# Am I a "hoarder"? What do you do with your scraps?



## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

When do the people come to my shop and label me a "hoarder"?

I can't seem to throw anything away… am I alone?
Was cleaning in the shop today (took a long weekend) and found a riduculous amount of small offcuts, strips, and mostly unusable chunks of hardwoods, plywood and mdf.

I probably have at least 90 strips of mostly oak, walnut, and ash which range from 1/2" thick x 1" to 1 1/2" x 1" by 3 to 7 feet long. Edge and glue them all together, a multicolored strip panel?

Do you throw them out or burn them?

I always think if I do that, I will need just such a piece next time and don't want to be wasteful.

Perhaps too much coffee today…?


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## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

Don't keep much scraps, I can't stand clutter, Burn them. Anything bigger than 4"x8" maybe kept if it was expensive. I make very little small items so don't really have a use for them. I think I maybe alone on this one Randy.


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## OttoH (Feb 27, 2010)

Officially I am not a hoarder because I have a trash box that I put all of my scraps into, I just never take the trash box out on trash day. I think I need to get a bigger box though it is getting kind of full.


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## Broglea (Dec 9, 2009)

I hoard them until the summer time. Then I tell my four sons "Its time to go camping". Once at the camp site, we use the scraps to start the fire. Its just about time to go camping again.


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## boyd8 (Aug 23, 2009)

My plan with scraps: first i try to make something then throw into a tub where they become fire starters if I can't find another use for them. In Alaska a wood fire will take the chill of the house on rainy days.


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## johnrb98528 (Jun 24, 2010)

I hold onto pieces. I have two bins, one for large scraps and one for small scraps. They are both for tossing, but like OttoH I haven't taken it out to the trash. As soon as they overflow, though… hmmm, maybe a fire later this summer… I do use the pieces sometimes, like for mixing stain or varnish, or for clamp blocks, or test pieces, wedges…


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## closetguy (Sep 29, 2007)

Bookmarks!


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

I work with other artisans and we exchange or hand-down/up materials where appropriate.
Since I do a lot of rustic work with twigs and branches, I create scrap that can serve others, such as carvers and turners. Some of my scraps, like hickory and maple, wind up in the bbq smoker.


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## docholladay (Jan 9, 2010)

I just recently came up with a sort of a plan for how to deal with this stuff. Here is what I do:

1) Never throw anything away.
2) When I can no longer get into my shop because of the clutter, build a new shop.

Just kidding. Actually, I did come up with a plan that seems to work for me because I couldn't seem to to separate myself from those small pieces.

1) Determine a minimum size which a piece must be before you will keep it. My minimum is that the piece must be at least 1 1/2 inches square (I could still use it in a face frame or something like that as long as it is long enough) and at least 12 inches long. You will have to decide for yourself what minimum size to keep.
2) I built a bin that has cubbies of varying depths. If a piece of wood is not at least as long as one of those cubbies is deep, then it is too short to keep. That way, I don't have to think about it.
3) If one of the bins happens to be full, I cannot save a new piece unless I throw something away. That way, if the new scrap happens to be a nice piece of an exotic hardwood, then I will get rid of a much less interesting piece to make room for it.
4) Finally, I have a large garbage can that I put the throw aways in. Then we built a fire pit in our back yard and I let my kids (future members of pyromaniacs anonymous) build fires with them to get rid of them. They invite their buddies over and have hot dog roasts.


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## AaronK (Nov 30, 2008)

ugh. don't ask…

well - when i was first starting out, scraps were precious. now that I have a critical mass of cutoffs and smaller scrap pieces, i find that there is really no use for tiny stuff and have gathered it all, planning to burn it the next time i cook out.


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## antieuclid (Feb 6, 2010)

Well, since I mostly work on small projects and I do a lot of inlay, nothing counts as a scrap to me until it's smaller than 2"x2"x1/4". Once it is smaller than that, it goes in the scrap bin for eventual burning if I ever get a wood burning stove. If the bin fills up before that happens, I would probably put it on freecycle. But it takes a very long time to fill a scrap bin when your scraps are that small.


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## littlecope (Oct 23, 2008)

I save empty 50 lb. Onion bags from work… Have one hanging in the corner…
When it's full, it gets shipped out to be burned…


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

Depends on the type of wood. OSB and used plywood goes in the bucket if less than 1ft square. Framing lumber neds to be longer than 1 ft. Common hardwoods stay if they are longer than 6-8 inches. Exotics get saved all the way down to a couple inches. Veneers need to be a couple inches square or bigger.

When my inventory gets to be a problem, I sort and toss the border line pieces.

We went camping for the first time in 8 monhts and I had seven 5 gallon buckets of scrap. Made for great fire starter.

If I get too much scrap that is small and high quality, I am thinking about posting a box of it on e-bay for shipping cost only. Either that or find a LJ to make use of it.


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## GlenGuarino (Feb 23, 2010)

I to have a strong feeling of guilt whenever I have to throw away some wood. I was a shop teacher for many years so I made getting the most out of each and every board a science. I still have the same habits with my own work.

I often use the small left over material from my furniture to make mirrors. I give away some material to students and friends.

I try to keep several boxes in my shed each one holding a different wood. When I have enough in any one box I design a object to make with them.

I also cut thin scraps into uniform strips for bending or inlay.

Small scraps, I use for models , samples, wedges, plugs, loose tenons, splines, chop sticks, etc. The rest of the small scraps I burn in my fire place

Warning- cutting small pieces of wood can be very dangerous unless you take the time to build jigs to hold the work.


