Wood waste

[rob1693]

I'm mainly hand tool work but building my new workbench created probably 3 bin liners of shavings and detritus and lots of offcuts i have a woodbuner and get rid of it on that what do other woodworkers do with all there waste

 

[wobblycogs]

Scraps of solid wood of all sizes go on the wood burner. Shavings go on a bonfire when I have two bag fulls. I use a few shavings to get the wood burner going but I wouldn't put them on once it's started as there's too much updraft.

I know some people compost shavings and I know one person that removes the dust and gives them to a friend that owns horses - no way I've got the patience for that though. Shavings are bit of a pain really.

 

[woodieallen]

I've 'zoned' my dust extraction into those machines that generate mainly chippings such as the P/T and spindle moulder (Axminster 2200 chip extractor with modified fine dust filter) and those that generate mainly dust (table saw and linisher) (Camvac). My chip extractor bags go down the recycling centre and into the wood container (sans bag). The Camvac stuff goes into a black bag and then down to the normal scrap skip at the centre.

Other recycling centres may vary.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

All wood composts - the bigger the lump, the longer it takes. Entire tree trunks will compost eventually. To speed up the process add nitrogen fertiliser, or cut them into smaller pieces.

It has to be a pretty small piece of wood to be classed as unusable, and even then it is a potential glue spreader. Chips and sawdust go straight to the garden as mulch (my tomatoes really like sawdust mulch).

 

[Inspector]

Wood sawdust and shavings get spread around the property, 9 acres so there is room. The MDF dust, turnings with resin etc go to the dump transfer station and the wood scrap goes there too for the dump guy's wood stove. I save them until the fall/winter when he is heating his shack.

Pete

 

[hog&bodge]

Take it to the recycle tip, used to hang on to bits and off-cuts but they never get used.
Well made some door wedges.

 

[Argus]

The saw-dust and thicknesser chippings go to the farmer down the road....... he has it for loose bedding and flooring in his truck - especially when he's lambing.
As for the rest, long shavings start the fire, small stuff goes on as kindling and the bigger bits go on a bit later.

Then, I get the logs from the farmer down the road......

 

[Andy]

sawdust and shavings go on freecycle - there are always takers who use it for animals or to put on their gardens, and they will collect. Can just leave it bagged up outside for them if you are not going to be in.

 

[Woodchip Wilbur]

sawdust and shavings go on freecycle - there are always takers who use it for animals or to put on their gardens, and they will collect. Can just leave it bagged up outside for them if you are not going to be in.

Not really an option for me. I can't "zone" it like woodieallen - no space so the extractor bag gets filled with a mix od proper wood, MDF, plywood, metal swarf, old sweet papers, unpaid bills and all... I don't produce a lot - but it gets bagged and binned. (Tried once, unbagged in the wheelie. Got a letter, saying, "do that again and we'll not empty your bin"!)

 

[isaac3d]

With regard to using wood shavings and sawdust for mulch or for composting (or even bedding for animals), there are some species of timber which contain toxins (Yew and Wenge spring to mind), so has anyone had problems when using wood shavings of "toxic species"? Perhaps the toxins get degraded along with the wood by all those useful microbes, but I know some toxins are quite persistent. Does anyone know if this is a general problem or limited to a few species?

 

[Andy]

I don't use yew or wenge but I make a point of separating out walnut and disposing of that separately

 

[Jacob]

Burn what I can't use.
Shavings from dust extractor get tipped into a plastic bag - big enough to go right over the extractor bag so you can tip it in without losing any.
Bag is big enough to dip in a coke hod and scoop it up without losing any, and taking it to the woodburner. It takes 3 or 4 hods full.
Burner ideally has to be wide but not tall, so that the top of the heap can burn over a large area. Mines a Dowling Sumo.
It has to burn right down before you recharge it or you might get blow back.
Any surplus goes in the garden as paths between veg rows etc

 

[CaptainBudget]

I stick them in Bin Bags at the end of my driveway with a sign saying "free woodshavings"

I can leave 4-5 bin liners there and they will be gone within 24 hours on my estate, especially during BBQ season.

There's quite a few children on the estate and I'm sure at least a few of them have hamsters/rabbits/etc. that need it for bedding...

On the very rare occasion I work with MDF or anything not suitable for this it goes straight in the waste bin (at most a carrier bag full), the impact is minimal.

 

[Auldfart2010]

sawdust and shavings go on freecycle - there are always takers who use it for animals or to put on their gardens, and they will collect. Can just leave it bagged up outside for them if you are not going to be in.

I saw an add on FB Marketplace offering bin bags of mdf dust for free. I was a bit surprised that anyone working with mdf would not know of it's properties.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

My tip has a couple of big metal containers for wood only - it apparently is chipped and then used for other things

 

[Farm Labourer]

Garden mulch but will now insist that Mrs FL tries it on her tomatoes!