Project ideas to use up wood

[Matt Day]

All,

I'll be moving in less than 2 months, and have to scale down the lumber I have. I don't have a backyard full of stickered stacks or anything, but do have a variety of types of wood around (maple, wormy maple, walnut, ash, wenge, bubinga, and a few exotics that I'm not sure of). I also have a lot of smaller scrap/off-cuts that I hold onto for when I need it.

Any ideas of quick project ideas to use up some wood quickly? Burning is not an option, yet!

I was thinking of making a couple quick side tables with either pocket holes or loose tenons, with a simple apron. What else? Cutting boards?

I'll take some of it with me, but mostly just the nicer larger pieces that I don't want to give away to wood-stove-friends.

[Stephen Massman]

sell it on here if you dont find any projects.

[Matt Day]

Steve,

I thought about putting it on my local CL if I can't use it up, but I sure don't want to bother with shipping it. I had hoped to use it for something productive though. Maybe I'll glue up a big laminated kitchen cutting block with some of it...

[Clint Schlosser]

I had a similar problem with a lot of small scraps not entirely good for furniture projects.



Kitchen island with butcherblock top
Rolling Pins
Small boxes for "stuff"
Coat Rack
Sell on Craigslist
Hand planes
shop fixtures

[Lee Koepke]

Cutting Boards are usually pretty quick and easy .... I'd love to have some of that wormy maple though ... wish I could justify a road trip :D

I have made a few wood trivets, one of those small candle-holders that would work good with the maple and walnut/wenge

Chess and Checker boards arent too bad and you have a good mix of lights and darks to work with.

[Jeff Willard]

Got lathe?

[Russell Sansom]

A pair of furniture-quality folding saw horses is one of my favorites. Can always be covered and used for carpentry and projects. Reasonable for an inpromptu table or sideboard in new living quarters.
I always make my shop fixtures ( shooting boards, saw benches ) from decent hardwood if possible. That makes no sense for figured/curly wood, but is good for plain stuff like beech, maple, ash...etc.

[Matt Day]

I do have a lathe - were you thinking I could laminate some scrap together for turning?

Thanks for the suggestions so far! I just saw a thread in the projects forum about a very nice candle holder that I could probably make a few of too.

[Jeff Willard]

I do have a lathe - were you thinking I could laminate some scrap together for turning?


That, or just smaller turnings, such as small boxes, with a contrasting finial or base. Hairsticks, pipe tampers, etc. Do you turn pens?