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How small does a piece of wood need to be before it is too small to keep?

2089 Views 23 Replies 20 Participants Last post by BeachedBones, Jul 29, 2009

Vincent

Discussion Starter · Jul 13, 2009 (Edited by Moderator)

I suspect that this is a problem that many of us suffer from…."How small does a piece of wood need to be before it is too small to keep?" My shop is awash in small cut off that I have saved for years….never know when you might need a small piece for a glue block or something. I am currently in the middle of a major clean up and was wondering, what criteria do you use to decide that a piece of wood is just too small. Jim Tolpin recommends a piece must be larger than 2" x 2 feet and sheet goods should be at least 2 square feel. What does everybody else use as a guideline.

1 - 20 of 24 Posts

a1Jim

· #2 · Jul 13, 2009

Hey Vince
I guess it depends on what you make. some guys make pens out of of dozens of pieces of wood half the size of a pencil erasers.

Vincent

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 13, 2009

I don't turn so the smallest thing that I build would be a jewelry box. Mostly, I build furniture.

SteveB

· #4 · Jul 13, 2009

The smallest lumber I've seen was my dad's stock of balsa-1/8" x 1/8"

thehammer

· #5 · Jul 13, 2009

I usually have a couple of 5 gal buckets laying around with a bunch of falloff but then they get full, and I throw something in the burn can. THAT"S WHEN I NEED IT. Always works that way.

John

woodisit

· #6 · Jul 13, 2009

I am one of those people that try to keep everything, the hard part is keeping them organized so you can find them when you need them! The larger pcs I put on selves the small pcs I put in a 3×3 box.

GaryK

· #7 · Jul 13, 2009

It depends on what you make. If you only make furniture get rid of or give away your smaller pieces.

scrappy

· #8 · Jul 14, 2009

I make allmost EVERYTHING from SCRAP! What most of you throw away it what I go buy to start a project! So….it is ALL kept. It is almost dust before I get rid of it.

TopamaxSurvivor

· #9 · Jul 14, 2009

I saw a listiing for a plane on ebay that said it was from the estate of some pack rats. They even kept the wood shavings ;-)) I don't go that far, but I keep a lot of small blocks, I'm always looking for one for something and I never seem to have many. Not sure what I do with them ???

dustbunny

· #10 · Jul 14, 2009

If it floats it the air….it's too small, LOL.
What I am thinking is that you can always cut a sliver or small piece off any larger piece. So if it is less than 2" get rid of it.

snowdog

· #11 · Jul 14, 2009

Everything burns, so I keep most of it until I need to make a fire then a lot of it gets used

scrappy

· #12 · Jul 15, 2009

Hey TopmaxSurvivor, What were those shavings? I made a couple of candle holders out of arromatic cedar and when I drilled the holes for the tea lights my wife was gathering up the shavings from the padle bit for potpuree!

Got them in containers setting around the house now. Can't even get rid of dust i guess. haha

TopamaxSurvivor

· #13 · Jul 15, 2009

Scrappy, It didn't say, but I thought about the Woodright making a plane to cut long curls to light pipes

)

mmh

· #14 · Jul 15, 2009

Throw away? Why would you want to throw ANY of it away? I have buckets of cut offs and scraps. Guess I need to start composting them along with the sawdust. But then again, you could fill your matress with the curly soft shavings . . .

TopamaxSurvivor

· #15 · Jul 15, 2009

If you can't make a tooth pick, it should go!

)

JoeLyddon

· #16 · Jul 22, 2009

How small is the smallest Knob you would want to make?

PurpLev

· #17 · Jul 22, 2009

this subject is posted here every once in a while… I can't remember who said it in the last thread with this topic - but it was good:

if it doesn't fit in the 2 1/2" shopvac hose - it stays!

CharlieM1958

· #18 · Jul 22, 2009

I have the same problem. I tend to save most everything that I can imagine ever being useful for something. I do frequently draw from these small cutoffs, but they still seem to accumulate faster than I use them.

As much as I hate to do it, when the supply gets out of hand I just throw a bunch away. As a matter a fact, I left a couple cardboard boxes full at the curb this morning.

sIKE

· #19 · Jul 22, 2009

I have developed a new system this year. I keep any hardwood I am inclinded I want. Then right before my camping trip I go through all of it and throw what I no longer want/need/had too long into a bin and it is then used to start my campfires and roast marshmallows…..

longgone

· #20 · Jul 22, 2009

I soak all scrap pieces in water and use them in my barbecue pit. Ever had cocobolo or walnut smoked ribeye? Yummy!

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