What do you do with your ever growing pile of scraps?

[CYC]

Okay lads (and madame),
My workshop is becoming a joke with the clutter of scrap growing bigger every day. In the beginning I was keeping all the little off cuts of wood for the various tests and clamping tasks of woodworking. But now it has just become a mountain of wood. All the pieces that don't contain glue at all are donated to a friend who has an open fire. That only takes care of the rather small pieces or the long skinny rods I break into small fire stock.

What do you good forum dwellers do with your scraps, give me your tips and ideas. Don't suggest a bon fire now :roll:
I want to get rid of them :!:

 

[Anonymous]

Make boxes for cristmas presents for family

I tend to burn small bits in the Chimnea on our patio - lovely in the late evening on a spring or summer day (not so nice in the winter!!)

 

[Aragorn]

I was going to ask the very same question!

I hate throwing away decent wood just because it's small and I don't just want to turn it into soot either. (I was going to say "ash"... :roll: )

I have a steadily growing offcut pile that I'm intending to turn into toys for the kids in due course. Even the most lowly looking piece can be sanded down, rounded over and it becomes a building block.

 

[mudman]

How about turning lightpulls?
Only need small pieces and with a friction drive they are great for kids to do.

 

[Adam]

Small boxes. Or small turned items, or little shelves for tools in the workshop.

Dunno - best thing is to burn them. You need to reasses your idea of what size a piece of scrap is. I'm getting better (slowly). Bigger and bigger stuff gets thrown out now!

Adam

 

[Vormulac]

My workshop's so small that a small pile of offcuts represents a sizeable chunk of my raw material storage! I'll just have to get used to making very small things... :wink:

V.

 

[Shadowfax]

I find scrap bits of wood rank alongside all those other things that you keep because they might be useful. Sometimes they are but usually they will never be needed.
Except that if you ever do need a particular piece ------it will be the day after you threw it out!!
Sound familiar?

Cheers

SF

 

[CYC]

I find scrap bits of wood rank alongside all those other things that you keep because they might be useful. Sometimes they are but usually they will never be needed.

That's my position, I have way too many scraps, it looks like I'll have to find a way of burning them. My worth problem are scraps of OSB or laminated pieces, I am a little afraid of burning materials with such high contents of toxic chemicals :?

 

[devonwoody]

Keep them all.
Very useful for making wedges for through tenons

No seriously try this

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=wood+scraps

 

[mudman]

Actually, I think thos snowmen are kinda cute.
Not so sure about the wood scrap candle holders, although I love the line :

Wood glue works well for all these projects

 

[Alf]

I have a nasty feeling what you lot call "scraps" I call my timber supplies...

A few things I've made with "size-challenged" pieces of wood: light pulls, keyrings, whistles, boxes, jigsaws, earrings, clocks, tool handles, handles and knobs for jigs, currently trying a couple of letter openers which may or may not be sucessful, 1/12th scale furniture (okay, so only one piece, but hey

), dovetail markers. Things I keep meaning to do include making spacers to resist vice racking, woodworker's "feeler gauges" (same principle but more like 1/4, 1/2, 1" etc, only probably metric), parrot toys (maybe limited value as an idea for most readers...), and lots more I've forgotten. Scraps are the most expensive timber of all - all that work you've put into them cutting, planing etc. Why throw it away?

Cheers, Alf

 

[Chris Knight]

Be ruthless first and foremost!

If not then consider :-

1. Gluing scraps together, resawing for drawer sides, cabinet backs etc.
2. With bigger lumps, glue together in strips for eventual benchtop.
3. Tools (planes, marking gauges, winding sticks etc. etc.
5. Drawer pulls, knobs, wedges, tee squares etc.
6. Glueblocks for eg plinths, cornices
7. Joinery practice (dovetals etc.)
8. Components of applied decoration (mouldings, cornices etc.)
9. test pieces for staining/varnishing etc.
10. 1/2/3 blocks
11. Shims
12. Clamp pads
13. Wood plus nails plus hammer for kids. (better than meccano at a certain age)

 

[woodshavings]

I use offcuts to make abrasive blocks of various sizes and grades of abrasive.

 

[Midnight]

A while back, I cut my scrap pile in half by making a clamp rack for my sash clamps.... other than that.... all of the above....

 

[frank]

confuses says, they will come in handy even if you never use them :roll:

 

[Bean]

Longish Thin Stock can be made into Toast Tongs, Thicker stuff gets made into letter openers, small boxes and play things for the kids. If its too small for the above go to light the fire along with some shavings, the saw dust goes to a friend with lots of animals.

Which does not leave much else..........except the pile seems to get bigger :shock:


Bean

 

[Anonymous]

Bean
I think you should post a picture of tha table you made form a pile of oak scraps :wink:

 

[CYC]

Chris, a nice list, point 10 is an excellent idea.

Here is what I will do so:
1. Glue large piece together to make planks for drawer sides
2. Definitely 2 different push stick designed specifically for the planer. Using some sort of rubber on the sole for maximum grip.
3. Some 1/2/3 blocks, what sizes do you use most Chris?
4. I definitely want to make a mobile clamp rack, Midnight I will take the challenge and only use scraps to build one
5. Burn the rest!

I guess toys for my daughter is a good idea but it will be a long time before she can play with any scraps!

 

[devonwoody]

I was in MAGNET (builders merchants etc) yesterday looking at laminate tops.
One top was constructed of oak (real oak!!) and it was constructed on the basis of a butchers top. Assorted lengths of oak strip about 27x27mm and glued up to produce cabinet/kitchen tops.
So if members can store waste bits long enough there would be a good use for scraps. (cost at Magnet £115 per metre by the way I assumed 600 mm wide)