Great topic!
Ditto here with depression era parents. I sort all my scraps by size
and species. I tend to save every part of exotic wood (sometimes even
the sawdust for small repairs). All but toxic wood planer shavings are
used in my daughters ginea pig cage, or as 'instant fire' kindling.
Any other small scraps of other wood is used as kindling, and all ashes
from the fireplace are used to feed plants and garden. Nothing
intentionally goes to waste in my house.
Todd
foggytown wrote:
> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
Nope, you're not. Though I'm getting better about this since I built a
semi-permanent "camping in the yard" fire ring. :)
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/
Badger wrote:
> I also collect useful fittings, plumbing odments etc, as well as wood.
That reminds me of an interesting facet of being a packrat, and now I'm
wondering if *I* am the only one.
I have a 3/4" boiler valve around here somewhere. I bought a 3/4" when I
needed a 1/2", but rather than take it back, I just threw it in a drawer
somewhere. I've done that quite often. If I buy the wrong
size/type/whatever hardware/bits/bobs I'm as likely as not just to keep
them anyway and then go buy the ones I did need.
It's really silly. No wonder all my closets and sheds are overflowing, and
I've actually thrown some boxes in my attic, on top of the 24" of
fluffyfill stuff. No wonder I have a trebuchet on my front porch.
(Although, hey, I made part of that trebuchet out of some chain I bought by
mistake ages ago and threw in a box somewhere, and 3/4 of that thing is
made out of stuff one of my neighbors threw away over the years.)
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/
foggytown wrote:
>
> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>
> FoggyTown
My wife has given me an ultimatum; Don't bring it home if you
aren't going to use it that day.
Being a contractor, I have a warehouse full of stuff. I can
actually go through stacks of stuff and relate it to the job that it
came from. I have a 20 yard dumpster that gets hauled off at least
once every 2 weeks and I still have a ton of stuff.
--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX
scraps of lumber, parts & hardware from old furniture that was reclaimed,
you name it, I may not use it tomarrow, or the next day, but I will use it
someday
I have even been known to scrounge old brocken stuff to pilfer parts off
from
foggytown wrote:
> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>
> FoggyTown
On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 22:41:21 GMT, Badger <[email protected]>
wrote:
>
>
>foggytown wrote:
>
>> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
>> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
>> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>>
>> FoggyTown
>
>Dam no, my neighbours know who to ask for:
>1. first (emergency) aid, even though I don't bring an ambulance home
>from work anymore.
>2. help to jump start car.
>3. open their locked front door, without keys....
>4. call for all sorts of wood should they not have what they need
>(they see me trailer it in often enough!).
>
>I also collect useful fittings, plumbing odments etc, as well as wood.
>
>Though with the last lot I sent one load west for a horse owner to make
>a rotdown box, and another south to a Scout group for next years campfires!
>
>At work I'm the first one who gets asked, do you want that?
>
>Recycle as much as possible, waste not want not still holds true for me!
>
>Niel.
I haven't thrown away a useful screw nut, fitting, bracket, etc. etc.
etc. in at least 30 years... I have a wall of plastic bins...
The neighborhood comes to me when they need a odd bolt, etc... they
all say "check with Mac, he has everything".. lol
On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 01:24:08 -0500, Silvan
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Badger wrote:
>
>> I also collect useful fittings, plumbing odments etc, as well as wood.
>
>That reminds me of an interesting facet of being a packrat, and now I'm
>wondering if *I* am the only one.
>
>I have a 3/4" boiler valve around here somewhere. I bought a 3/4" when I
>needed a 1/2", but rather than take it back, I just threw it in a drawer
>somewhere. I've done that quite often. If I buy the wrong
>size/type/whatever hardware/bits/bobs I'm as likely as not just to keep
>them anyway and then go buy the ones I did need.
>
>It's really silly. No wonder all my closets and sheds are overflowing, and
>I've actually thrown some boxes in my attic, on top of the 24" of
>fluffyfill stuff. No wonder I have a trebuchet on my front porch.
>
>(Although, hey, I made part of that trebuchet out of some chain I bought by
>mistake ages ago and threw in a box somewhere, and 3/4 of that thing is
>made out of stuff one of my neighbors threw away over the years.)
thanks... now I don't feel quite as weird about having 2 or 3 small
trebs in the garage!
