VRuthRyan Posted October 29, 2011 Report Share Posted October 29, 2011 Hi all. I am relatively new to woodworking, with just a few projects under my belt. I have a bunch of scraps left over from different projects...most are cut-off board ends, some jointed and some not. Most are too small to safely run thru a jointer or planer, but it seems too nice (and in some cases expensive) to just burn. My question is twofold- first is if I have some pieces that might be appropriate to glue up to make a turning blank but these pieces haven't been surface planed or jointed, is there a safe way to do it? In other words, if you are trueing up a piece too small for machinery, what is too small? The second question is- what are some ideas of things I could make with small scraps? I really like making small boxes, but not sure how to proceed.... What I have specifically are leftover pieces of some local hardwoods (madrone, tan oak, some cherry, some really dense montery cypress softwood) all shorter than 10" and mixed widths and thickness. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted October 29, 2011 Report Share Posted October 29, 2011 Pen blanks, perhaps? You can usually create a sled or cradle that will hold onto a small piece as it goes through a table saw to become a small square section ready to become a writing implement. Beyond that, my general rule is this: If I have to think for more than five seconds about what a small offcut could be used for, it goes in the burn pile. Quoth the Schwarz, "The most valuable commodity in woodworking is not the wood, but the time we have to work it." Life is too short to be spent looking for ways to make something useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VRuthRyan Posted October 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 Good advice. I just hate to burn a really pretty piece. But i think you make a good point. Nothing is as valuable as time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_in_SD Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 We. have an outdoor firepit. Cherry has a nice fragrence when burning. My wife took some convincing. She thought the wood scraps had some sort of chemical treatment. I explained that that General Finishes top coats only made the wood burn better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 you can plane small pieces i have to do it all the time. just make a stabalizer on eather side of the pieces. take long pieces of wood and hot glue them to the sides of the wood. then you can use the longer pieces to push it throught the planer and use them to pull from other side. this gives you something able to stretch through and keeps it from rotating in the planer. Another option is if you want super thin like vineer thin i have never done but i know you can make a sled for that just need a piece of wood glued to the ends of a larger board. these pieces should be shaped at a 45 degree angle to hold down the piece under its edge. as for what to do with the pieces if you have a lathe start making handles, what i do is make thin and make guitar picks and key chains made with layered pieces and a picture scroll sawed out. but if you still thinking it through get a plastic drawered container and just seperate by type cherry in one, oak in another ect....... i find myself looking for small pieces as much as i look for large stuff. burn the cheap stuff and bad woods keep the nice stuff for those small christmas projects. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charliedog Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 Last week I threw all my scraps out that I knew I was never going to get to using and I fell like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I gained some storage space in the process. Leason learned; some scrap is good but to much is a pain to store and is always is in the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skunkeye Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 Depends on the scrap. Odd bits of plywood and construction grade 2x4s get burned. Little pieces of padauk, wenge, etc. get saved. I do the occasional inlay and these little pieces can be perfect for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 ahhhhh charlie dont throw outugggggg thinking im having a heart attack...............na i just when they start pilling up i make key chains out of them surprising how well they sell and easy to make. use a hole saw to cut small circles then i just sandwitch them together sand smooth and round then i just finish and sell. often i will cut a small picture out of one of the circles and then glue it on. thinking of doing a build at the craft fair when i drill out the circles sand and cut picture right in front of people. charge them for custome work. for finish i am thinking of some kind of wax since it dries so fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
areynoldsre Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 I save all my scraps in a box and when the grand kids come over for a visit I give them the box and let them "do wood working" on the back patio. Grandpa swings the hammer wherever they want a nail. Then the projects/scrap goes home with the kids for the parents to deal with... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 good plan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VRuthRyan Posted October 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 Wow, some great ideas I never thought of! Thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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