ncfowler Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I have this bad habit, I keep all the little pieces of wood, in my mind it goes like this, "hey I can do something with this cut off" thus having a ton of small scraps in a bucket, Now mind you if it's winter time most will find its way into the wood stove, but I have a hard problem tossing anything over 4", in my wood rack I have sizes from 12' down to 1' in all ranges in widths. then comes the larger problem, I will go to the mill to pick up wood for a project, get home look at it and say "it's too nice for what i'm making, then go out to lowes or Home Depot and get more wood for my project. A little side note: most projects I make are bird houses, feeders, and yard art, lately I have been making cigar box guitars. now not only do I have to deal my scraps but now I have 100 bf of lumber I got at the mill, Now let's look at my cigar box stack, something that was just going to make as a change of pace has become a large part of my hobby, I have people ordering them left and right with a at least six week back order, Like my wood pile I now have to deal with a large stack of wooden cigar boxes, Dam another problem, when I find boxes I like they end up on my shelf, When I go to use it I look at it and think that box is too nice, off to the cigar shop, My shop is not big by any standards, There is some wood I need to keep in stock, for my necks and fret boards, (where the hell is spell check) well enough of my bad habits, let's hear your stories, any one need any 1x4x4 pine cut off, come pick them up, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 My smaller scraps go to some friends that like to turn pens or small items.. I always keep some for the Christmas stash.. I build a bunch of stuff at Christmas time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raefco Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 guilty, I have an over flowing plastic barrel full, when work gets slow and the weather bad, I glue it up into turning blanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I'm over it. Unless it's ebony or rosewood, it gets tossed in the trash. Pretty much everything else has to be the better part of a board foot to even consider keeping it...even then I hesitate. I might regret that if I ever get into segmented turning...but right now I'm swimming in scrap and running out of space. Trash goes in the trash. Pine 1x4 scraps? You need to see a therapist about your hoarding issues. Do you keep your used toilet paper, too? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raefco Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 Do you keep your used toilet paper, too? not the used toilet paper, just the cardboard tube, DUH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 not the used toilet paper, just the cardboard tube, DUH I do too, to store my really, really small cut offs! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 Burn baby, burn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncfowler Posted July 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 thanks for the replies, no I don't keep TP, but I have found a use for the tubes, fill them with chips they make great fire starters, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I used to turn a lot, so all little pieces were "knob stock" anything could be a finial for a box or something. Now, I toss the majority of stuff, unless it's a higher priced wood and could actually be used for something like an inlay, or spline, etc. Unless it's winter, that all goes in the fireplace. I don't save any pine pieces unless they are at least 2 feet long and 5 inches wide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I have a bucket full of scraps dedicated for kids building blocks for this Christmas. Add semi circles (the cut outs from the 'bridge pieces'), and these are the typical kids blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keggers Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I keep my air dried cherry cutoffs for my smoker. Everything else gets burned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I keep my air dried cherry cutoffs for my smoker. Everything else gets burned. All my maple and cherry scraps end up in my big green egg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Staehling Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 My perspective on this is a little different. I build small musical instruments and sometimes buy boards smaller than some of you guys throw away. For example, I had a nice piece of 4/4 quarter sawn sycamore that was maybe 10" wide by 20" long. So less than a board foot. I built three of my smaller, but not my smallest instruments, from that piece. I did use a different piece for wood for the fret board and the end blocks, but the tops, backs, and sides of the three instruments were all from that little piece of wood. Too bad I can't pick some of you guys trash bins. On the other hand I do still have the same issues, only with smaller pieces. My solution is to initially save them but do a purge now and then. This is one of the three instruments from that little piece of wood: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncfowler Posted July 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 My perspective on this is a little different. I build small musical instruments and sometimes buy boards smaller than some of you guys throw away. For example, I had a nice piece of 4/4 quarter sawn sycamore that was maybe 10" wide by 20" long. So less than a board foot. I built three of my smaller, but not my smallest instruments, from that piece. I did use a different piece for wood for the fret board and the end blocks, but the tops, backs, and sides of the three instruments were all from that little piece of wood. Too bad I can't pick some of you guys trash bins. On the other hand I do still have the same issues, only with smaller pieces. My solution is to initially save them but do a purge now and then. This is one of the three instruments from that little piece of wood: nice you have set of prints I can use? what is the frett spacing, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Staehling Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 nice you have set of prints I can use? what is the frett spacing, I have never drawn up any plans for my instruments. I am not sure I want to share complete details of my instruments publicly, but I could probably assist by answering some questions though. I build a variety of sizes of instruments and once I decide on the VSL (vibrating string length), I use either a spreadsheet that I made myself or the Stewart McDonald