[blackwasp]

KaReGhar Designs is a Mumbai-based company turning scrap into functional artwork. Founded by Radhika Butala and Parveen Jiterwal of The Whiteboard Company (TWC), a startup incubator in Mumbai, and Ankita and Haider, quite an energetic + talented duo I might add, the company transforms automotive scrap into handmade art, one piece at a time. The venture was started when they came across a broken bench on the Worli Seaface and thought about the different ways it could be made use of. Soon, whenever they saw stuff like broken down doors, tin cans, tyres, cars rotting away, etc., they began brainstorming on how to make things out of it. A visit to a scrapyard gave them inspiration...with piles of scrap, each with a different shape and texture.

How the name came up:
Ka stands (in ancient Egypt) for the supposed spiritual part of an individual human being or God, which survived (with the soul) after death and could reside in a statue of the person.

Re stands for ReCycle, ReGenerate, ReFurbish.

Ghar means Home, office, garden, any space that is yours.

And KaReGhar in Hindi pronunciation means Artisans or Craftsman (pronounced in hindi as ka-ree-gar).

Contact Details:
Call / Whatsapp : +91 9820081248
Email : Sales@KaReGhar.com
Website : https://www.kareghar.com/

As an auto enthusiast, it was a treat to see old car parts being converted into usable items. I asked them to show me the process of how they make it from the beginning, and they willingly obliged.

The work starts with a visit to the local scrapyard. Haider took me around to his usual places:


This unit specializes in breaking down engines. Here you can see one being broken down:


An engine had just arrived to be stripped down:


Even the smaller assemblies are broken down into little parts:


Once broken down, the pieces needed are handpicked from a heap like this. There is no fixed rate and you have to make multiple trips a day to get what you need:


Part sourcing in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCYMbXxg-3U

Once they get all the pieces they can, the next step is cleaning. Since there is a lot of dirt and grease stuck, they leave the oily parts in soap water overnight. Here is an intake value pushrod being washed:


Even a simple job like cleaning takes considerable time due to all the accumulated grime & dirt:


Difference between clean and dirty:


Once all the pieces are cleaned and ready, the next step is cutting them to shape using a grinder and welding them all together:


Here is a video in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh67We1-auY

Doing a bike today:


Welding in progress:




A lot of spots are in tight locations and it takes a while to get things right. Also, Haider told me there have been times when the part simply broke while making for one reason or the other, resulting in a low production volume:




A lot of scrap is buried here...


... while the commonly used bits are arranged neatly:


Ankita and Haider in action. This is where they finalise designs. Since every piece is unique, no two designs are the same:




Also check out the scrap pieces here. These are the ones used partially, cut, grinded and then in other projects. This way, they have no scrap going out:

[blackwasp]

Next up, we headed to their shop. Lots of nice things here as well. Take a look at these cool ashtrays:


Pen stands in different shapes and colours:


Who would have thought two pistons could make such pen holders! What amazing creativity:


Some more designs - the right ones are card cum pen holders:


Some more:


Sweet candle holders!!


And more of them in different colours:


This wall showcases some of their truly unique work:


Table lamps of different kinds. I especially liked the one with the spring:


Scale models anyone?


Just look at the detailing incorporated in this jet:


And a dragster as well for sale:


For fans of space:


And we have cannons as well:


These are clocks / show pieces:


More in different colours:


A small shelf with more items. Notice the shelf itself is made from recycled pipes!


This was made for a client who is a fitness buff:


Helicopters - they also customise the rotors with your name / message if you'd prefer:

[blackwasp]

Some of the custom pieces:


Another round of pen stands:


Some Christmas specials!


A stool made from disc brakes:


And this awesome table from scrap. It was smooth to the touch & the team was careful enough to not leave any sharp edges:


The store has a rather homely feel to it:


Even the light fixtures were made in-house:


Cool, huh?


You will see brand names engraved on parts. Here is a con rod that came from a Tata:


This penholder takes 3 Honda Citys to make. Each ring comes from a single car:


Something for your gal:


A earring holder:


A table made from the crankshaft of a special car:


Check out the BMW marking:


Adjustable screws to ensure the top is level:


Two of their popular designs. You need to check them out in person - they have substantial heft and pictures simply don't do justice:


Tata piston rod as a handle:


How the pistol grip is made:


Finer details of the machine gun:


Some interesting designs from their website. This collection is made from parts that came off a Mercedes:


Classy candle holder:


A Chakra:

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Indian Car Scene. Thanks for sharing!

[SpideyBoy]

Wow!! That's creativity at it's best. What a fantastic way to recycle the scrap materials Absolutely love the effort and detailing put into each of these models. Kudos to the team for the beautiful idea and implementation!

[Guna]

Nice thread.
I was pretty impressed with the art installations in one of the restaurants in Bangalore.

[katoom]

Fantastic stuff! I have always been interested in building such things out of the motorcycle spares I have but never been able to make it happen.
They seem to be very passionate and the attention to detail is very good.
Thanks for sharing and may the business thrive well with folks like us being appreciative!

[abhii176]

Wow this is truly amazing stuff! Hats off to these guys for the amazing creativity and perseverance to create such pieces. Each one of these takes a considerable amount of effort! I wish them the best in this endeavor, i particularly fancy that dragster!

[JBIBS]

One of the coolest Start Ups with a brilliant innovative idea. The passion and quality is evident from each of their builds. In a world moving to cosmetics, things like these add so much of beauty and memory. I imagine if i had to scrape any of my cars or bike someday. (One of my friends just scraped his 16 year old Pulsar last month for 1000 bucks ). I would love to give that to these guys to build something memorable which i can continue to use in my home. That will be a sweet reminder of my trusted machine and some justice to its services. I just hope that they grow with build centers across places.

[srikrishna717]

Thanks For sharing. This is very innovative.
Ordered a few items, and Waiting

[AJ-got-BHP]

This is a one of it's kind offering, I must say Thanks for bringing this to light before us Blackwasp. Have bookmarked the Link to the thread to order some stuff already ! Every Car Enthusiast could spend a fortune getting their hands on such stuff. It's good to see that someone has taken this up professionally, following their passion and love for Cars !

A few such things I had seen at my friend Sushil Panigrahi's workshop MAD METAL in Kolkata sometime back. Although he is not into reconstructing such stuff, but into Car Repairs, Modification, Body Work etc. Sharing the link present on our forum to know more about him - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...body-work.html (Mad Metal @ Kolkata: New shop for performance upgrades, repairs & body work)

This was done by him out of passion and I thought it deserves a share :

An Ash Tray :




A Mobile Holder :


Thanks for sharing once again !