Scrap Wood Pile In Work Room?

Stigura

Okay, lads. Bit of a vague one, perhaps? I'm wondering if any of ye have a hack for it though.

Bottom line is that I've developed a small ~ but growing ~ stack of " Useful " off cuts, in my work room. In a corner and steadily creeping outward. Stupid stuff like anything up to eight inch square bits. To four by a foot or so. Moment I chuck the lot in the stove, I'll be needing a 4 x 2 bit of 1", of course!

I know a box is the usual resort. But, it started with a little box. Now, the damn thing's full. Topped up. Over flowing It's starting to get like a scene from " The Thing " in there.

This has the potential for an interesting little thread. Surely?

cletus

Bucket for the small stuff, shelf/rack for the bigger stuff, but mostly just fücked around every where, in the way, tripping over it, cursing, spending 5 minutes moving it from my bandsaw to the workbench when I want to cut something, then spending 5 minutes moving it back when I want to do anything on the bench

CelticRambler

Stigura wrote: »

Okay, lads. Bit of a vague one, perhaps? I'm wondering if any of ye have a hack for it though.

Get a bigger box shed house.

Suffering with the same problem (made worse by buying a giant trolley-load of offcuts for a tenner as a birthday present for my daughter ... who grew into an adult and left home before she could use it all!) I've partially resolved it by trying to be more disciplined at the point of "production" - so short-and-stubby gets thrown into a bin, useful rectangles get stacked together in approximate order of size in one corner, long skinny stuff goes in a different corner, etc.

I try to force myself to a bit of a sort-out/tidy-up after every major project, clear out the bitty stuff that really isn't good for anything other than burning, remind myself what sizes and shapes I have still and where they are ... but, well ...

Asmodean

I'm glad I'm not the only person with this problem. I need a few decent ideas myself. Started off with a bucket, moved onto a table and now its stacked up under the table. Been fighting with the Mrs not to throw it out because it might be useful some day. I've almost broken my ankle a few times falling over it. Might get a bigger space in a few years but stuck where I am for now

looksee

How often do you really need a bit of anything that is less than maybe 30cm long? So put it in the fire basket. Including the little offcuts and triangular bits etc - I got a week of stove fire starters out of those kind of offcuts after a job in the house.

Really Useful bits - in a box.

Long bits - well I have had a load of miscellaneous stuff lifted onto cross-pieces, under a weighted down tarp outside all last winter and it survived fine. Mostly used at this stage but need a home for the few 16ft bits left.

Sheets of stuff are a pain, can't help you there, I have some peacefully curving ply that needs a flat, supported home.

Edit, in a previous existence I put shallow ledges in under a long worktop, highish up and put long bits in there. It requires a bit of manoevering to be able to slide a long bit of timber out (sometimes opening the door!) but how often do you go hunting for stuff?

beauf

looksee wrote: »

How often do you really need a bit of anything that is less than maybe 30cm long? ....

Usually the following day after throwing it out.

Stigura

CelticRambler wrote: »

useful rectangles get stacked together

I like this idea! See, I started with a box. Actually an unfinished nest box without a top, or something. Stood some handy looking lengths in that. All was good.

Then, as that filled and I gathered 'useful' other bits; I started to Lean schit! :rolleyes: Fatal error! I now have the makings of quite the little bonfire in there!

Dunno. My mitre saw table arrived, yesterday. God knows where I'm putting it. But, I need to get some planks and make a load more nest boxes. (Christ! I just considered setting it up in the kitchen? Then I remembered; Ye can't move, in there, for bloody bird traps and an unopened counter top fridge that's been there since last year!)

I'm rambling ~ ironically. Looks like the fact is there simply is no magic bullet, is there? Bugger.

Maybe I Should just burn the f**king lot!

beauf

I see lot of videos of people gluing odds and ends together and then turning them on a lathes to create really interesting stuff.

Coloured pencils is one. Not scraps the idea is the same...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkbJemDY-00&list=RDCMUCSC1HqVmTaE4Shn32ihbC7w&start_radio=1&t=522

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCVmWSphtLw

looksee

beauf wrote: »

Usually the following day after throwing it out.

You really don't - that's why you keep longer bits...who said this was scientific, or even sensible!

CelticRambler

looksee wrote: »

How often do you really need a bit of anything that is less than maybe 30cm long?

Way more often than I need a big sheet or a long plank! Where I said above that I throw short-and-stubby pieces in a bin, I mean that it's a container that was sold (and originally used) as a bin - but it's not for throwing out! :pac: I reckon I fish stuff out of there at least once a week when I'm at home, whether it's for making a wedge, for a temporary packing piece, for a trial cut to make sure the angle is exactly right, for turning odd bits like knobs or trowel handles ... If I'm having a good month, that bin/box could be half empty by the time I'm finished.

Mind you, in addition to that (and the trolley-load of off-cuts, and the miscellaneous other bits) I have half a barn full of wood that I scavenged from a building site several years ago, thinking knowing that it'd come in useful some day ... and little by little, it has been coming in useful. Probably only two-fifths of a barnfull now.

windbound

Children love making things with cut offs. Nieces, nephews, friend's children, neighbours.