# Many uses of CoffeeCans



## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Here at work I have been collecting coffee-cans from the office coffee-machine. Just your basic plastic-top, cardboard-side, tin-bottom cans. I can't put liquids into these cans (otherwise I would use them for paint-thinner to clean out paint-brushes after use), so, I am looking for more and better uses of them. I hate to throw stuff out - I have enough cans filled with nuts-n-bolts to last me another half lifetime ... 

Do I start tossing them out - or - are there other uses for these that I haven't thought of?


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## Bigdog57 (Oct 9, 2008)

The cardboard coffee cans are more limited, but great for storing most any 'small items'.
I use them for storing my reloadable cartridge brass, bullets, fishing items, gun parts (a multitude of old scope rings, iron sights, etc.), nuts and bolts, screws, nuts, nails - ANY small hardware!

I really like the newer plastic coffee cans though - they don't corrode or soften like the steel-bottomed cardboard type do. 
Great for rice, beans, etc too, sealed in mylar bags inside the coffee can.
I use them for solvent too - anything that will NOT dissolve the plastic. Brass cleaner is good. 
I also label them with a marker on heavy white paper, wrapped with clear strapping tape.

The uses are limited only by your imagination!


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## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

I only hold onto the metal ones. I use them primarily for fat and cooking oil. Cardboard would be demolished in minutes.


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

The plastic ones, in my case Maxwell House, make good scoops for feed or grain-anything pourable. Jab holes in the lid with a 16 penny nail, fill with water, hold the lid on, and you have an instant garden watering can.


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## pioneergirl (May 11, 2010)

The fact that they are cardboard makes this a hard one.....I have the plastic ones as well, and store things (seeds, one has pens/pencils in it, etc), use them for feed scoops, grab one to gather small things from the garden, one on the counter for compost, etc. 

I didn't even realize they made cardboard ones....


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## HarleyRider (Mar 1, 2010)

If all else fails, they can be used to hold coffee!!!


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

You know those shiny foil tops you pull off cans like that or large cans of hot chocolate? I save those and spread them a few feet apart on strings across my strawberry and raspberry patches. They flutter and keep birds away.

The harder aluminum tops (the not-crinkly or soft ones) my husband keeps and uses when he runs his trapline, as an attractant to catch a critters eye and draw them over to check out the trap. 

The cardboard coffee cans...how about cookie jars? Or Storing dehydrated food, short term? Even good for dehydrated herbs, for cooking or medicinal use (short term. Long term requires an airtight container, and cardboard probably doesn't count). Good place to keep leftover biscuits, rolls, or cornbread for a few days (Or coffee cake! lol). Vaccuum seal seeds and put several small bags in a can, and store in a cool, dry place. Make beef jerky and put it in one of the cans. If you're going fishing you could keep your worms in one of them. If you have kids or grandkids you could poke a little hole on each side, run a string through, knot on each side, and have a cool bucket for them to play with. Or even use the "bucket" yourself, with longer string handle, to carry things, like if you're planting a garden and need a place to keep the seed packets and odds & ends you want together and to have with you at the time.


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

The plastic ones are great for freezing portioned fresh meat in. Fresh, boned chicken breasts on sale? Plop 2 breasts in, cover with water and freeze. They will stay good that way for a long time in the freezer.


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

Sounds like you'd better persuade the office coffee pool to start buying plastic cans, Vance...


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

No coffee-pool at work. Our purchasing guy brings in the coffee by the case-lot - same as tea, creamer, sugar, etc


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

Perhaps you know a grade school teacher who would be interested in using them for art class projects. Maybe decorate them for Valentines Day mail boxes or something like that.:scratch I have been collecting #10 cans, I read an interesting article about a family who framed up a small house with scrounged up pallets and used the cans for a metal roof.


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## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

sailaway said:


> I read an interesting article about a family who framed up a small house with scrounged up pallets and used the cans for a metal roof.


