Cut off/scrap fever

[gwaithcoed]

This is my use for offcuts. Made a few years ago.

Alan

 

[Linus]

Maybe not offcut but I've been known to filch the odd log from the pub firewood. Talk about waste. Amazing what people will burn!

Before and after.

 

[Cabinetman]

You have a wonderfully thin edge to that bowl Linus, very nice fine work.
Pubs, they were the days,I hope you show it to the landlord and take him a bit of rubbish to burn instead. Ian

 

[TRITON]

Hi, Excuse my ignorance - but what is a "pen blank"

As above. But doesnt have to be a solid section, you can laminate small pieces together like plywood and turn that.

 

[clogs]

Cabinet man....
thats a treasure trove.....def not off cuts......hahaha.....

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You also asked how to store it, this is how I do my offcuts the shelf has 465 on it, it’s how deep the shelf is, so an indication as to how long the pieces of wood are, unless it’s rare anything shorter usually goes in the firewood bin, the cardboard tubes are free from most carpet shops.
View attachment 100812View attachment 100813View attachment 100814

I have similar with the pipes, starting with sections of stink pipe and downpipe all about a foot long but hot melt glued to a base board which is large enough to prevent the thing's toppling over.

I'm always a little surprised that people who are into intarsia don't offer to pay the P&P for boxes of offcuts from people who use nice interesting timbers.

 

[Cabinetman]

Yes that’s a good idea, nearly all my offcuts are Oak, best not say how much goes on the wood burner!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

He has a 3 sectioned rack, month 1 offcuts go in first section, month 2 in second section and month 3 in third section. Month 4 all the offcuts get thrown out of rack 1 and he starts filling that one again, next month he throws out everything in rack 2 and starts using that one etc...

Similar to my old system for saws - a new one, a sharp clean one and a firewood/plasterboard saw. When the last one was too blunt to use a new one was bought and the middle one moved a step down.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

I'm unsure what happens to my offcuts; they just get smaller and smaller until they disappear; both wood and metal. I must have a screw for any application; if white goods are heading for recycling I remove every part which might be useful; cable and switches etc. come in handy; I'm a tight Yorkshireman which might explain it.

Kind regards, Colin.

A bespoke crank made from offcuts.

More offcuts.

One of the oak knobs I turned for the new desk I made.

Even the thinnest piece can be turned into finials.

Small blocks can be turned into mice. It's not just making use of offcuts it also affords lots of pleasure which is what my workshop is about.

 

[Cabinetman]

Love those finials! Very fine indeed.

 

[peter-harrison]

Agree with most of the above. Also, get a panel optimiser program. There are free ones out there such as Maxcut. You can put any size of board into them- they aren't just for 8x4's. This will reduce your scrap pile, increase your profits, and help the environment.

 

[Linus]

You have a wonderfully thin edge to that bowl Linus, very nice fine work.
Pubs, they were the days,I hope you show it to the landlord and take him a bit of rubbish to burn instead. Ian

Thank you Ian. I actually turned a couple of pieces for the landlady and took them back the following day. Suitably impressed when a punter walked in the pub and said they're nice , are they for sale? £20 later we had free drinks for the evening. Result all round

 

[Cabinetman]

Brilliant !

 

[Lonsdale73]

Don't get me wrong, if you have a plan for bits, hang on to them but most people have an idea that "this piece might be useful for something" when they know in their hearts that it won't be!

I usually find that use - after I've binned the offcut.

I hate waste so all the 'no possible practical use' bits and all the shavings from the lathe (while I had one that worked!) are bagged (separately) and given to friends with log burners or open fires. Sometimes I'll get an interesting looking log in return, most times I'm lucky if I ever see the sacks again.

 

[Andy_Striker]

Same here, gets used in the wood burner

 

[gmgmgm]

This is a genuine question so please don't think I'm making any kind of statement about emissions from woodburners. I imagine that the glues used in MDF, chipboard and plywood are some sort of carbon based compound, so when they burn would produce the same sort of emissions as the wood itself? If so, what's the problem? (Perhaps I should say 'additional problem').

The problem would be the nasty smelling fumes, I assume. Even the most efficient and hottest burner needs to be opened to put in more wood, and some smoke always escapes. I've learned - eventually - to open our cassette stove very slowy to avoid drawing smoke out into the living room!

I had some concerns about this, but from listening to the Lumber Update podcast, I gather the "bad" chemicals e.g. formaldehyde have been reduced dramatically over the past few years, so it's now much less bad. I suspect that unless you are burning skip-size quantities at low heat next to a school or hospital, it's probably OK. Surely it's not as bad as treated pallet-wood? But "DYOR".

 

[Jameshow]

Guil

Maybe not offcut but I've been known to filch the odd log from the pub firewood. Talk about waste. Amazing what people will burn!

Before and after.View attachment 100973View attachment 100974

Guilty as charged!!!

I must have a play on my lathe!!

Cheers James

 

[Chunkytfg]

I create a massive amount or plywood scrap which I used to keep but working out a single garage means it has to go or have a use for it found quickly. Fortunately i've found 2 uses for it, It gets cut down into parts for my latest product that needs loads of little bits of ply to stack for little 'turrets' and then whats left gets thrown on the woodburner as kindling.

Cant be dealing with the sheer scale of my scrap bin at the moment when trying to negotiate 8x4 sheets around in a small space.

 

[JimB]

I suppose there's always Tunbridge Wells ware

 

[Rich C]

Most of mine goes for kindling in the woodburner, especially at this time of year.
Also hand plane shavings make great firelighters.