As I cleaned out the workshop today I began to sort the 1/2 cord of scraps that fells out of the barrel. I began to consider what to keep and what to pitch so I'll ask you folks. What constitutes scrap in your shop? How small do you keep? Here's another question. How do you store your shorts?

Ron, what constitutes my scrap pile is what my woodworking requires at the time. Since I have not taken up turning yet, my scrap pile is probably much easier to manage then others. I can imagine when you have a lathe in your arsenal, then those smaller scraps can take on a whole new meaning. But since I don't, my scrap pile remains pretty manageable. Most of my stuff lately has been made up of hardwood ply scraps since I have been working on the cabinets for our college. So I am ending up some end cuts and strips that don't do anyone a whole lot of good. Mainly the ply I do hold onto is no less then a 1/4 sheet. Since I got ply coming out of my ears I feel ply rich and I am tossing stuff that I normally wouldn't. There just isn't room in my shop for it. That's why I say it depends on the work at the time for me anyway.

Generally when it comes to hard wood. Nothing less the 6" wide and 16" long and 3/4" in thickness. Anything over that I keep any thing less ends up in my kindling can for our fires.

I have a storage bin on wheels about 4' wide, 2' deep and 2' tall. It is divided into 4 partitions. If it starts to get full, it's time to start tossing, I keep the biggest stuff and toss the smaller, simple as that.

It's pretty subjective for sure!

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

Since most of my projects are rather small, I keep anything 1"x1" and up. Luckily I can keep a lot of that size wood in 5 gal. buckets, buckets sure are handy. I do sort by plywood and hardwood. The only pain can be digging through the stuff sometimes. 

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Greg
http://www.thesawdustfactory.net/

I'm worse tn Greg... 3/4" X 3/4" still has a home in my shop... I have cardboard boxes, milk and cola crates, and a pile in the corner that I rummage through while searching for that one nugget that I can use for whatever I have on my mind at the time. As the scraps get smaller I find new (smaller) projects. On the rare occasion I find a piece thats too small, cracked, or twisted to turn, I do have one crate for smoker wood... but I still dig through that one too. All that said, if you want advise on what to throw away, I guess I'm of no help to you. 

I usually keep everything for about 6 months. I have 2 large Rubbermaid totes that I put anything that wont stay on my wire lumber rack. I use a lot of it for jigs, small projects or sacrificial stock for test cuts, drilling, clamping cauls etc... Soon after I dispose of the scrap I always find I need something that I just threw out.

We must be related!  I agonized over throwing away hardwood.  Pine or poplar doesn't phase me but any hardwood (especially cherry) always gets a second look before hitting the barrel.

D. Kennedy said:

I'm worse tn Greg... 3/4" X 3/4" still has a home in my shop... I have cardboard boxes, milk and cola crates, and a pile in the corner that I rummage through while searching for that one nugget that I can use for whatever I have on my mind at the time. As the scraps get smaller I find new (smaller) projects. On the rare occasion I find a piece thats too small, cracked, or twisted to turn, I do have one crate for smoker wood... but I still dig through that one too. All that said, if you want advise on what to throw away, I guess I'm of no help to you. 

I really think my whole shop is becoming storage for scrap pieces. When I do cut off on the end of a board, I try to cut it so I can later take that and make pen blanks. 3/4 x 3/4 x 5" makes good pen blanks. Even if I don't use them, someone will come by and want to learn how so those are good to use. Hardwood, I even keep thin pieces to put into cutting boards as accent pieces. They don't have to be too thick. For plywood, I am about as bad. I keep small pieces to use as test cuts and setup pieces. I do put them in a couple of cut off bins and after a while I check the bin and if I am loaded down, it goes to the curb.

Once it gets in my shop, it is hard to let it go.

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John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

What ever fits thru the 1" shop vac hose!

  Anything with more nails than wood.     The ends of those old rafters went into the firewood box directly from the mitersaw.  Some scrap I will "ship out" to those that need more scrap intheir shops.   There is some scraps out there, about 1/2-3/4' thick, by 1-1/2" wide ,by `3' long.    I'll keep those around, to use as cleats, and such.     Some "short" pieces have a second "life", I will use them as set-ups to test a saw cut with.   

 As for storing my shorts, I keep mine in a drawer, and put them on when it gets hot outside, again.    Oh wait, which shorts are we talking about....

