Scrap Wood - Uses/Ideas

[Bob Moyer]

I am 90% finished with an interior garage/workshop project; I have a number of pieces of T1-11; 11" x 48"; 5"x 96" etc, I also have a number of 2x6 pieces about 8-10". Any suggestions as to uses for these items? What do you normally do with your leftover small pieces?

Thanks

[Jim Becker]

Stuff like that can be useful for building small rectangular boxes for propping things up for assembly, etc. Just this weekend I build a 6" raised platform on a dolly out of some scrap OSB, for example. I don't keep really small pieces of such stuff, but the more substantial leftovers get stored in the garage so I can grab them as needed.

[Andy Haney]

I rat-hole too much stuff like this, but it sometimes comes in handy for building jigs and other such that doesn't need to be purty.

Andy

[glenn bradley]

Single use jigs. Backer boards for the RT or the DP, etc. Parts for mock ups or proto types of a new type of joinery.

[David DeCristoforo]

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as "scrap". If it's useable, it's "inventory". If it's not useable, it's garbage.....

[John Thompson]

I have to agree with David. Scrap is not a commodity at my shop, just stock left over from one project or being thrown away by someone that is "waiiting" for me to find a use. Probably has to do with the fact that father died when I was age 12 and through necessity my family became "thrift challenged". :)

Pallet bottoms.. torn down houses.. warehouses.. culled early wood stock nobody wants and shorts laminated all have a use IMO. It's just up to me to find the proper one that matches it's design needs and the most apporiate joinery to make it happen.

Regards...

Sarge.. john thompson

[Kyle Kraft]

Throw it away immediately, then about a day or so after trash pickup or when the ashes cool off, you'll think of all kinds of potential uses for it:rolleyes: .

[Michael Schwartz]

I used to keep every last chunk of wood I could get my hands on, well I was about 15 then.


As far as construction lumber, Durring a job I keep a couple of piles under my cut station of cuttoffs of different lengths. Everything under a foot or so, goes into a bin or a pile to be discarded every few days, unless I anticipate needing it for blocking or something.

After a job I usualy discard cutoffs under 3 feet.

I keep most plywood scraps, as plywood is expensive enough that it is worth storing the stuff. I will usualy keep any plywood longer than 4 feet, or 2x2' or larger.


In my shop.

In addition to beeing a woodworker, I am also a woodcarver, so anything is a potential carving blank.

Every now and then I go through my cutoffs and scraps and decide what to burn.

It allwayse amazes me when guys throw out cuttofs of 20+$ per BF exotics that would be perfect for tool handles, inlays, pens, door handles, and a million other things.

I saw a guy throw out this cutoff of walnut that looked like a gunstock and with a quick sanding, and some finish, could be hung right on a wall. I saw about 10 guys running to that trash can to grab it :cool:

[Keith Beck]

Bob,

I made the following planters out of scrap T-111 and cedar. Just one idea...

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/ldoforcno/DSC02855.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/ldoforcno/DSC02912.jpg

Keith

[Steve Clardy]

Mine is all consided stock also.

My scrap goes into 50 gallon plastic barrels outside, saved for starting the wood stove. ;)


Small ply and wood cutoffs make excellent material for shop shelving, etc.

[glenn bradley]

Bob,

I made the following planters out of scrap T-111 and cedar. Just one idea...

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/ldoforcno/DSC02855.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/ldoforcno/DSC02912.jpg

Keith

Those look great Keith. I need some planters out back and this is just the nudge I needed to get started. Well, right after Mom's b-day present and LOML's daughter's snake cage and the drawers for under my next workbench and the cleats and cabinets for the west shop wall and . . . Oh! Christmas is coming and . . . you get the idea. Seriously though. I really like the planters and will shamelessly steal ideas from them.

[Josiah Bartlett]

My stock slowly gets smaller until it ends up in the kindling barrel, which is fair game for my wife to use in lighting a fire or me to root around in if I need a block or a push stick or something. Anything in the barrel is fair game for either use.

[Steve Kohn]

I box up the small pieces and give it to the Boy Scout troop I work with. They use it for kindling.

[Greg Crawford]

My son recently pulled the engine and trans from his car. Lots of my small scraps got used to prop up stuff, chocks, etc. Do you have a teenage son?

[Bob Moyer]

Bob,

I made the following planters out of scrap T-111 and cedar. Just one idea...

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/ldoforcno/DSC02855.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/ldoforcno/DSC02912.jpg

Keith

Exactly what I was looking for - Thank you:) :) :)

[Keith Beck]

Those look great Keith. I need some planters out back and this is just the nudge I needed to get started. Well, right after Mom's b-day present and LOML's daughter's snake cage and the drawers for under my next workbench and the cleats and cabinets for the west shop wall and . . . Oh! Christmas is coming and . . . you get the idea. Seriously though. I really like the planters and will shamelessly steal ideas from them.

Glenn,

Thanks for the nice comments. The planters were one of the items on the Honey-do list, so it's good to be able to mark something off. :D They've been on my porch for over a year now and have held up pretty well, even with all the water my wife dumps on them. I'm going through a major shop re-org right now, so it'll probably be a bit before I'm able to cross any more items off of the to-do list.

Keith

[John Bush]

I heated my old shop with a wood stove and used most scrap with good conscience to heat the place. No stove in the new shop and I hate tossing unusable scraps in the trash. I cut it all into kindling size, tie it into bundles and give to friends for fireplace use.

I have a friend that owns a production cabinet shop and they take ALL the scrap, even large pieces of nice cabinet grade veneer ply,cut it down and fill a large dumpster for a service that picks it up and recycles it. I asked him about the "waste" issue and he says it is more costly to have pieces stockpiled and spend time "shopping" for the right piece. I watched as they ran large pieces of very nice cherry and walnut ply, that we all would store for years, thru his monster slider and toss out the door.

[Evan Galipeau]

I have yet to actually do this but I have always thought that short pieces would be good to make building blocks out of. So if you have or know people who have small children it would be a decent enough gift idea. Just cut them into rectangular shapes.

[John Buzzurro]

For smaller scrap pieces, I like to make small, simple clocks (http://home.comcast.net/%7Ejbuzzurr/woodworking/projects/miniclocks/miniclocks.jpg).

[greg king]

I am doing a similar thing for my nephew with some scraps from cabinet construction. I'll be giving him a box of pieces (some I may cut to consistent sizes) that he can use for blocks, or better yet as simple woodworking pieces. I'm gonna' give him a box of small nails, some glue, and if I can find a cheap hand-powered drill, some screws.

I had all kinds of fun putting together things with scrap wood when I was a kid. I got a whole stack of paneling samples from the dealer when we were remodeling a house. These were about 12"x16" pieces of paneling that I used for all sorts of stuff.

gk


I have yet to actually do this but I have always thought that short pieces would be good to make building blocks out of. So if you have or know people who have small children it would be a decent enough gift idea. Just cut them into rectangular shapes.