I know i should 'burn' these, but...


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For my hobby shop, projects are generally small and I am ALWAYS needing a small strip of some kind of wood for an accent or something.  Vertical pieces of 4" PVC in various lengths makes good storage.  You CAN put parameters on yourself that when that tube gets full, you cull and burn.  Yesterday, I cut some mahogany and had some 'scraps' left over.  NO WAY I'd burn this...I'll find something where it will fit.  Granted the shop is a little more cluttered but I always have the piece I need AND I'm not driven/controlled/made crazy by any OCD tendencies. SAVE THE STRIPS!!....SAVE THE STRIPS!!

Well, mahogany scraps I might save a few. I'm not holding onto strips of poplar!

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Are you strapped for space? If not, no reason to burn them straightaway... If you get tired of looking at them, or if they're in the way, just grab some matches.

Just to play devil's advocate, I disagree. The more stuff you keep in your shop because it might someday be useful, the more likely you are to spend time thinking about ways to make it useful.

That in itself isn't bad, but time, energy and inspiration are finite. Every minute I spend contemplating an offcut is a minute that I'm not contemplating a piece of fresh stock. A piece of scrap may well be the inspiration for a nice diversion with a fun back story. But big, wide planks of something in the rough gets me dreaming of masterpieces.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Just to play devil's advocate, I disagree. The more stuff you keep in your shop because it might someday be useful, the more likely you are to spend time thinking about ways to make it useful.

That in itself isn't bad, but time, energy and inspiration are finite. Every minute I spend contemplating an offcut is a minute that I'm not contemplating a piece of fresh stock. A piece of scrap may well be the inspiration for a nice diversion with a fun back story. But big, wide planks of something in the rough gets me dreaming of masterpieces.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

I can see where you are coming from, but I actually end up the opposite.  Offcuts go back on the rack and get forgotten until I need something...  Different perspectives :)

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Available space also has to play a big part, right?  I'm liking the size limits already discussed.  Since my shop space totals about 100 square feet (including temporary outdoor space), I'm filling the local compacter with some of the scraps and waste.  (Have to be careful about some of it... they have ordinances against "construction waste" in trash spaces, and the majority of the materials I acquire fall into what the code defines as "construction products."  The trick is to cut it into smaller scraps before throwing it out... exacerbating the problem in the first place.)

 

There's also a "no-burn" policy, including charcoal grills, in the complex.  This afternoon, I saw a small grill behind the rental office (screened by trees), so I'm pretty sure where the office stands on that, but I know they don't like the yard fireplaces.  What other methods do you guys use to get rid of scraps?

 

(other than the finish test strips mentioned in the WTO episode I just finished this weekend, that is.)

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I'm surprised that no one mentioned cutting all the scraps to about 18"long, bundling them up with twine, wrapping them in gift paper and laying them on the back seat of an unlocked car.

 

 

A few years ago, when a garbage strike was on in New York City, that is how people got rid of their garbage.

 

Rog 

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