On 11 Dec 2004 05:05:47 -0800, "foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote:
>You organized types give me a pain. And yet in my defence I have to
>say that after producing some of the best stuff I've ever made I looked
>behind me to a workshop that resembeled Pearl Harbor on December 8th.
>FoggyTown
to me, it's not organization, it's survival... lol
If I didn't have places to store the scrap, I'd either trip over it,
or throw it away and then have to buy wood for small projects and
jigs..
I'm really glad that I decided against putting drawers under the
workbench and went for a large shelf instead..
I throw most of the "useable" scrap there and figure that the weight
might help stabilize the bench.. *g*
I have a bigger problem. I build and repair photo equipment. I get all sorts
of enlargers, cameras, roll easels, tripods, processors etc that I just
can't throw away. I have gears, motors, metal, hardware etc as well as the
exotic hardwoods I can't part with.
max
> I have a 2 car garage, well at least it WAS a 2 car garage, Now it my own
> personal warehouse, Don't feel bad. If you throw it away you'll be sure to
> need it one day!
>
> Searcher1
>
> "foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
>> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
>> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>>
>> FoggyTown
>>
>
>
Aye, you're not alone in this quest to keep everything because we might
need it.
John
foggytown wrote:
> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>
> FoggyTown
>
patrick conroy wrote:
> I've got one cutoff bin. The rule is when it's full - something has to come
> out to make room for something to go in.
Ah, that is something like I got to, except I have three; one for
"primo" bits; must be over 24" long, usually wider, usually hardwood or
premium ply. One Moderate cutoffs; stuff which *might* get used, but
typically used for impromptu jig, push stick, etc. If it gets totally
full, it is culled for firewood.
One straight off the saw/bench. When it is full, stuff either goes to
the other 2 or get burned.
> - Thou shall not save those long but narrow strips of anything
For some reason I have a hard time giving these up. Dunno why, they
pretty much never get used, but they are long, dammit!
PK
Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus -no wait thats not the question Yes
there are many pack rats -they come in all shapes and save all sort of
articles- however i'm not fimilar with the term "scrap wood "-i never met a
piece of wood i didn't want - much like a weed being a unwanted flower -sad
ain't it.
But some of its magic and some of its tragic...
Sat, Dec 11, 2004, 12:18am (EST+5) [email protected] (Wuzfuzde) says:
<snip> i'm not fimilar with the term "scrap wood "<snip>
I think it's Latin, or something, and means "sawdust".
It goes, wood, small pieces of wood, smaller pieces of wood,
smallest pieces of wood, sawdust. You keep everything but sawdust, and
even keep that in special cases. I've taken to keeping those plastic
clothes washing soap jugs, rinsing them out, filling them with sawdust,
and sticking them in the truck, for when I need some extra traction in
the winter.
JOAT
Remember: Nova is Avon, spelled backwards.
On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 12:09:02 -0600, Australopithecus scobis
<[email protected]> calmly ranted:
>On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 19:44:56 -0500, J T wrote:
>
>> I think it's Latin, or something, and means "sawdust".
>
>nope. Latin for sawdust is "scobis." :)
I'll just call you "Ozdust" from now on, Scoobie. (Fewer
characters so it's quicker and easier to type.)
-----------------------------------------------------------
-- This post conscientiously crafted from 100% Recycled Pixels --
http://diversify.com Websites: PHP Programming, MySQL databases
==================================================================
I have a 2 car garage, well at least it WAS a 2 car garage, Now it my own
personal warehouse, Don't feel bad. If you throw it away you'll be sure to
need it one day!
Searcher1
"foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>
> FoggyTown
>
Well, I knew I was pretty far down the road when I used a hole cutter
to drill 15 holes (each 1 1/2") in 1/2" oak stock to make a perforated
gallery rail for a wall shelf . . . and I couldn't bear to throw the
little circles away! Maybe some day I'll paste them onto something for
a relief effect I guess. Surrrrrrrrrre!
FoggyTown
"Cut to shape . . . pound to fit."
Fri, Dec 10, 2004, 2:54pm (EST-3) [email protected] (foggytown) laments:
<snip> hole cutter to drill 15 holes (each 1 1/2") in 1/2" oak stock
<snip>
Have you no imagination at all? Coasters. Big poker chips.
