are you a scrap hoarder?

[HowardH]

I recently finished up a bunch of cutting boards and decided it was time to clean up the shop a bit.  After putting away various clamps, squares, sanding supplies, glue, you name it, I was forced into making a decision on what to do with the small, and I mean small, left over pieces of maple, Paduak, and walnut.  Most of them were .75 x .75 by 3-4 inches but I couldn't help but to stare at them for awhile trying to decide is it worth it to keep them or pitch them and go buy new material when I next need it.  I ending up saving some, pitching some but I couldn't help to think the scraps I threw out could have been used SOMEWHERE.  Where? I have no idea but I hated the idea of throwing away what could be perfectly good wood until I look in my scrap box and see pieces that have been sitting there for over 5 years, also waiting for just the right project but which has never materialized.  I kept thinking, "am I one of those people on Hoarders ?  Naw, nothing that bad or is it?  [scared] [scared] [scared] [scared]Where do you guys draw the line?  Is it when the wife tells you either clean up or clear out?  [big grin] [big grin]

 

[#Tee]

ya im with you on the scraps! i feel soo bad throwing them away after thinking "ahh ill use it for some stop blocks or jigs" 6 months later they still sitting around  [embarassed] i even save some melamine ... some pieces are memorable lol. but ya i end up throwing away or burning it.

 

[shaneymack]

I recently finished up a bunch of cutting boards and decided it was time to clean up the shop a bit.  After putting away various clamps, squares, sanding supplies, glue, you name it, I was forced into making a decision on what to do with the small, and I mean small, left over pieces of maple, Paduak, and walnut.  Most of them were .75 x .75 by 3-4 inches but I couldn't help but to stare at them for awhile trying to decide is it worth it to keep them or pitch them and go buy new material when I next need it.  I ending up saving some, pitching some but I couldn't help to think the scraps I threw out could have been used SOMEWHERE.  Where? I have no idea but I hated the idea of throwing away what could be perfectly good wood until I look in my scrap box and see pieces that have been sitting there for over 5 years, also waiting for just the right project but which has never materialized.  I kept thinking, "am I one of those people on Hoarders ?  Naw, nothing that bad or is it?  [scared] [scared] [scared] [scared]Where do you guys draw the line?  Is it when the wife tells you either clean up or clear out?  [big grin] [big grin]

Best place to use little scraps is the smoker. I keep mine and throw them in my big green egg with a porc shoulder...yummy[emoji1]

 

[AlexThePalex]

Yeah, I have this too. I have a very hard problem throwing anything away.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I store mine in the woodstove. 

 

[waho6o9]

Some times I make things.

[attachimg=1]

 

[HowardH]

Best place to use little scraps is the smoker. I keep mine and throw them in my big green egg with a porc shoulder...yummy
[/quote]

Now that sounds like a great idea!  I just got the XL BGE  (the eggzilla is ridiculous) and I would think maple might be pretty good if you give it a good soaking first.

 

[jacko9]

I started clearing out 35+ years of scrap and in addition to my smoker some went to a neighbor that teaches art classes to young children and others went into my green waste barrel.

I agonize over each and every piece of rosewood, black walnut, etc. but at some point I need to clear up space. My neighbor suggested that I find out if the local school still has a wood shop (thats on my list for tomorrow after golf).

Jack

 

[NH-Engineering]

I was a scrap hoarder, but I have turned to be the opposite. I decided to throw away everything that did not belong to a specific project. I also decided to throw a little to much than to little, and than buy again If i needed it. So far after 5 years I have only needed to buy again 2 things that I have thrown away previously. This have had a cost of 30 USD. The benefit is a clean workplace and a clean mind 

 

[ElCabong]

What timing! I'm in the process of reorganizing my garage. I've been building many storage cabinets and getting things in order  so I can walk a straight line instead of zig-zagging to get from the garage door to the entry door of my house. During the clean out process, I discovered huge amounts of scrap wood in all different sizes. It's very hard to throw away knowing that "someday" I'll need "that" piece or "that" wood was expensive. I'm almost finished with the garage and after reading several responses I am going to toss them and see what happens. I've decided this will be my intervention. I need a clean garage/workshop. 

 

[rmwarren]

There are RULES in my shop (sarcasm alert) about saving scrap.

Actually there are space constraints in a 120 SF shop. I limit myself to one 8" deep drawer of small pieces and one 5 gallon bucket of tall thin pieces, any sheet goods under ~2 SF are out the door.

I will confess however to having drawers full of bits of hardware that "I will need someday"... drawers and drawers... little pieces of metal... and plastic...

Hey, I can quit anytime I decide too...

