# What Do You Do With Your Sawdust?



## Cricket (Jan 15, 2014)

A comment on our LumberJocks Facebook page made me wonder, what do you do with all the sawdust you create?

I found a couple of ideas online, but I would love to hear your ideas!

How to Build and Use a Sawdust Stove
http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/sawdust-stove-zmaz74ndzraw.aspx

10 Uses for Sawdust
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,20163668,00.html


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

I have 20 bags sitting out here. I try to give it away, but I struggle getting takers.


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## HillbillyShooter (Feb 15, 2012)

Add it to the grass clippings from my lawn to make compost, with some used for cat litter.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

My neighbor tells me to just put it at the curb with the regular garbage ,but in our municipality it is illegal to do so and there's a $1000 fine if I get caught and with my luck I'll get caught the first time I do that so I keep bags of them behind the garage to burn later with scrap wood/cutoffs.


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## SASmith (Mar 22, 2010)

I mulch with it.
I would like to do this sometime.


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## Cricket (Jan 15, 2014)

WOW!


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Cricket, Don't try that at home!


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

I've heard that some potters use it, but I haven't found one yet.


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

I gave 3 30gal trash can bins full of alder planer shavings free on craigslist. Some people use them for compost, others for animal bedding, etc.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

I have a small "sink-hole" about a 50 yard walk from my shop on my property where I dump it. I just dumped my 30 gal dust can a few days ago. BTW, my Dust Deputy is awesome! I highly recommend it. Similar to McDonalds, I'm luvin it.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

I scatter mine in the woods around my house in the woods…..Sometimes I'll make a little round pile or two, and the deer like to bed down in it…...Also have a friend that has a couple of horses, so he makes bedding for them…..One time I found a baby fawn that the mother had given birth to a day or so before….Guess where the baby was….? On the sawdust and chip pile…...Now that's really livin'................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Cricket (Jan 15, 2014)

> Cricket, Don t try that at home!
> 
> - gfadvm


I'm thinking I would catch the entire state on fire if I tried that!


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## MrFid (Mar 9, 2013)

Add it to the compost which gets added to the lawn.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Have a spot in the back yard, out by the fence. Into that little corner goes all the shavings and chips. And anything unlucky enough to get scooped up into the pile. Found a plane in there once. That i thought was lost.

Every now and then, i will rake it around a bit. About due to load up three garbage bags to take out there…


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## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

Spread it around the grass way in the backyard in low spots. Seems to disappear quickly.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Compost pile.


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

Compost it.


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## HickoryHill (Jan 18, 2007)

Throw it in the cornfield behind me.


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## longgone (May 5, 2009)

My dust collector has a drum at the bottom that I place a 55 gallon plastic trash bag in. When full i twist tie the bag shut and put it in the dumpster. I previously tried burning it but it clumps together and doesn't burn well


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## tomakazi (May 30, 2009)

If I can separate the different species of woods I cook with some of it in my smokers.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Burn it in my fire pit or throw it out with the garbage.


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

Throw it in the trash and it goes to the dump. There are far worse things to put in a landfill. Occasionally I will use shavings from the planer for animal bedding, but not saw dust.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

In our molding plant we had about 3 or four tractor trailer loads of shavings to get rid of every week. There was a company that made mulch and animal bedding with it and they picked up all of it. They also sold it to chicken house owners. We gave it to them because they also took all of our off fall as well as all of the bad blocks from our finger joint operation. The wood and blocks they ground up and it went into the shavings. We were more than glad to get rid of it.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## rrrun (Jan 1, 2010)

Compost, and then craigslist when the pile gets too big. I had a lady take 10 bags for her chickens as well as her neighbor's compost. I do occasionally throw a bag into the green waste barrel.


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## timbertailor (Jul 2, 2014)

I thought I had posted a response to this already.
Anyway, I use it to soak up petroleum products and glycol after fluid changes.


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## Lsmart (Jan 1, 2012)

composting toilet


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

I give all of mine to my sister she makes bread and scones for my brother in law with it.The burned bits she mixes with elephant pies (droppings) and rolls wacky backy cigarrettes from .. Don't ever kiss her ! no one else will Alistair


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## mudflap4869 (May 28, 2014)

Smothers grass very well. Beats weed eating. Holds moisture, so it is good to place around trees just as long as you don't smother the roots. Keeps down dust on a dirt road. Mixxed with chicken manure it makes rich compost, It takes up the high nitrogen and slowly releases it as it rots. ORGANIC thinking.


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## lightcs1776 (Nov 14, 2013)

What little I make gets spread around in the woods.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

I burn it…........... 55 gallons at a time. It goes all after noon with little ash left over!
We used to make fire starters with it but had way too much saw dust/chips.. We used egg cartons and filled each hole with sawdust and then melted wax and poured it into them. Just break off one compartment and light it and it starts right way and burns for a long time to start a fire. I used a bunch of them this weekend. They are better than anything you can buy!!!!!

....................Jim


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## Woodbum (Jan 3, 2010)

Dumpster now - dust to dust. Used to use it like oil dry on spills, and to clean up messes left by sick dogs. It is pretty absorbent.
Stop it Alistair, you are killing me!


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

I have a guy that comes and picks mine up, he uses it in his garden, another thing it's great for if any of you lumber jocks are spalters it's great for making a bed to put your logs in, then keep it moist with black plastic covering the logs.


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