fret calculator. I calculate the string sizes using either a calculator that I wrote or the Strothers string calc online calculator. For a few more details check out my pages at: https://www.facebook.com/FeatherDulcimer http://featherdulcimer.com/ PM me here, on facebook, or email me at Pete dot Staehling at gmail dot com if you have questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krtwood Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 I make a lot of rabbets and I do them in two cuts on the table saw. I end up with hundreds of little 1/4" x 3/4" x 2" pieces of walnut and cherry with the grain running the 3/4" direction. Periodically I decide I need to keep them and do something with them, since they are all the same size. Then I fill up the box. Then I fill up the second box. Then I have even more and, with great dismay, throw the whole lot of them into the bin. But not this time! This time I did something with them! Double sided end grain cutting board with the inverse pattern on the bottom, which you will never see because it has feet on the bottom so why would that ever be face up? But it's there and I used... maybe 1/5th of them. And it only took 3 times as long as if I'd just done it from larger stock. I'm sick. I need help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 All my maple and cherry scraps end up in my big green egg. Shane and all, I have quiet a bit of cherry scraps. What meats do you cook with cherry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 Shane and all, I have quiet a bit of cherry scraps. What meats do you cook with cherry?I normally do cherry and maple together for pork. Sent from my XP7700 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncfowler Posted July 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 I have never drawn up any plans for my instruments. I am not sure I want to share complete details of my instruments publicly, but I could probably assist by answering some questions though. I build a variety of sizes of instruments and once I decide on the VSL (vibrating string length), I use either a spreadsheet that I made myself or the Stewart McDonald fret calculator. I calculate the string sizes using either a calculator that I wrote or the Strothers string calc online calculator. For a few more details check out my pages at: https://www.facebook.com/FeatherDulcimer http://featherdulcimer.com/ PM me here, on facebook, or email me at Pete dot Staehling at gmail dot com if you have questions. In'm making my cigar box guitars I use the standard frett pattern, I notice on your Dulcimer the frett pattern is some what diffrent, This has always confused me, not trying to pry just wondering, I most likely will never be into making Dulcimer have way too much on my books now that I can't keep up with. after looking at Stewart McDonald fret calculator it did clear up a little, and the string calulator you have makes sense, I will at some point e-mail you, still confused as hell, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Staehling Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 In'm making my cigar box guitars I use the standard frett pattern, I notice on your Dulcimer the frett pattern is some what diffrent, This has always confused me, not trying to pry just wondering, I most likely will never be into making Dulcimer have way too much on my books now that I can't keep up with. after looking at Stewart McDonald fret calculator it did clear up a little, and the string calulator you have makes sense, I will at some point e-mail you, still confused as hell, Dulcimers typically use a diatonic fret pattern. That essentially means that you can only play the notes of the major scale that the instrument is tuned to. That makes it harder to play with folks playing in a different key. On the other hand it makes for an easy instrument to play because there are no "wrong" notes. There are a few built with all the frets (chromatic fretting). There is also a bit of gray area between fully chromatic and diatonic fret patterns. This gray area is in the form of the popular 6+ (also known as 6-1/2) fret as well as some other frets added to supplement the diatonic pattern. Most dulcimers have a 6+ these days and some have 0+, 1+, and maybe others as well. The one in the picture, and in fact most of the ones I build are diatonic with a 6+ and a corresponding one an octave higher. I do build what ever fret pattern a customer requests though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncfowler Posted July 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 Dulcimers typically use a diatonic fret pattern. That essentially means that you can only play the notes of the major scale that the instrument is tuned to. That makes it harder to play with folks playing in a different key. On the other hand it makes for an easy instrument to play because there are no "wrong" notes. There are a few built with all the frets (chromatic fretting). There is also a bit of gray area between fully chromatic and diatonic fret patterns. This gray area is in the form of the popular 6+ (also known as 6-1/2) fret as well as some other frets added to supplement the diatonic pattern. Most dulcimers have a 6+ these days and some have 0+, 1+, and maybe others as well. The one in the picture, and in fact most of the ones I build are diatonic with a 6+ and a corresponding one an octave higher. I do build what ever fret pattern a customer requests though. Thanks for the information, now that I'm toatly confused, lol, once again after looking at your page you make some nice items real professionl looking. thanks Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Staehling Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Thanks for the information, now that I'm toatly confused, lol, once again after looking at your page you make some nice items real professionl looking. thanks Jeff Sorry if that was confusing. The numbering scheme used for dulcimer frets is pretty weird and can be confusing. Hopefully my explanation didn't make it more so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncfowler Posted July 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Sorry if that was confusing. The numbering scheme used for dulcimer frets is pretty weird and can be confusing. Hopefully my explanation didn't make it more so. at this point I'm just learning basic cigar box guitars, most all have pick up's, putting another aspect into the soup will not be a good idea at this point, I will keep you in mind if I ever decide to further my experices, thanks, Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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