recomendations on scraps please?

[aurelio alarcon]

I am accumalating a lot of wood scraps after each project I make. Who can tell me a good average size of scrap to keep and what to discard. It is hard for me to throw anything away, so I need to know what should be discarded. But I am running out of room in my tiny little shop (8x12).

[Todd Burch]

The more expensive the wood, the smaller pieces I keep. If something is on the "cheap" end of the price scale, I chuck it.

I used to save long, thin pieces, thinking that they would be good plywood edgings. They probably are, but they aren't worth keeping. I judge a potential piece of "scrap" by a quick test - and that is, based on the material and what I typically use that material for, (example, part "x"), can I get another part "x" out of the scrap? If not, then I judge it by any "above average" qualities, like is it wider or thicker than "normal". If is piece if wider than it is longer, I usually through it away. Now that I'm cutting pen blanks, it something is scrap and is at least 3/4" x 3/4" x 6", I throw it in the pen-blank pile.

I'm not doing too many smaller projects these days, so if it's on the smaller side of the equation, I throw it away, to get it out of my way. I've been carrying some scraps around for over 5 years - and I'm slowing starting to clean all that out.

Lately, also, I have been bundling up scrap of common, and still useable sizes and taking them to local woodworking club meetings and donating them to the raffle or putting them on the "free" table.

[aurelio alarcon]

The more expensive the wood, the smaller pieces I keep. If something is on the "cheap" end of the price scale, I chuck it.

I used to save long, thin pieces, thinking that they would be good plywood edgings. They probably are, but they aren't worth keeping. I judge a potential piece of "scrap" by a quick test - and that is, based on the material and what I typically use that material for, (example, part "x"), can I get another part "x" out of the scrap? If not, then I judge it by any "above average" qualities, like is it wider or thicker than "normal". If is piece if wider than it is longer, I usually through it away. Now that I'm cutting pen blanks, it something is scrap and is at least 3/4" x 3/4" x 6", I throw it in the pen-blank pile.

I'm not doing too many smaller projects these days, so if it's on the smaller side of the equation, I throw it away, to get it out of my way. I've been carrying some scraps around for over 5 years - and I'm slowing starting to clean all that out.

Lately, also, I have been bundling up scrap of common, and still useable sizes and taking them to local woodworking club meetings and donating them to the raffle or putting them on the "free" table.
I know that this question may seem a bit ridiculous, but I have been saving every little piece of scrap. My space is so limited that this will be helpful to me in deciding what stays and what goes.

[Jim Becker]

I like Todd's logic for choosing what to keep and what to "move on". I tend to throw small hardwood "shorts" in a bin to be used for kindling for the wood stove in our great room. The long thin pieces that he mentions I chop down to 16" or so and throw them in the same bin, retaining only a few as disposable measuring sticks for projects. Flat, wide shorts I either keep if they are "special", put in the burn pile or if thick enough, bring to the woodturning folks at the monthly meeting.

I keep some small plywood cutoffs for cauls and for supports when finishing. The rest go in the trash.

I used to keep everything...no longer. It costs less in time just to start with longer stock.

[Lee Schierer]

I also hate to throw out scraps of hardwood. Just as soon as I do, I find that I could use a piece exactly like the one that went out with the trash. However, most of my srcap goes into: http://home.earthlink.net/~us71na/blocks.jpg or http://home.earthlink.net/~us71na/helicopter1.jpg

You'd be amazed at what you can make with small scraps. Kids of all ages love these things too.

[Stan Smith]

Well, if you're into intarsia, like me, you don't throw any hardwood scraps away unless they are really tiny. I also keep softwood scraps if the grain is interesting. Then there are the plywood and mdf scraps that might come in handy for jigs. Like Lee, I also make toys so the small pieces are great for that stuff. You could always just take off the rough corners and give some kids some blocks to play with. They love 'em at day care centers. My big problem is with the thin long strips or thin resaw strips. Peridocally I clean them out for kindling for somebody. The next day, I wish I had one of those strips for edging, but you can't keep everything forever.

Stan

[Chris Padilla]

Nice discussion.

I try to keep as much hardwood as possible (seems too precious to toss) but it can get overwhelming. However, I really don't have that much so I doubt I'm in the same boat as some of the more, ah, experienced folks here! :)

Plywood I have no problem trashing when the need suits me. I have so much scrap that I do a quarterly 'chop and toss in the trash' affair.

One thing I find handy to make from scraps are wedges. It seems I always need spacers for lifiting my work (i.e. to clear a clamp) and having several wedges around make it easy to do this. Old phone books make great spacers but they are often cumbersome to store.

[aurelio alarcon]

excellent ideas. But now I'm thinking that I might be able to use a lot of what I thought I might throw out...he...he

[Donnie Raines]

Certain size scraps can be resawn to book match small drawer fronts...I do that a good deal of the time. Also, I use them to make cutting boards and then i seel them at craft shows.....you would die if you seen the money these things make you. Look, they dont pay the biils(..that what my day job does)....but I sell about 1500 bucks worth around X mas time.....and other my labor and glue...there is little to knwo cost,

DonnieR

[Lynn Sonier]

I do a very simple test. If it will pass between my blade and zero clearance throat plate, I don't keep it. This means that about all I throw away is sawdust. And this is only because I can't think of anything to do with it.