When is an off cut a scrap, or worse garbage ?

[JimmyC]

Lefty Tom's recent post about making a planer cart out of scraps got me thinking..... At what point do you decide that an off-cut is a scrap, and then when that scrap is garbage ?

I've been doing a little straightening up of my shop (much needed) for the upcoming shop crawl and have been making decisions about this exact dilemma. Now I Know that the sawdust all over the floor is garbage or mulch, that is a given. Off-cuts of plywood that are small are also garbage, I normally trash plywood pieces that are less than 3" wide no matter what the length, and square or rectangular pices that are smaller than a square foot. 4/4 pine scraps of the same size are also pretty much trashed, 2x material under 12" is also usually trashed. Hardwood is a different story, I will save small pieces for the longest time and only cull back when space is needed.

I burn all of my solid woods in a fire pit (my girl's love s'mores) and trash any plywood or treated material. So the stuff all hangs around under an overhang for a while before I get rid of it (just in case I need small pcs.:icon_scra).

I was wondering what y'all did with your scraps and when you decide they become garbage.

Jimmy:mrgreen:

 

[Bas]

I follow Robert's (sawduster) motto: It ain't scrap 'till I SAY it's scrap. I keep everything that might be usable - thin strips of hardwood, small pieces of ply etc. Ply is always good for a jig. Small pieces (3" or wider) of hardwood are great for setting up the table saw and router. Drill a pilot to see if the screw will fit. I find that I make a lot more practice cuts with extra material on hand, which ultimately reduces scrap!

Sounds like you're a little more selective than I am.

My scraps go to the garbage dump since I don't have a woodburning fireplace any more. The gentleman at the Wake country garbage dump has done a little woodworking, so my scraps always end up in a friendly 20 minute discussion.

 

[JimmyC]

Sounds like you're a little more selective than I am.

Bas,
I'm not as selective as you think, but I just cleared out 4 Large dog bags of scraps. I just had so much wood and scrap in my shop that it would have filled your shop completely:gar-La;.

Jimmy:mrgreen:

 

[skeeter]

In my case, what changes scrap to garbage is determined by shop size. When I don't have room to move around (honestly, when LOML can't get her car in garage) scraps quickly become garbage.

 

[JackLeg]

If it's big enough to build a bird house, I save it. We end up with a lot of 12-18" cutoffs, and someone or their kid can use them, usually. If someone comes to buy lumber, they usually leave with some "scraps" as well!!
:wink_smil

2" stuff goes quicker.

:wsmile:

 

[erasmussen]

Hardwood like Bas said, I use them for setup and test cuts, and keep any thing that can be glued up and turned :gar-La;

 

[cpw]

I was wondering what y'all did with your scraps and when you decide they become garbage.

When it's too full of test holes and test cuts to be of any further use for anything other than kindling.

 

[LeftyTom]

When it's too full of test holes and test cuts to be of any further use for anything other than kindling.

The master has imparted this wisdom to you, grasshopper.

 

[DaveO]

I think a lot depends on your ability to store them. If you have the room for a lot of scrap your definition becomes much more specific. Also it has a lot to do with what you do. Pen turners and segmented bowl turner can use just about any piece of wood. I have some 1/16" thick by 3/4" square scrap of Ebony that I wouldn't throw away, it will become a center band in a pen some day.
Could you imagine Eagle's reply to this thread (if he was still with us :cry_smile) that guy used tooth-picks in his pens, a splinter wasn't scrap if he could pull it out of his finger intact

Dave

 

[Travis Porter]

I guess I am a bit of a hybrid. 3/4" plywood less than 3" wide and less than 18" goes in the trash. Any 3/4" ply less than 12x12 is trash bound. I have an affinity for baltic birch plywood and have a hard time parting with any of it. Any size of luan plywood leftover goes in the trash. I won't be buying any more of it if I can help it.

As for solid wood, less than 2" wide and less than 16" goes in trash. I will save longer 1 1/2" pieces, but like anyone else, I go through periods where I just have too much and have to get rid of some. Still, I am selective. I have yet to discard any purpleheart of any dimensions.

I just need a separate building/area for lumber storage.

 

[Trent Mason]

It's simple really. If I want to know if it is scrap or not, I just ask Robert. Nothing can be discarded until Robert says it is not scrap. :rotflm:

 

[JimmyC]

I just need a separate building/area for lumber storage.

Now that would be a sweet dream:gar-Bi.
Jimmy:mrgreen:

 

[Glennbear]

For the time being I save a lot of smaller stuff since I am still doing shop setup and machine tuning and small pieces come in handy. When I do toss some wood it is less painful than it is for some others since my current wood stash was all "rescued" to begin with. Either former bleacher seats or castoffs from a cabinet factory. :gar-La; Looking at things objectively my shop resembles a wooden equivalent of Fred Sanford's back room :rotflm:

 

[Rob]

If it fits in my box, it goes in there until it's full, then to the fire pit. If it doesn't, I save it, stacked next to the wall. Hard wood I save forever.

 

[ptt49er]

I save everything that I think I might be able to use, until I get tired of it being in the way. Then I put it in a pile in the screen porch, then I burn it. I have a bad separation anxiety. That's why I frequent here so much :-D

 

[cpowell]

I have an offcut bin on casters I use for domestic hardwoods. Once it's full anything less than 18" long x 3 wide goes in the scrap box. Scrap box contents are used on scout camp fires.

I separately keep exotic offcuts. I keep smaller exotic pieces since I use them for accents/splines/pulls, etc.


Chuck

 

[Gofor]

It isn't bad enough that I save wood: With DaveO's post on a saw blade holder, I realize I have a bunch of saw blades I keep just because Earl posted something about making a plane blade out of one. SO, it ain't just "scrap" wood that's a problem.:mrgreen:

Go

 

[JimmyC]

It's funny that you say that Mark, awhile ago I was cleaning out some boxes that I hadn't opened since I moved down here and I found large assortments of hardware that my Dad left me. After going through the used and old hinges, screws, nails, plumbing washers and seats, etc. I figured out the some of the coffee cans were full of total garbage and just tossed them. It's amazing what we save.:dontknow:

Jimmy:mrgreen: