What to do with crosscut scraps?

[James Dudley]

Like the title says, I'm looking for ideas for what to do with crosscut scraps. This is some 1.75 inch-square-ish Sapele from shelving that I'm making. Approximately 20 inch strips.

I'll likely have one more when I trim a slab for the countertop I'm installing as well.

End-grain cutting boards usually are glued up as normal strips, then crosscut and glued again. I guess I could plane these down and maybe make a cutting board?

Other ideas?

[Prashun Patel]

Think hard about that. Often the cross cuts are from the checked end of the original board, as it appears 3/4 of your strips are. Cutting boards are typically made by precisely cross cutting the stock so each piece is the same thickness. This minimizes the end-grain planing / clean up you'd have to do. Unless you have a drum sander, that cleanup can be painful. Running it through the planer is possible, but it's a risky gambit because those ends will want to blow out heartily.

I've been tempted to save them too, but have usually determined it's too much work.

[James Dudley]

Right--totally aware of the normal process for an end-grain board.

The non-square edge you see on the strips is the live edge, which could easily be trimmed off to remove small checks. And these cuts aren't quite even of course, so they would need to be made square first to do anything.

I don't have a drum sander. A friend has a planer, but I figured tear out would be an issue.

Good feedback. Just thinking what, if anything, I could use them for.

[Erik Loza]

My dad made a really cool piece of wall art out of all his cutoffs. Sort of a three-dimensional mosaic-type thing of various species. Stood each cutoff on end, then glued them onto a piece of ply and hung it on the wall. Every time he gives me the whole "I'm not going to be around forever. What of my things do you boys want when I go?"-speech, I always remind him that I want that piece.

Erik

[Kent A Bathurst]

I use them to make kiln-dried hardwood kindling.

[James Dudley]

Kent, I can always count on you.

[glenn bradley]

Kent beat me to it but, mine go to dad who has been heating the house with a hardwood stove for at least 35 years; great kindling.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Kent, I can always count on you.

HTH, James, as always...


5+ yrs ago, had a commission for a dining room - A+C, QSWO. "Show" surfaces out of top-notch veneer-grade, which came in flitches - 4/4 + 5/4 - so they were also live-edge, and the other side had the 45* edge that is the hallmark of true QS. Big table, 4 side and 2 arm chairs, 3 side tables. LOTTA wood.

All drops and side cuts went into empty beer cases - those things are like fishes and loaves - and went to friends who use a fireplace regularly in the winter. Must been 30 boxes over time....they loved it. Almost match-light. The majority was $18+ per bf - for kindling.

[James Dudley]

The majority was $18+ per bf - for kindling.

[Kent A Bathurst]

great clip......great series..i'm a lifetime fan of Sherlock, and i like how they "re-imagined" him in modern times....

and moriarty survived the rooftop........oughta be good.......


last - gotta be on the mark estimating yield with that wood, fer sure..

[Judson Green]

HTH, James, as always...


5+ yrs ago, had a commission for a dining room - A+C, QSWO. :

Oh man, white oak would have gone in the grill!

Wood fired chicken or steaks, Yummy!

[Kent A Bathurst]

Oh man, white oak would have gone in the grill!

Wood fired chicken or steaks, Yummy!

Huh. Did not know that. Don't have a grill, but friends/neighbors do. Next time.

Thnx, Judson.