What do you do with all those scraps of timber?

[pidgeonpost]

Life has rather got in the way of my woodworking in the last few years, and at 75 I'm not sure there is going to be much more in the way of projects worthy of the name. That said, I've accumulated a small stockpile of offcuts that I can't think of an immediate use for, but can't bear to consign to the woodstove. This is mostly very well seasoned Oak, with a few scraps of other hardwoods amongst it. Question is what can I use it for? There's nothing longer than 2ft, nor wider than 6", and nothing greater than 2"-3" in section. Any ideas anyone, please? Not sure I can face cutting it up into door wedges, key fobs, coasters etc. I don't have a lathe anymore, so turned stuff is out.

 

[Fitzroy]

Make up small parcels and put them on ebay, there will be people who this is useful for. You'll not make much money but perhaps it will be more useful than just adding heat to your house. Another idea could be to joint them together for patchwork cutting boards, as family xmas presents.

 

[Jameshow]

Candle holder? Wine bottle support?

 

[Andy's Shed]

Photo frames, small display cases?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Mine get used to melt alloy, or I turn it into charcoal for the forge.
Or use it in the wood burner.
Or some gets used in the slow smoker.

 

[Jacob]

Stick them together? Not entirely facetious - e.g. you can laminate bits of board to make up something for turning, or other purposes.

 

[AES]

Or donate - even sell - to people like scrollers, model makers, etc.

 

[TRITON]

 

[sawdustandwax]

Silhouettes from thinner pieces? - animals, country outlines, interests of family/friends etc, lots of artwork available on the net. Mount them on plinths and give as gifts.

 

[CaptainBudget]

If you can put enough similar pieces together those sizes sound ideal for box making (especially if you can resaw some of the thicker sections).

Or you could make two of the sides and/or part of the lid out of contrasting timbers to make it more interesting...

 

[worn thumbs]

I like Jacob's idea of gluing them together.Even tiny pieces can be used to make segmented bowls but it might be easiest to sell a few small offcuts as a bundle so that somebody else can do the work of gluing them and determining the pattern.I have one bowl I made years ago from all sorts of offcuts and each of them holds a memory of a project-no regular geometry at all and that was a conscious decision at the outset,I have slowly been piecing together another with the theme of no regular features and no need for horizontal joint lines.Why not have inclined faces for successive layers?

Failing that,makers of doll's house furniture might be very pleased to acquire tiny pieces of any fine grained species.

 

[pauljhaigh58]

Model making then donate to charity

 

[sams93]

I wish my scrap pile only had hardwoods on it, I can't even bring myself to throw away the 2" x 8" offcuts of birch plywood!

I've resigned myself to accept that whatever space I have I will fill it, regardless of the size. I think that this problem is likely to stick with me for life...

 

[pauljhaigh58]

The be made £100 for cancer charity

 

[pauljhaigh58]

That should have said camper van

 

[Ttrees]

If you can put enough similar pieces together those sizes sound ideal for box making (especially if you can resaw some of the thicker sections).

Or you could make two of the sides and/or part of the lid out of contrasting timbers to make it more interesting...

The bandsaw will surely provide more bang for yer buck in that sense.

 

[TRITON]

If anyone have any scrap Paduk, bubinga, rosewood or walnut in the 8-9 inch widths and 10-12 feet long, I'd like to be first to volunteer taking it off their hands

 

[pidgeonpost]

Well, thank you folks! What a very inventive bunch you are! I shall use the winter evenings and see where those ideas lead!

 

[TRITON]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/real-life-geppetto-carves-50-31198458

 

[BillHoughton]

Are there woodworking guilds/clubs/gatherings in your neighborhood? If so, I bet you can make lots of friends by dropping them off at a meeting (or, if you don't have a suitable vehicle, finding a guild member who does, and inviting him/her over to pick up your surplus).