Wheels for toy cars. Checker set. Bases for a profile chess set (need
some more tho). Feet for boxes or chests. I use them as spacers, under
my saw, drill press, and whatever else, got ready made bolt hole. I
glued some together to make a shift knob for my truck. And these idesa
are all on a blank mind, just think what I could come up with if I was
actually thinking. You don't toss stuff like that. Ever. Sheesh.
JOAT
Remember: Nova is Avon, spelled backwards.
>"foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
>> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
>> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>>
>> FoggyTown
>>
>
Oh my God. You're not alone. As well as cut-offs, we have a few rentals that I
maintain to the best of my abilities. Wanna talk about a whole lotta stuff?
Water heaters, appliances, plumbing, etc. It's a good thing that the Ranch is
secluded, or neighbors might be complaining... Tom
Work at your leisure!
I save everything. I have a roto bin rack full of nothing but loose screws and
hardware I have picked up along the way (my wife is a builder and I always gain
a few pounds when I visit her jobs). It seems if it touches the ground they
won't bend over to pick it up, no matter what it is.
I dumpster dived enough 2x12 WR cedar to build lots of cool stuff. Pavers are
always being thrown away and I got enough to build a fireplace, "tile" a 10x20
shed and half of my garage. Good way to cover nasty stucco. I have boxes of
hardwood cutoffs too good to throw away but we burn crown molding and base in
our fireplace. Light it with a match, burns fast, no smoke, very little ash.
That's great when my wife wants a 45 minute fire.
They call me Fred Sanford
Fri, Dec 10, 2004, 7:47pm (EST+5) [email protected]
(Searcher) claims:
<snip> If you throw it away you'll be sure to need it one day!
The actual rule is, you'll need it within one hour of it being
irretrievably gone.
JOAT
Remember: Nova is Avon, spelled backwards.
foggytown wrote:
> Well, I knew I was pretty far down the road when I used a hole cutter
> to drill 15 holes (each 1 1/2") in 1/2" oak stock to make a perforated
> gallery rail for a wall shelf . . . and I couldn't bear to throw the
> little circles away! Maybe some day I'll paste them onto something
> for a relief effect I guess. Surrrrrrrrrre!
> FoggyTown
> "Cut to shape . . . pound to fit."
round tuits?
Gary
On 10 Dec 2004 14:54:44 -0800, "foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Well, I knew I was pretty far down the road when I used a hole cutter
>to drill 15 holes (each 1 1/2") in 1/2" oak stock to make a perforated
>gallery rail for a wall shelf . . . and I couldn't bear to throw the
>little circles away! Maybe some day I'll paste them onto something for
>a relief effect I guess. Surrrrrrrrrre!
>FoggyTown
>"Cut to shape . . . pound to fit."
make some yoyo's !
skeez
"foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>
> FoggyTown
>
Weren't you the one who posted his frustrations at not being able to locate
a specific 1x6 the other day? Maybe this is why:)
I have a daily struggle with that part of my brain that says "you may need
that someday". I am trying to listen to the part of my brain that says "if
that day comes, there is no way in hell you will be able to find it."
Frank
foggytown wrote:
> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little
> scrap and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
Nope, you're not the only one... ;-)
My parents are children of the 1930's and therefore HATE to throw anything
away. Their house is full of stuff "that might be useful to someone
someday..." <g> It took many years for me to throw away worn-out shoes
that don't fit me anymore and can't possibly fit anyone else. ;-)
My shop is a single-car garage. I have learned to limit myself to one
roll-around box of large scraps and two smaller containers of small scraps.
When these fill up I force myself to discard the overflow. It hurts, but
it's the only thing that lets me continue to walk around in the shop....
;-)
-- Mark
On 10 Dec 2004 10:03:10 -0800, "foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
>and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day.
I used to, until I bought a chiminea. Furniture grade scraps make
GREAT firewood!
<http://www.bburke.com/wood/images/fire.jpg>
Barry
This is how I manage it:
I have 3 boxes
1. Kindling (too small to be useful as anything but a shim). Used as
firestarters.
2. Dubious usefulness... offcuts & stuff up a foot or so long. This is the
first place to liik for a chunk of wood for a test cut
3. 1-2 foot pieces that I'm sure that i can use for "something"
I have to cull the bits from time to time and the worst bits end up in the
wood stove.
"foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>
> FoggyTown
>
"Ba r r y" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 10 Dec 2004 10:03:10 -0800, "foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
>>and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day.
>
> I used to, until I bought a chiminea. Furniture grade scraps make
> GREAT firewood!
>
> <http://www.bburke.com/wood/images/fire.jpg>
>
> Barry
>
>
chiminea are really low fired ceramics, and don't do well with high temp
fires like that one. you might look at carefully to see if it has cracked.
it's not fun to fire up one of these, have it roaring away, and have it fall
apart.
On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 21:08:52 -0700, John DeBoo <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Aye, you're not alone in this quest to keep everything because we might
>need it.
>John
>
>foggytown wrote:
>
>> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
>> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
>> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>>
>> FoggyTown
>>
I have like 5 places to keep scrap, kind of sorted by type of wood and
size... the last one is next to the fire pit..
I've saved every scrap for years. Finally I realized that this cannot
continue. The wife just had the fireplace remodeled with a new wood
burning insert. It produces a lot of heat from a little wood. We have
managed to eliminate a lot of the scraps in the past month. Another
month will eliminate most of the small stuff. Then I start cutting up
the larger stuff.
Dick
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
> >and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
> >beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
> >
>
foggytown wrote:
> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
> beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>
> FoggyTown
Dam no, my neighbours know who to ask for:
1. first (emergency) aid, even though I don't bring an ambulance home
from work anymore.
2. help to jump start car.
3. open their locked front door, without keys....
4. call for all sorts of wood should they not have what they need
(they see me trailer it in often enough!).
I also collect useful fittings, plumbing odments etc, as well as wood.
Though with the last lot I sent one load west for a horse owner to make
a rotdown box, and another south to a Scout group for next years campfires!
At work I'm the first one who gets asked, do you want that?
Recycle as much as possible, waste not want not still holds true for me!
Niel.
"Silvan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Badger wrote:
>
>> I also collect useful fittings, plumbing odments etc, as well as wood.
>
> That reminds me of an interesting facet of being a packrat, and now I'm
> wondering if *I* am the only one.
>
> I have a 3/4" boiler valve around here somewhere. I bought a 3/4" when I
> needed a 1/2", but rather than take it back, I just threw it in a drawer
> somewhere. I've done that quite often. If I buy the wrong
> size/type/whatever hardware/bits/bobs I'm as likely as not just to keep
> them anyway and then go buy the ones I did need.
>
> It's really silly. No wonder all my closets and sheds are overflowing,
> and
> I've actually thrown some boxes in my attic, on top of the 24" of
> fluffyfill stuff. No wonder I have a trebuchet on my front porch.
>
> (Although, hey, I made part of that trebuchet out of some chain I bought
> by
> mistake ages ago and threw in a box somewhere, and 3/4 of that thing is
> made out of stuff one of my neighbors threw away over the years.)
>
> --
> Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
> Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
> http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
> http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/
I also have that "problem" When a friend asks "do you have?" I usually do
have it. W W
In article <[email protected]>, "foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
>and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
>beginning to look like an explosion at Lumber R Us!
>
I feel your pain... and so does SWMBO. Sounds just like our basement.
--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter
by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com
You must use your REAL email address to get a response.
On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 12:14:11 -0700, "Charles Spitzer"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>chiminea are really low fired ceramics, and don't do well with high temp
>fires like that one. you might look at carefully to see if it has cracked.
>it's not fun to fire up one of these, have it roaring away, and have it fall
>apart.
Thanks!
It's a few years old, I'll take a close look at it.
Luckily, it's 10 feet from 450 gallons of water, a hose and a spigot.
Nothing like a 10 foot hole in the deck! ;^0
Barry
"foggytown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> Please tell me I'm not the only one who saves almost every little scrap
> and offcut because it "might" be "useful" some day. My shed is
You've got a lot of "Me Too!"s.
Not me.
I've got one cutoff bin. The rule is when it's full - something has to come
out to make room for something to go in.
Other rules:
- Thou shall not save even medium sized pieces of MDF, Particle Board,
Masonite, etc.
- Thou shall not save those long but narrow strips of anything
- Thou is allowed to violate any of the above rules, but put the violations
directly in your path where they shall annoy you until you decide to follow
the rules again.