# How to best store wood scraps?



## namrufmot (Jan 10, 2016)

I have a small(ish) basement shop. Over the years I've amassed a lot of misc scraps of varying sizes. Right now I have them all just tossed in plastic tubs under my work benches. This is a flawed sysrem since I have to dig through them all if I'm looking for a certain size piece - think a box of Legos. I also have a variety of longer pieces - 8', 12' etc…

I don't have the room, or walls, to mount the typical wood storage system. Do I have any alternatives?


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## lateralus819 (Mar 24, 2013)

Use them. I made a bunch of chaotic cheese/cutting boards. I was surprised how fast I used them up.


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## JeffP (Aug 4, 2014)

I sure hope somebody has an answer to this.

Right now my "system" consists of trying to balance each new piece on top of the pile under my sliding miter saw…then kicking it and cursing at it and eventually standing on part of the pile while I make another cut.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

If you want to use them/ get rid of them, then burn them in a fireplace for kindling, if you have one…..Other than that, so like the guy above said to do….cutting boards, trivets, etc.


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

You could try to store them by size and if they're longitudinal pieces, you could stand them on end so one doesn't cover another and can be more easily retrieved. Swuarish pieces could be grouped together in another bin. Short cuts, well there's nothing more that you can do other than toss them in the bins and dig thru.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

Build a bigger shop. Then you have more room to have more boxes of scrap.

ROFLMAO


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

massive filing cabinets


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## MPMaint (Dec 22, 2015)

Lot of $$ sitting in that pile. Just think about it


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

Anything under 2" wide and 10" long goes in a bucket at my house. When the bucket is full, I bring it across the street to my neighbor with a fire pit, and turn it in for a beer or two.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

I also have very little room. I have my wood stored in a small room in my walk-out basement, and I have to leave my garage shop, walk to the basement door, and move my wood to the shop.

My scraps also got out of hand. I was using pallets instead of tubs. Still a dog's breakfast.
I bought one of those wire racks, the ones with four or five shelves. I stacked it all on the rack, and the long stuff found places on my main wood rack for it.

I can now see all the ends of the wood, so I can pull out pieces for cutting boards, pens, jewelry boxes and other small items I build.
I've been able to use up about 30% of it, although I add back as I do larger projects.
It does work. You just have to be able to see the wood so you can remember it is there to use.
Worked for me…


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

Wood stove always worked for me. Serioulsy, recently I've seen pics of cutting boards, bandsawn boxes, and numerous other small things made out of glued up scraps. So many I'm thinking of ways to keep mine (mine actually did hit the wood stove or the smoker).


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## tomsteve (Jan 23, 2015)

this guys scrapwood cutting boards sell for a pretty good price


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## JeffP (Aug 4, 2014)

> Anything under 2" wide and 10" long goes in a bucket at my house. When the bucket is full, I bring it across the street to my neighbor with a fire pit, and turn it in for a beer or two.
> 
> - BinghamtonEd


Awesome! What's the address? Tell him I'll be over this weekend. (I may need a designated driver though…)


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## Yonak (Mar 27, 2014)

After years of working on / studying this issue, I have come to the conclusion that the solution to smaller scraps is to use them immediately in some way. I now put them on the bench, right in my way and, regularly, make something with them or incorporate them into something or make a jig and, if they're not readily usable, I yield them to the wood stove.


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## ste6168 (Mar 12, 2015)

> this guys scrapwood cutting boards sell for a pretty good price
> 
> 
> 
> ...


After watching the amount of work that goes into one of his boards, I would hope so.

My "scraps" go in a 5 gallon bucket, and get burned in the outdoor fire pit when that bucket is full. Anything too big for the bucket is deemed not scrap, and gets put in a pile under my sanding bench. I have been meaning to building a storage shelf for those longer cut-offs, though.


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## BigMig (Mar 31, 2011)

maybe small items like birdhouses?


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## tomsteve (Jan 23, 2015)

> this guys scrapwood cutting boards sell for a pretty good price
> 
> 
> 
> ...


no doubt! check out some of his other cutting boards. his "wave" cutting board is mind blowing


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Left over Hickory, oak, cherry…add to the barbeque or smoker. I'll be doing a monster batch of trout later in the week.


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## tomsteve (Jan 23, 2015)

> Left over Hickory, oak, cherry…add to the barbeque or smoker. I ll be doing a monster batch of trout later in the week.
> 
> - BurlyBob


i shall be there!!
please?


> ill even supply some oak


?


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## JeffP (Aug 4, 2014)

My real issue is with small pieces of sheet goods. Somehow I can't seem to part with even a small cut-off of ply or MDF.

I'm thinking maybe I should start glueing the pieces up into a patchwork 4 X 8 sheet and see how long it takes to get a full sheet back. 

If nothing else, that experiment may make it easier for me to part with the smaller pieces.


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