I have to believe that the moniker “milk crate” is not colloquial, but I can only guess as to their true origin or intent, since I’ve never actually seen one used to stow or cart milk. Most of the ones I’ve seen are emblazoned with the words “property of” followed by a designation that is anything other than the person in possession of said crate. I can only assume that these crates were rounded up in their homeland, sold off at auction, entered into bondage and branded by their owners. The labels on these crates would have you believe that having one in your home makes you a thief and a felon. The way I see it, you are an emancipator and should be celebrated, releasing enslaved crates from a life of servitude where they are free to engage in such wholesome activities as holding old collections of LP’s, supporting dorm room entertainment centers, and making for impromptu camp stools. I myself have a pair up upturned crates stacked into a handy bistro table on my patio, cleverly disguising the coffee can ashtray within.
What are you using your old milk crates for? (And don’t pretend you don’t have any. Everyone has at least one somewhere.)
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[youtube 2Rlb0a6LEH0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rlb0a6LEH0 youtube]
I guess you've never seen the dairy guy restock the shelves at the grocery store? It's hard to put more than two gallon jugs of milk on a two wheeler without these.
At any rate, I have some never-contained-milk ones (purchased at Target or Bed Bath & Beyond probably) that used to hold up a 19" CRT television years ago. They weren't nearly as sturdy as the milk crates intended for a lifetime wearing chains of servitude, but they did the job.
mutha-F*ck me…. i was that dairy guy for about three months… ( i was never trained for that position plus the fact that i am lactose intolerant. the smell made me sick. work made me sick. i complained. they paid me to puke for three months. then i quit.)
I only have some of the store bought ones too. Some were better than others. I know one of them had a bunch of notebooks from college in it, I graduated in 1997.
I did happen to get a bunch of plastic tubs from the old Uptons stores when I bought some stuff at a local auction. They are pretty good. When stacked one way they sit one on top of the other, if flipped around they nest inside each other.
Milk crates, bah! I use traditional wooden apple crates like all real retro-tech heads should. No two are ever quite alike, so you never know what will fit in them, and also provide entertainment for all when you try stacking them. My crates in particular are special in that they're so old that the nails (remember them?) have rusted and fall out of their holes at odd intervals, usually when you're trying to carry something a bit heavy. Plastic milk crates, where's the sport in that?
Nails? Us real retro tech-heads don't use any trendy stuff like that. If we want storage, we just take rock and use it to dig a hole in the ground or we wrestle a bear to take over its cave. Of course my sound system doesn't have a lot of components–just a hollow log and a few sticks.
Ah, a purist!
Ha! I actually just replaced all of the old recycling bins that were in my garage holding parts of old abandoned projects with old abandoned apple crates. Mostly for the aesthetic appeal.
That said, being decidedly unpure, I took the liberty of pounding some new spiral nails into the structurally significant parts.
The milk crates I have were given to me a long time ago by a restaurant owner. Besides, it's been over seven years so they're indisputably mine now. I store books in them currently, but they're in reserve for moving too.
Mine have made a spiraling downward journey from living room furniture (in my college days) through sturdy carry-alls to repositories for the nasty, greasy car parts I seem to acquire.
It never ceases to amuse me that "a Volkswagen" is a standard unit of measurement.
With millions made and shipped all over the world, it's more universal than the English language.
If there are any milk crates around here – and I suspect there are – they hold some of my grandfather's vinyl records. I haven't used 'em for years, although I dealt with quite a few while in school, where I was occasionally tasked with carrying 'em around the kitchen, holding either four gallon jugs or a surprising quantity of half-pint cartons.
I have never used mine for anything more than a tool tote or a makeshift footstand when I'm working on my truck (It's much more stable than that rim)
Once used one as a seat to drive a 65 Mustang my Dad and I were restoring.
A friend and co-worker once had the white leather seats stolen out of his triple-white VW Rabbit Cabriolet. He ended up having to drive it to the dealer while sitting on milk crates. It sucked to be sure, but I had to use every bit of self-control to keep from laughing about it in front of him when I went to pick him up.
Motorcycle luggage. In my previous apartment it was a lot easier to get the bike out without getting a car out, so I used the bike for more errand-running. If I could get my grocery shopping in the store basket I could get it in the crate.
<img src="http://i34.tinypic.com/6h407o.jpg" width="500">
Also I partitioned up my pickup's box with 2×6's, like so (base image from the 2007 Dodge Commercial Truck Body Builder Guide)
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/6icf3a.jpg">
…the three sections at the front of the box are milkcrate-sized, and the left-most one holds a crate with the jumper cables, tow ropes and cargo tiedown straps.
Lastly I still have a crate full of R/C airplane equipment, even though the airplane's first and last flight was in 2006 and I gave up on the rebuild by 2007. I wonder if I can find an amusing use for the almost untouched gallon of nitro fuel…
Re: Amusing use of Nitro Fuel: How far away are you from Pelham, Ontario? I have beer and a large back yard.
i did that same crap job. normally 8 pallets every other night….. could only use the power jack to get them off the truck… it wouldn't fit down the hall to the dairy reefer….. sucked ass. and smelled horrible.
The milk crate is used to store ice skates in, and (upturned) to sit on while you're putting them on.
This nugget of wisdom may soon appear on Hooniverse, but…
I've probably got about 10 of them used by me for storing car parts and my car washing stuff (great b/c they breathe) and The Missus for all sorts of garden stuff (pots, tools, etc) (great b/c they can be hosed off/out).
I will attest that you can put a whole 3rd member/differential in one and tote it about.
The trick is to get them for free while garage sale-ing. If you try to buy them, people will realize they're valuable and try to charge you like $5 each. If you grab a bunch of tools/other cheap items, then put them in the crates, the seller usually disregards the crate for its contents. This obviously works for almost any container/bin of value at a garage/estate/warehouse sale.
Also, wine boxes are the purist's milk crate. Classy wood-burned logos in foreign languages, and you have to go to that one guy's house to get them…
The real question is how many of you have the metal ones ? My collection is up to five and four of them will hold a Suzuki Samuria of the ground ; )
I have one metal one and several plastic.
They're scattered around the garage holding various bits o' crap.
It's not true if there are no pictures!
They work well for holding a propane tank (to avoid tipping over). I have done this before, but this is a google pic. Note tank in back right of table.
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uwmLHX5nT6Y/TIkY_hdLjCI/AAAAAAAABMI/O_kqx87PKbs/s1600/campingstoves.jpg" width="500">