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'and may the road raise up to meet ye'

steven newman said:

  Anything with more nails than wood.     The ends of those old rafters went into the firewood box directly from the mitersaw.  Some scrap I will "ship out" to those that need more scrap intheir shops.   There is some scraps out there, about 1/2-3/4' thick, by 1-1/2" wide ,by `3' long.    I'll keep those around, to use as cleats, and such.     Some "short" pieces have a second "life", I will use them as set-ups to test a saw cut with.   

 As for storing my shorts, I keep mine in a drawer, and put them on when it gets hot outside, again.    Oh wait, which shorts are we talking about....

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'and may the road raise up to meet ye'

I usually keeps all the scraps until I got no more room for them.  Some I'll use for making jigs.  Depending on the project, I'll keep some plywood and make templates.  Others I'll use them for test cut especially on the router or table saw.  I'll even use the scraps for some shop projects if they are big enough.   Lately the scraps are white wood pine, 2 x 4's and construction grade plywood.  Blame my wife for that due to her honey do projects last summer.  Past 2 weeks I been re-arranging and cleaning my shop.  Guess now I toss out about 8 trash bags of wood scraps and yes they were from honey do projects.  Still got more but they are the good stuff.  Some red oak, white oak, cherry even a little walnut.  Did find I had more of each than I thought.  Thinking on some a few scroll saw work might come out of that.  Mostly anything that is shorter than 5 inches and narrower than 3 inches get toss in fire pit bin.  Have two big bins and 3 small bins.  When the weather is cooperating, back yard hot dog roasting time .

 

Wayne E

anything shorter than 8" either goes into my smoker wood box or into the wood stove. unless I can join them together with other sock to cross-cut into blocks for cutting boards.

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Round Barn WoodCrafts, Plymouth WI
roundbarnwoodcrafts@hotmail.com

What hits the scrap pile?  Only finished products that I'm not happy with.     

SQ

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Happiness is wood chips flying!

Susie, my father in law always told me that he never made a mistake but made lots of kindling.

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Ron Dudelston
Above and Beyond WoodWorks

Nice answer!

Lewis Kauffman said:

What ever fits thru the 1" shop vac hose!

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

Your humor is showing through Steve, glad to have ya back from the dead, here's to a better 2012!

steven newman said:

  Anything with more nails than wood.     The ends of those old rafters went into the firewood box directly from the mitersaw.  Some scrap I will "ship out" to those that need more scrap intheir shops.   There is some scraps out there, about 1/2-3/4' thick, by 1-1/2" wide ,by `3' long.    I'll keep those around, to use as cleats, and such.     Some "short" pieces have a second "life", I will use them as set-ups to test a saw cut with.   

 As for storing my shorts, I keep mine in a drawer, and put them on when it gets hot outside, again.    Oh wait, which shorts are we talking about....

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'and may the road raise up to meet ye'

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

LOL  You are funny!

SQ

steven newman said:

  Anything with more nails than wood.     The ends of those old rafters went into the firewood box directly from the mitersaw.  Some scrap I will "ship out" to those that need more scrap intheir shops.   There is some scraps out there, about 1/2-3/4' thick, by 1-1/2" wide ,by `3' long.    I'll keep those around, to use as cleats, and such.     Some "short" pieces have a second "life", I will use them as set-ups to test a saw cut with.   

 As for storing my shorts, I keep mine in a drawer, and put them on when it gets hot outside, again.    Oh wait, which shorts are we talking about....

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'and may the road raise up to meet ye'

My last employer had rooms full of drop off hardwood plywood. They were giving it away to any employ who wanted it. So i tried to take advantage of that. The best was a trunk load of 46" by 28"  A-1 cherry. We only have a Impala but you would be surprised how much it can hold. Also in the mix was some phenolic for tool stand tops and a router table top. Annd also some hardwood pieces. 

I will save anything that i can glue together for turning blocks. so some of it can get rather small. lol

This stuff went from my guitar making friends scrap boxes to my shelves of usable wood, and he's got more 

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Greg
http://www.thesawdustfactory.net/

I use the most advanced  technology  available.

Gravity

They fall off my saw and the off cut pile is  where they fall.   I let it build up all year long  taking whatever I like from it for whatever  suits my fancy and and in the winter I turn to that pile for  kindling.