October 28, 2011

Oh, Scrap!

Every once in a while I look around and wonder, "when am I going to use that?"  I'm not talking about that Little Orphan Annie decoder ring in my sock drawer.  I use that all the time.  I'm talking about the leftovers and scraps in my shop.



I have all sorts of scrap.  There's the usual rough lumber pieces left after initial project milling.  Then there's the cutoffs from cutting board blanks and a few extra bits or drawer sides and backs.  But then there's the offcuts from tenons and other small pieces nary 1/4" thick and rarely more than 1 1/2" in any dimension.  Not to mention the garbage bag of shavings I have tucked into the corner.  I'm not a total pack rat, but I wonder sometimes how much of it I really will use at some time in the future.



With the holidays approaching you never know what small bits your may need to accent those gift projects.

What's the smallest bit of scrap you've got laying around?  Have any good plans for their use?



P.S.  I switched to a different comment system that provided threaded comments and the ability to directly reply to someone's comment.  Please let me know if you're having any issues.

4 comments:

Vic Hubbard said... Best Blogger Tips

I share your pain, Sean. It's a regular ritual. Sort and throw.

David J. Ulschmid said... Best Blogger Tips

Great post title. Sucked me right in!

Not long ago, I built a cart dedicated to scraps, it has three open shelves and a 2' x 2' 30" tall bin at the end. The top shelf has turned into a leaning tower of scraps! I keep my "most valuable" scraps on the lower shelves.

I'm a dedicated pallet scavenger, so some of my "scrap" pieces are 4" wide, 2" thick and 10 feet long. Luckily for me I have a large shop where I can store these pieces. They are mostly oak, but I've got a few that are cherry, maple and hickory.

Shannon said... Best Blogger Tips

Smallest bit of scrap? I have a drawer dedicated to those tiny pieces. Every time I think about tossing them I need a wedge or a tenon or shim for assembly and I run to that drawer. I even made stringing for a small drawer from an offcut sliver of Maple. If nothing else, those little strips make good sticker material after I resaw a board.

SeanW78 said... Best Blogger Tips

Sounds like a great idea, Shannon. My chisels and joinery saws are lying down in the top drawer of my cabinet. Seems like a perfect place once I find a better home for the current inhabitants.

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