Unusual behavior

[texan123]

I just got started back into woodworking this year and have found myself getting into an unusual bahavior, I can't bring myself to throw away what is obviously waste material I am accumulating small pieces of wood I probally will never use. Is this behavior normal?

[sawhorse75]

LOL...:lol:

I do the same thing. I just started woodworking a couple months ago and one of the corners in my basement has an abundance of scrap material.

I think I should build a standing box to hold it all, instead of just keeping it on the floor.

My reasoning is that you never know when you'll need that perfect sized scrap piece...:D

[garager]

When you do finally throw them away, or burn them, a week later you'll wish you had those small chunks... :eek: :D

[Velosapien]

I tend to do the same. Unless they are really small scraps I keep them around. What I'll do is organize them into sizes that are roughly similar. If I start stacking too many scraps of the same size then I throw some away. Basically keep a small emergency stock of small sizes. It's very convenient when you only need that small piece and you can save the trouble of cutting and prepping a piece of good large stock.

[CWSmith]

Unusual behaviour!!! What unusual behaviour? :D Sounds pretty normal to me. Heck, I've still got scraps from projects..... Well, just you never mind, I don't want to embarass myself here. :rolleyes:

As previously cited, those scraps can certainly come in handy. A few corner blocks here and there, maybe some wedges, a sliver of this and corner of that, all kinds of uses for sure. Only when it becomes too small to handle on the bandsaw or has reached the eyes of the all too neat wife (for the ninth or tenth time) does it really become "scrap".

:)
CWS

[Woussko]

What's fun is to cut them to a given size and glue them together. Then you work with them and make up something special as a project. That way your scraps don't go to waste. Get creative and see what you can come up with.:)

[cadman59501]

I thought that keeping all wood scraps no matter how big or small was in the top 10 rules of how to become a woodworker

[Wood_Junkie]

I had this *exact* *same* "problem". I solved it by buying a few new tools... you know, turning tools... a lathe... and all the accoutrement that goes with that, and started making pens.

Now, about $400 later, I no longer have any questionable scraps... I just have pen blanks. :smile-us-down: My wife, of course, doesn't see the rationale in saving $0.50 worth of scrap wood. But, she's just silly! At $11 / bf, that's at least.. umm.. $0.80 scrap! Nevermind that I've sold a dozen pens and recouped at least 20% of what I spent to save the scrap!

Another thought is to take Woussko's suggestion and glue 'em up. At the least you could make random patterned end-grain cutting boards.

[tchads]

I keep a box in my shop and if the scrap fits in - out it goes. Of course the size of the box has been known to change depending on the amount and type of scrap wood I have. Make sure the box is a rectangle so you can justify keeping the smaller pieces.:cool:

[VASandy]

I started out with a box...actually a leftover huge drawer from a bench that I didn't use. Now, I still have that big drawer...but it's full. So I added a 5 gal. bucket. That's now full too. Obviously I need a bigger container!!

I also now have a lathe to justify all those scrap pieces! Most are walnut or maple. How can you throw out a 2 foot long 1" by 1/4" thick piece of walnut?!?! I just KNOW I'll come up with a project that needs that. ;)

[Wood_Junkie]

How can you throw out a 2 foot long 1" by 1/4" thick piece of walnut?!?! I just KNOW I'll come up with a project that needs that. ;)

I made a set of dresser valets that required 1/4" thick walnut, for a few parts. There ya go!

[wwsmith]

I am in agreement with the rest. I save way too much scaps and have them stored in boxes in the corner of the shop. I'll probably thin out most of it this summer by burning them in the campfires (assuming the forest doesn't burn too early this year and prevent us from having campfires!). The rest I save and often find myself digging through to find something at some point.

[BHD]

I thought that under the radial arm saw was the correct place for those small scraps. and it is amazing to me how many times I am pulling something out of that pile of scraps, but I do use them for kindling from time to time for the wood stove, when I can not keep the pile under the saw any more.

and for a little longer scrap I have a corner of the shop and then there's the shop attic, and ...

[Gofor]

I started out with a box...actually a leftover huge drawer from a bench that I didn't use. Now, I still have that big drawer...but it's full. So I added a 5 gal. bucket. That's now full too. Obviously I need a bigger container!!

I also now have a lathe to justify all those scrap pieces! Most are walnut or maple. How can you throw out a 2 foot long 1" by 1/4" thick piece of walnut?!?! I just KNOW I'll come up with a project that needs that. ;)

I started with a 3 gal bucket, went to several 5s, and now have 4 1/2 thirty gal garbage cans. Guess its time to run to the Dump!!

Go :D:D

[LONGHAIR]

I try to keep mine sorted by species for the more common stuff: Maple, Cherry, Oak, Walnut, etc. and a bucket for exotic stuff for pen blanks and things like that.

[texan123]

You guys sure made me feel much better about saving every little scrap of wood,,Now does anyone have a use for sawdust? Got several trash bags full and just can't seem to make it to the trash dumpster hmmmm maybe mix some glue with it and mold it sorta like MDF yea thats a good idea..............

[cadman59501]

Actually if you or your wife garden, I have heard that you are supposed to till in some of the sawdust into your soil and it helps hold the moisture and gives added nutrients. It also really helps if you have the hard pan clays like we do around here.

[Wood_Junkie]

Actually if you or your wife garden, I have heard that you are supposed to till in some of the sawdust into your soil and it helps hold the moisture and gives added nutrients. It also really helps if you have the hard pan clays like we do around here.

I had read this also, but some of the guys at Woodcraft cautioned against this, especially for certain "toxic" or "irritating" woods (e.g. black walnut) as they can add unwanted things to the soil and actually can hold too much moisture (thus causing root rot or something).

They said it's OK as long as the soil & fertilizer to woodchips (not sawdust) is at a reasonable ratio. I read somewhere that the chips that come flying out of your planer are the best for garden use.

[VASandy]

My Dad uses wood chips to create pathways around his garden. This seems to be working very well, as the dust/chip combo is soft, yet doesn't promote weed growth. He never uses it as an amendment in his garden soil. Usually, he'll put down the dust/chip then water the garden, which will wash the dust into the walkway soil. It also makes a nice look around the herb garden section.

[ironhat]

Unusual or unwanted behavior? Heck no. It's normal AND required for a woodworker! As for tilling the sawdust into the garden you will need a little extra nitrogen to help break it down. If you don't your soil can become deficient. Relax, enjoy and horde those scraps - especially the hardwoods!

[woodslayer]

I recently moved and when I was packing up the garage/shop I thought to myself, why the heck have I kept all these scraps for so long, well I guess now is as good as time as any to pitch them. Guess I couldn’t bring myself to do it, now they are all piled in the new shop.

Woodslayer

[airedad]

What's unusual about that? I have about 4 boxes of very useful "smaller pieces of stock" like that. Each box is about 2'x2'x4'.

My wife even got in on this a few months back - I had made a table (maple) and banded it with purpleheart. She was afraid I was going to throw out the "scraps" (we've been married almost 30 years, and you'd think she'd have learned by now), so SHE came down and saved them into HER collection of "small beautiful pieces of wood which serve no purpose except to be there."

Hmmm. That sounds like the description of our old cat.

But I digress. Actually I have almost enough to make the end-grain 2" thick table top I'm planning - end grain mixing oak, hickory, walnut, maple, purpleheart, whenge, butternut, and a couple of others. I just need to do a few more projects first so that I'll have enough left over ...