Poking through the junk and treasures of a nostalgia show in Woodstock, I happened upon some trophy tops. They were weighty, brass airplane-themed toppers selling for five bucks each.
I grabbed the least worn-out one and handed the vendor a five. “What are you gonna do with that?”, he asked. “Make a wall hook out of it for my brother who has experience flying a plane”, I replied. The guy thought about it for a minute. “Cool idea! They were five bucks for a useless trophy top, now they’re fifteen for a wall hook!” He was kidding of course but I appreciated the recognition for seeing potential in something he saw as just what it was supposed to be. Once you start looking at different ways to repurpose old or unusual items, you can’t help but start seeing things that way. I didn’t even know how it would come together but I popped it in my purse and we batted around a few ideas on the way home. All I knew was it was going to look cool to have a little plane flying up a wall in my brother’s house.
With Derek’s help, the hook was finished in a few hours. I bought the small piece of beveled, finished pine at Michaels for a couple of bucks. Derek shortened the screw that used to attach the plane to the trophy and drilled holes in the wood for that and two screws to attach the hook to the wall. Then we put a few coats of varnish on the wood, tightened the plane on with a washer and nut and voila. A one-of-a-kind coat, or whatever, hook.
It will need to be fastened to the wall with drywall anchors as well as screws so it stays in place. And as it shows wear from use I think it will look even better. I kind of wish I’d bought the other little planes the guy was selling to make a few more for the curiosity-and-antique shop I dream of one day opening. But this one will just have to do.