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## tyskkvinna (Mar 23, 2010)

I do a lot of work with tiny pieces (I make dollhouses!) but even I have limits. Every once in a while I go through my scrap bin and junk what is unreasonable to keep - usually pieces that are weirdly shaped so that they become ridiculously tiny once made into anything remotely square.

btw if you decide you want to get rid of those thing strips - they are the PERFECT size for my dollhouse… would be happy to trade.


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## Wolffarmer (Jul 14, 2009)

Family reunion in two weeks. At that I am the "official" fireman. I run a hot dog roast. Been doing that for almost 15 years. The city kids get a real kick out of it. Along with the usual firewood, ( this is southern Idaho, pine ) I have several boxes of bits and pieces to burn. If i can get them past a cousin that is a pro wood worker. Those are just the smaller hunks. The others get moved about on the top of my 4×8 foot work bench.


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## ellen35 (Jan 1, 2009)

Last time I took out a splinter from my finger… I kept it!
Does that make me a hoarder?
Actually, I keep anything I like in a box… ok maybe 3 boxes. You just never know
when you need a filler because of chip out… or something else ;-)


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## pvwoodcrafts (Aug 31, 2007)

Man I thought I was a hoarder!! I box my scraps up in 12×12 flat rate boxes and give them to someone who can use them. Most are shipped out, with the receiver paying shipping.Its worked good for me and those getting the boxes. I'm coming up on 400 boxes sent out


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## NY_Rocking_Chairs (Jul 20, 2008)

My next door neighbor is a logger and even has a saw mill, you think we have a lot of scraps? He keeps a large bin by the side of the road and marks it "free" and it empties as fast as he fills it, alot of campers stop and take the wood for their fires.

During the summer I just throw my stuff in his bin, during the winter we heat the house with wood the scraps go right into the fire.


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## terrilynne (Jun 24, 2010)

I save every little piece ! I do intarsia and even the smallest piece can come in handy. I am getting quite a collection and was thinking of making some jewelry or something with them. Something simple that will sell fast at the art and craft shows.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

My whole shop is used for scrap storage.

I have friends that donate scraps to me.

I keep adding more racks to hold the stuff.

A lot of my projects are related to what I have available.

So I guess you can call me a hoarder.*<O}#*


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## mtkate (Apr 18, 2009)

If it's not pine - I cannot throw it away unless it's smaller than say…. my thumb. Unless it's ebony or something that would be used for tiny things.

I used to keep EVERYTHING but it was getting crazy. So I have a large plastic garbage can dedicated to pine scraps. I am only allowed to keep enough to fill the can and no more.

All I can do now is simply do more projects that will used all this stuff


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## MrsN (Sep 29, 2008)

I keep a lot of tiny pieces, but I make small things so it works. I have acutally paid for pieces that some of you burn, lol. I do my best to sort through my pieces as they get thrown in to scrap bins. I have plastic drawers that I sort pieces in to. I have scraps sorted by thickness (1/8", 1/4" and others) I have to go through the bins from time to time, much like Liz to determin actual usefulness. The prettier or more unusal the wood, the smaller the useful piece can be. Something like pine or oak which I can get a lot of I don't keep tiny pieces.


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

Hey Randy,

I just went back and reread your original post. You mention having several strips of hardwood and are wondering what to do with them. Here is an idea for making cutting boards that uses random widths of wood. I managed to reduce my scrap pile quite a bit in the process.


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## jusfine (May 22, 2010)

Thanks everyone, I feel much better!

Lis, if you want me to ship some strips to Michigan, and want to pay postage, no problem!

Steve, I like the blog. Appreciate the info, will do that with some scraps!

Anybody wants small scraps, and wants to pay postage, I work with a lot of exotics and domestic hardwoods, let me know.

Hope you are all having a great weekend!


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## NY_Rocking_Chairs (Jul 20, 2008)

I cleaned out a stock/scrap hoard last summer, took me 2 days (about 12 hours of work) and 3 van fulls, I have an E350 super duty with 12' between the front seats and rear doors, I vowed never to be like that guy. Each trip filled the floor space and stacked about 18" high.


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## Eagle1 (Jan 4, 2010)

I pile mine all around so i can burn during the winter.


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## Earlb (Feb 19, 2010)

if you got enough strips ,laminate a table top for something.


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Guilty….and more stuff here: http://lumberjocks.com/topics/14325#reply-146685
Heck I even saved every email I've ever received, 9800 in my inbox…I can't delete 'em!


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Most of my scraps are worthless. I save them anyway. i have tried to throw them away, but just can't. Are there any wood psychologists in the house?


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## hokieman (Feb 14, 2008)

Oak, cherry and walnut, I use for grilling and smoking meat. Other stuff, just toss.


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## RichardH (Mar 7, 2010)

Use hickory and pecan for smoking, keep other chunks far longer than I probably should and every so often just have a week or so where the fireplace is stoked with all kinds of offcuts. I will however keep even tiny pieces of the really good stuff forever, and funny enough every now and then I actually dig through these and wind up using a piece or two for something.


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## BertFlores58 (May 26, 2010)

As long as I can keep the scraps for a certain project, I do keep it. I have 2 plastic cabinets full of scrapwood that needs to be recycled. Anyway… I like to encourage all LJ to avoid errors, offcuts, miscuts, mistakes, changing mind and many other factors that contribute to generation of scrap. Oversizing and giving allowances are the most common cause of scraps. I engaged in boxmaking because I like to use recycled scraps.

I use to bundle or tape my scraps that can make one box… 4 siides, 2 covers, and dividers for inside thereafter keep it. Mark it and label them and keep it.

I am into recycled woods. Probably, if I collect all LJ's scraps and just ship (not by air) them to Philippines, maybe I can still build houses for the very poor family. There is only one problem, WE LIVE FAR APART…


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## YorkshireStewart (Sep 20, 2007)

Nothing's too small to be used here!


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