This is a fairly well known Houston Landmark.

The Beer Can House : Home

On the thought of using recycled good for your housing.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Cool! And that gentleman has a nice beer belly to go with his beer can house! Maybe now he's drinking enough beer to have cans to build a garage, too?


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## DocWard (Nov 10, 2008)

Other than dry storage, I am at a loss regarding the cardboard cans. The plastic cans are useful, but I need to get my hands on a few old metal cans with the plastic lids. You can't use cardboard or plastic for a survival heater.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

While we're talking about re-using cans, every year about a week after Christmas there are dozens of those metal cans that popcorn, cookies, and candy come in, at our county dump. People get the stuff for Christmas, eat it up, and TOSS THE CANS!!! They make wonderful storage containers, if you keep them dry. Sometimes they're half full and my chickens get a treat! 

I also save glass jars from juice, pickles, peanut butter, or anything else I've bought in a glass jar, and I store my home-dehydrated food and herbs in them, instead of using up my canning jars for that.


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## GroovyMike (Feb 25, 2010)

I used to save the metal cans but now prefer the no rust plastic ones. I use them for storing cartridge cases for reloading - one for cleaned brass, one for deprimed brass, one for primed brass of each cartridge - so 3 for 9mm, 3 for 308, 3 for 7.62x39, 3 for 30-06, etc. But once you have a dozen or so that maxes out the reloading bench storage shelf....

Oh yes you MUST save a metal one with lid for storing the TP in the out house or at camp to keep it dry and safe from rodents!


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## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

gypsysue said:


> Cool! And that gentleman has a nice beer belly to go with his beer can house! Maybe now he's drinking enough beer to have cans to build a garage, too?


I believe he died some years ago. They have a historical society handling the maintenance now. Next time in Houston I'm planning on going by it. Unfortunately no plans to go in the near future.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Right on, groovymike! They do rust, at least back in the humid East! We have a few in the outhouse with TP in, so I guess we think on the same line! Plus I have things like candles stored in some of them, in a dry, ventilated shed. Here in the dry West we don't have as much trouble with rust, but even so, we use the heavy white plastic buckets from bakeries for food storage.


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

NaeKid said:


> Here at work I have been collecting coffee-cans from the office coffee-machine. Just your basic plastic-top, cardboard-side, tin-bottom cans. I can't put liquids into these cans (otherwise I would use them for paint-thinner to clean out paint-brushes after use), so, I am looking for more and better uses of them. I hate to throw stuff out - I have enough cans filled with nuts-n-bolts to last me another half lifetime ...
> 
> Do I start tossing them out - or - are there other uses for these that I haven't thought of?


Here you go...  cover them with tin foil, I know a few friends that could use these.


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

gypsysue said:


> Cool! And that gentleman has a nice beer belly to go with his beer can house! Maybe now he's drinking enough beer to have cans to build a garage, too?


At Cedar Point Amusement Park there is a building built of empty bottles mortared in place between wood posts. It is part of the glass blowing exhibit on the frontier trail. I have always been impressed with this as a form of low cost construction and recycling. Most people go to C.P. for the rides, I go there to look at stuff like that.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Not far from where I grew up, there is a house made of embalming bottles. This house was originally thought-up about 60 years ago and was built by hand.

The house is very small, but cozy. I have toured it many times from when I was still but a small child to fairly recently when I took my grandson for his first visit to the glass-house.

More on it by following this link: Glass House


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## Homestead Gal (Nov 25, 2008)

Cans made of cardboard? My first thought is to use them as a make shift fire log. Cut strips of corregated cardboard at a width that will fit inside the can and the roll them up so they make a solid core inside the log. Add a little liquid parafin wax or a a few cotton balls with petroleum jelly on them and they are ready to burn. Don't know how long it would last but at least it would hold a fire or a little while. You might want to secure the bundle with some small gage wire so it won't unroll once the outer shell burns off.


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