Probably a FAQ - What to do with scrap?

[Eric Larsen]

This has probably been asked dozens of times. I've searched, but can't find a thread. Googling "what to do with scrap" yields too many false-hits. If someone can point me to an old thread, please do....


I'm cleaning shop today -- big time.

I've basically run out of major projects, and I can return to just being a weekend warrior. You have no idea how happy that makes me. (Just need to find employment, but that is another matter.)

I always raid my cut-off bin first when I can. I'm at the point where my cut-off bin is full of unusably-short wood. I dislike the idea of simply pitching into the trash, where it will end up in a landfill. Why don't recyclers take wood? It can be made into paper, right?

1) I can't burn it. I live in Las Vegas. It's 100f. It's going to be 100f until August. And I'm not going to leave a heap of scrap in my yard until winter. That's an eyesore for my neighbors. (Not that they're particularly good neighbors, but two wrongs don't make a right.)

2) I suppose I could grill with the hardwood. But I don't grill much in the summer (that 100f thing) and I prefer char-wood when barbecueing.

3) I could take to turning (very) small projects, but that does not much interest me.

Any ideas on a more green solution than tossing it the bin for pickup?

[Dan Friedrichs]

I always seem to have lots of long, thin strips from cutting the rough edge off a piece of S3S stock. I'm thinking of planing them all to some thickness, then gluing them all together to make a workbench top. It'll be 100 thin strips, and I'll need several layers, but hey - at least it's not wasted.

[Matt Tawes]

Maybe do some searching here for wood recycling: http://www.recycle.net/Wood/index.html

Personally I live on the eastcoast and in the winter burn the fireplace often if nothing more than to dispose of scrap. I also burn in a pile out back if needed. Sawdust on the other hand that I often produce 50 to over 100 gallons per week of gets bagged and off to the dump since like you I tried finding recycling means locally but with no luck. Also if you have any parks or camping facilites nearby they will often take it for kindling as well since most sell firewood to their campers.

[Eric Larsen]

I always seem to have lots of long, thin strips from cutting the rough edge off a piece of S3S stock. I'm thinking of planing them all to some thickness, then gluing them all together to make a workbench top. It'll be 100 thin strips, and I'll need several layers, but hey - at least it's not wasted.

True, but you are going through a lot of glue that way.... I don't know if that's any better or not.

I have the the "long thin strip" problem as well -- dozens of three-to-five foot strips of 1/2" x 3/4" stock.

[David DeCristoforo]

There is no such thing as "scrap". It' a myth. If it's useable, it's inventory. If it's not useable it's garbage. If you can think of a way to use pieces rather than throw them away, so much the better. My son is making some cabinets out of small pieces of plywood that would normally be taken to the recycler or the dump. He has glued them up into large panels with strips of contrasting wood in between the plywood pieces. They have a funky "patchwork" look and it takes a lot of time to get them glued up. But they may result in some interesting "art furniture" pieces.... we will see....

[Bill Petersen]

Eric,
I live in Las Vegas and I'd be happy to take it off your hands. I would hope to be able to use some of it for small projects or embellishments on larger projects. I also have a place in southern Utah where we do use lots of scrap for firewood in an outdoor fire pit and when camping. So, if you'd like, I would be happy to pick it up from you. I would need about a week to bring my little haul trailer down from Utah.
Thanks, Bill

[Dell Littlefield]

If it is hardwood, make endgrain cutting boards. Also, I take small pieces, double wrap them in aluminum foil and put directly on the burner of my gas grill. Does a great job of giving a smoke flavor. The soft woods, I slice into 1/4 inch strips and make panels for small tool boxes etc. It sure hurts this ol' depression-era hobbyest to waste anything.

[Prashun Patel]

When in doubt, make a cutting board.

[Chris Padilla]

Sounds like some good cutting board material. Or glue stuff into larger pieces to make jigs, push sticks, or sometimes it is just darn handy to have a good hardwood "2x4" or two laying around.

Shorts can be glued to longer pieces. I like to end-grain glue shorts together...then glue that to a longer piece. On painted items, hardwood like this can make nice durable edging material for plywood.

But, sometimes you just really need to let go and toss stuff or get rid of it in some fashion...one can't possibly keep EVERYTHING....

Wood going to the landfill isn't all bad...it'll eventually breakdown...or turn into oil for future generations....

[Eric Larsen]

Eric,
I live in Las Vegas and I'd be happy to take it off your hands. I would hope to be able to use some of it for small projects or embellishments on larger projects. I also have a place in southern Utah where we do use lots of scrap for firewood in an outdoor fire pit and when camping. So, if you'd like, I would be happy to pick it up from you. I would need about a week to bring my little haul trailer down from Utah.
Thanks, Bill

I appreciate the offer, but there really isn't enough to warrant a trailer -- maybe 50 pounds. And I don't really feel like separating out the hardwood from the ply, veneer and particle board.

[glenn bradley]

I keep pieces large enough to use for small items. Thin strips I keep a few because I can always seem to use one for this or that. The rest goes to friends or relatives with wood burning stoves or backyard fire pits.

Building suitable storage for cutoffs will help you keep and use what may be valuable to you. I built this quick box for small cutoffs. I have a variation on this for larager pieces.

I have stackable "crates" built out of scrap for small pieces of exotics.

[Eric Larsen]

Boy do I feel sheepish!

A wealth of ideas...and so fast!



After I'm done cleaning, I'll bin the garbage ply strips, particle board, etc. Then, I'll crack open Danny Proulx' "50-home made shop jigs" book and see what I can make out of all these strips and bits of oak.

[Chris Padilla]

I appreciate the offer, but there really isn't enough to warrant a trailer -- maybe 50 pounds. And I don't really feel like separating out the hardwood from the ply, veneer and particle board.

I try to keep most hardwood but I find it easy to toss scrap plywood and particle board and MDF pretty quickly. If your veneer is solid hardwood and reasonably thick, they make good shims and clamp protectors or can help raise a caul or clamp just a tad higher to get things centered a bit more.

I think you just need to adopt a more organized system to save the "good" scraps and make it a habit to toss certain materials at the beginning.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Get a mini lathe, and visit the turner forum..... It's a LOT of fun, and you can use all sorts of "scraps".

[Sean Nagle]

When in doubt, make a cutting board.

Scraps make great cutting boards. Mix and match species. Be creative. Make sure to use Titebond III or poly glue though. If you don't need them, give them to friends and relatives.