jointer/planer chips - wow

[Brad Wood]

so, I'm in the middle of my first large scale project - a dining table... which also happens to be my first project using rough sawn lumber.. being milled with my fairly newly acquired jointer, planer, and DC

I can not believe how much chips this process creates!!! I live on acreage so its pretty easy to get rid of the stuff, but I couldn't help wondering what you guys in residential settings do with all your chips.

Just spouting off, not really looking for an answer... I'm just amazed thats all.

[David Hostetler]

Depends on the wood...

Anything like Oak, Pecan, Hickory, Mesquite ends up in my smoker along with cutoffs etc...

Anything treated in any way simply goes to the landfill.

Pine, cedar, etc... go to the flower beds as mulch.

Been working pretty well for me so far! But I don't produce all that much compared to some other folks here...

You want to see a LOT of shavings / waste, get a lathe and start turning. On my first spindle I was literally ankle deep in shavings by the time I finished up with the roughing gouge...

[Mike Henderson]

I use the chips as mulch on my flower beds (I add a bit of fertilizer to compensate for the low nitrogen in wood chips). If I ever had too much, I'd put it in the green recycle trash.

Turning generates a lot of waste, also.

Mike

[Matt Tawes]

I have a bag in my 55 gal. drum on the cyclone DC and just haul the bags off to the dump. I used to try dumping it on occassion at the back of my property but sometimes at 30-55 gal./week when I'm busy became too much and it takes forever to decompose. I only buy and stock rough sawn lumber so I'm planing for every project.

[Curt Harms]

I recently created 3 DC bags of Red Oak chips.It didn't take long. I gave them to an animal rescue operation for for bedding or whatever. I wouldn't do this with Treated or Walnut or any tropical/exotic chips. I did check with the local SPCA. They don't use wood chips for bedding but would have been glad to get them for landscaping. It wasn't that hard and it seems silly to put something in a landfill that is useful in some way.

[Jim Becker]

I compost my chips/dust unless I've been working with walnut. Occasionally, I'll use them for the pathway in the garden, but I never put uncomposted wood chips in gardens as mulch...it will suck the nitrogen right out of the soil.

[Myk Rian]

Brad;
Put a cyclone separator between the machines and the DC. A lot easier to empty a trash can than it is the bag.
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4310

[Charles Shenk]

I put it in the green bin to get recycled by the city. Residents get free compost in return.

[Justin Cavender]

Why not compost walnut?

[John Keeton]

Justin, black walnut produces jugalone toxin, which is not compatible with many plants. You may notice that walnut trees normally do not have much growing in competition with them. The roots give off the toxin, as well. Composting it could be harmful to the plants on which the compost is applied.

[Chris Damm]

Justin, black walnut produces jugalone toxin, which is not compatible with many plants. You may notice that walnut trees normally do not have much growing in competition with them. The roots give off the toxin, as well. Composting it could be harmful to the plants on which the compost is applied.

Walnut should NEVER be used as bedding for animals either!!!!! It is toxic.

From: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-126897964.html

"A research paper co-authored by two professors at Purdue University strongly advises against the use of American black walnut wood shavings for animal bedding.

Daniel Cassens, professor and extension wood products specialist, and Stephen Hooser, head of Purdue's toxicology section, write, "There have been numerous reported eases of black walnut (Juglans nigra) poisoning resulting in laminitis in horses. Typically, these occur through exposure of horses to black walnut shavings used at bedding in stalls. As little as 10% of the total shavings, by weight, can result in clinical ... "

[Prashun Patel]

I've made a path through the woods with mine.

[David Hostetler]

Anyone in the Houston area got some walnut chips? I bet that might just do the trick to kill off some bushes that I can't seem to get rid of...

[Brad Wood]

yeah, the separator may be something that I need to consider. I don't really have a lot of room in my shop though... but you are right, taking that bag off all the time is a bit of a pain.

Interesting to see how people deal with it all though, thanks for the replies

[Lee Schierer]

I let my lumber supplier deal with it. All my materials are purchase S4S and I don't have to spend all that time planing and jointing.