RMW

 

[shaneymack]

Best place to use little scraps is the smoker. I keep mine and throw them in my big green egg with a porc shoulder...yummy

Now that sounds like a great idea!  I just got the XL BGE  (the eggzilla is ridiculous) and I would think maple might be pretty good if you give it a good soaking first.
[/quote]
If you are using chucks, there is no need to soak. If you are using the store bought chips then they need to be soaked or they burn too quickly. I normally use maple or cherry cause i had a bunch. Its really neat to try different woods and see how it flavors the meat differently.  You have to smoke your turkey.  Best turkey i ever had comes off the egg!!
I have an xl big green egg also. Its amazing.

 

[leer]

I was a real hoarder.  Finally started using my scraps as kindling for fireplace, and for fire pit in the back yard.

 

[grbmds]

I recently finished up a bunch of cutting boards and decided it was time to clean up the shop a bit.  After putting away various clamps, squares, sanding supplies, glue, you name it, I was forced into making a decision on what to do with the small, and I mean small, left over pieces of maple, Paduak, and walnut.  Most of them were .75 x .75 by 3-4 inches but I couldn't help but to stare at them for awhile trying to decide is it worth it to keep them or pitch them and go buy new material when I next need it.  I ending up saving some, pitching some but I couldn't help to think the scraps I threw out could have been used SOMEWHERE.  Where? I have no idea but I hated the idea of throwing away what could be perfectly good wood until I look in my scrap box and see pieces that have been sitting there for over 5 years, also waiting for just the right project but which has never materialized.  I kept thinking, "am I one of those people on Hoarders ?  Naw, nothing that bad or is it?  [scared] [scared] [scared] [scared]Where do you guys draw the line?  Is it when the wife tells you either clean up or clear out?  [big grin] [big grin]

I have kept scraps for years and not used them for anything. I have now come to the conclusion that, if you don't use them within a year (maybe even less), you won't likely ever use them. Best thing is to burn them if you have a wood burning stove or fireplace. If not, then just get rid of them. I just don't have the space anymore and am trying to reduce the size of my wood storage rack to make more floor space.

 

[Frank Pellow]

Until very very recently, the scrap wood that I have saved had taken over my woodworking shed.  It was a major problem. 

I do like to recycle and have made good use of many scraps, but I do tend to generate more scraps than I consume.

When I built my (430 sq ft) woodworking shed 11 years ago,  I did design in many storage places but those spaces filled up quickly and became disorganized.

My shed even has a wood stove so that I can and did burn the really small stuff.

But, in spite of all this, the scraps were winning.

At the start of this winter, I decided that I needed to be much more aggressive in my battle, so now I am burning wood that could easily be put to use on other projects.  It really bothers me to do so but I have persisted and I would estimate that about half the scrap clutter that I had in late November is no more.  My objective is to have burned all the unorganized scrap by the end of April.

But, I have another scrap problem and that is scrap glass.  I took up stained glass making as an adjunct to my woodworking about 5 years ago and now I have a great deal of leftovers from that hobby also cluttering up my shed.  I will need to deal with that problem once I have dealt with the wood.

 

[wow]

Guilty. It's a constant battle...

 

[teocaf]

i throw them in a tote under my son's little workbench.  he's at the age where no matter what project he starts, whether a crane or a robot, he always manages to turn it into a gun or a death ray.  when the tote overflows he loves to throw them in the fire pit.
i seem to be a magnet for wood and other materials so i've lost the fear that "better hang on to that, i might need it later".  it took some doing but swimming through a sea of detritus to get to what i needed for a project made me reassess my approach.  two years ago i've adopted a "use it or lose it" policy that applies to materials as well as tools.  if i have not used it in the past year and have no specific plan for it that i actually write down and tape to it, i get rid of it by selling, bartering, throwing away.  as a matter of fact, i'm waiting on the shop to heat up right now so i can go and continue on this year's spring cleaning, which started last weekend. 

 

[JavierMoreno]

My wife steals the crap to make art  [eek][attachurl=1][attachthumb=1]

 

[JavierMoreno]

This is named "Manhattan":

[attachthumb=1]

 

[semenza]

    I don't keep much scrap around, only what I might really use. I don't make cutting boards and the like as any regular thing so I really limit what I keep to usable pieces. I have it sort of methodized. I have x amount of cubic feet dedicated and when that is full it gets weeded down. It just works down in size. I try not to mix the size range in the spaces , that just makes it harder to see what I have available.

    About 16 cf (in four compartments) in the lumber rack for 3' - 4' long pieces.

    About 12 cf under miter saw station for 12" - 24" pieces. 

    A large plastic tub for smaller pieces that I keep. Most of these get used to test set ups (router table) or stain and finish.

    A large plastic tub for scrap that is on it's way to my friends stove.

        When the pieces get small,  I keep nothing that has any type of defect. That really helps weed out the quantity. If any of the scrap storage spaces gets full it gets ruthlessly weeded down. I just have no use to take up space storing the bits for something I will never build.

      Similar space and method for sheet goods.

Seth