbled pages and needs replacing and refreshing with 2021 information.

Mead Five Star wire bound notebooks are perfect for my trip note purposes; a couple of pens slip into the wire binding so they are always no-hunting-around available, the manila pocket is handy for storing a calendar with moon phase, marked meteor shower events and Glenn’s birth date, as well a printed 7-day weather forecast, tide charts, permits and etc paperwork.

PB010039 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The only problem is that the thin plastic Five Star covers are not composition book rigid. Old yard sign Coroplast, glued to the covers inside, stiffens up that journal enough for knee writing. If you want a notebook stiffener you can do better than my leftover “TER”

PB010050 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Post election those Coroplast yard signs go in the dump/landfill. Plastic, so archeologists can dig them up next century. You can do your part by giving them a second life as freebie material for cutting templates or etc. My wife is on some local community list serve, and I may ask there for a few more post-election yard signs.

I know I can cut a big, block letter RUM out of a yard sign. That might be handy on group trip shenanigans.

EK_0048 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

 

[yellowcanoe]

What is your mailing address?

 

[Guest]

I’ll e-mail you my postal address, but mailing old campaign signs would not be worth the oversized cost.

I have a better idea than the Community Listserve. Our Elementary School polling place is all of 2 miles away. I’ll just drive there tomorrow evening as the polls close and see if one of the campaign workers taking down signs will give me a few.

No giant four foot x 8 foot jobs this time, but a stack of a dozen smaller ones would be all of 3” thick. I think I could find shop storage for those.

 

[sweeper]

I just cut up a large P Sign for my Town Clerk Wife to put voting hours for tomorrow on a sandwich board in front of the town polling site.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Make a Canoe out of them and Trip into a Wilderness Lake !

 

[Mnoutdoorfunguy]

 

[red langford]

Is there an election?

 

[Guest]

I like that. It would make a dandy wall decoration for a shop or man cave.

 

[PeteStaehling]

I have found lots of uses for old political signs. They are pretty strong and light. They are great stiffeners inside of bags or panniers. They can be made into boxes or cases. They are good for forms or templates as was already mentioned. It is a little hard to get them clean of the lettering though, but I have had some luck either sanding it off or using a scotch brite pad and solvent. I'll have to keep my eyes open for some to grab after the election is over as my supply is depleted.

 

[LanceR]

If the lettering is adhesive backed vinyl just hit it with hot air from a hair dryer and it will lift off cleanly in nearly every case. The 1/4" stuff in particular can make a fair folding table top is judiciously slit from alternating sides to create an accordion fold. A tape reinforcement helps with longevity.

Best regards


Lance

 

[Guest]

I struck out on Coroplast campaign signs. I was going to drive to our nearby polling place, but discovered that it had moved to a different school some miles away. I went there early the next morning only to discover every sign (my son drove past on Tuesday and said there were plenty) had been removed.

I’m guessing the candidate’s campaign workers take them down as soon as the polls close.

Oh well, there’s another election in two years, and I’ll be there at 8pm sharp to ask.