# what do i build with scrapwood?



## chopsaw32 (Dec 8, 2012)

i am 14 years old and just learning. need some building ideas thta i could do. just built a bookshelf and i dont know what to build now


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Picture frames, boxes of any sort and size, small end tables, lamps. What tools do you have access to?


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## SeniorSitizen (May 2, 2012)

chopsaw32 said:


> i am 14 years old and just learning. need some building ideas thta i could do. just built a bookshelf and i dont know what to build now


Since you are just learning you'll never find a better time to learn the correct names of tools and equipment.

Miter saws are to cut wood and chop saws are to cut steel. So if you are locked in on the idea of having a chop saw consider building welding tables, cattle / horse corrals, hog pens etc.


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## chopsaw32 (Dec 8, 2012)

i have acess to skill saws, table saws, band saws, hand saws, drills, hammers, screws nails, chop saw etc


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## chopsaw32 (Dec 8, 2012)

rayking49 said:


> Picture frames, boxes of any sort and size, small end tables, lamps. What tools do you have access to?


i have acess to skill saws, table saws, band saws, hand saws, drills, hammers, screws nails, chop saw etc :thumbsup:


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## sgtrunningfool (Jan 14, 2012)

You can really make anything with scrap wood and if you mix and match wood you paint it and know one will be able to tell. I work almost exclusively with scrap wood. I making planters and a night stand out of scrap wood right now


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

birdhouses are always good with scrap wood. Pieces don't need to be very big and gives some practice with different joinery on a small scale.


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## SeniorSitizen (May 2, 2012)

Forget it. Pics won't load.


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## Homewright (Nov 30, 2012)

Here's one of my scrapwood projects. I needed a coffee table so I built this one. The mahogany was a stair apron in an adobe turn of the century house here in Colorado. This is a picture before it got oiled but I had done the staining. Your imagination is truly your only inhibition. You could even build small modular components which would go together to create a larger project. Storage cubbies built in such a way to work together to make a great desk organizer. Racks to hold video games. Footstools. Plant stands. Candle holders. Kids toys. Like I said, your imagination is all that's going to get in your way if you have access to all those tools and want to go scavenge wood. It's cool you're interested in this wonderful trade...


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## chopsaw32 (Dec 8, 2012)

*thanks anyway*



SandburRanch said:


> Forget it. Pics won't load.


well, even though pics wont load, thanks for trying to help me


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## would (May 26, 2009)

Homewright said:


> Here's one of my scrapwood projects. I needed a coffee table so I built this one. The mahogany was a stair apron in an adobe turn of the century house here in Colorado. This is a picture before it got oiled but I had done the staining. Your imagination is truly your only inhibition. You could even build small modular components which would go together to create a larger project. Storage cubbies built in such a way to work together to make a great desk organizer. Racks to hold video games. Footstools. Plant stands. Candle holders. Kids toys. Like I said, your imagination is all that's going to get in your way if you have access to all those tools and want to go scavenge wood. It's cool you're interested in this wonderful trade...


That is some beautiful work, I like the use of square edges to complement the inset pattern and the rug it is on. You have an artistic eye for sure.


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## Homewright (Nov 30, 2012)

Thanks. I love to play with design. To me, each piece of wood will eventually tell me what it will become. I know this sounds ridiculous but for me it works as part of my 'process'. I rarely know what something will finish out to until I step back and it feels done. There's a little bit of me in everything I build...


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Its like a sculptor who removes everything that doesnt look like what he is sculpting. With all those tools you can build whatever you can imagine.


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## chopsaw32 (Dec 8, 2012)

Homewright said:


> Thanks. I love to play with design. To me, each piece of wood will eventually tell me what it will become. I know this sounds ridiculous but for me it works as part of my 'process'. I rarely know what something will finish out to until I step back and it feels done. There's a little bit of me in everything I build...


it doesn't sound ridiculous at all i totally get what your saying, thanks


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## Woodwart (Dec 11, 2012)

SandburRanch said:


> Miter saws are to cut wood and chop saws are to cut steel. .


I didn't know that! Everyone around here seems to call mitre saws "chop saws." Doesn't matter to me, I don't figure I need one...:smile:


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## ownerbuilder2012 (Sep 17, 2012)

A good way to find ideas is to look inside your home and try to figure out what is missing, any furniture or small projects that can add convenience to your home. It's not that difficult at all.


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

Chopsaw, Congrats on your interest in woodworking and welcome to the forum.

You can build anything you can imagine out of "scraps". The possibilities are endless. 

These projects are a great way to build on your skills and learn the best order of operations.

You have a pretty good set of tools to start with.

As far as the chop saw/miter saw question goes don't sweat it. I've worked in several states and you'd be surprised how the terminology changes from region to region.

IMO if we're getting technical you can call both saws a chop saw because they both operate using an up/down motion.

A metal cutting chop saw should not be called a miter saw if it only makes a 90° cut. If you can cut an angle on itcwithout some kind of jig it's a miter saw.

Technically, a saw doesn't chop it cuts. So maybe we shouldn't use the word "chop" for either tool.

After all we're not talking about axes or hatchets.

Just sayin'


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## chopsaw32 (Dec 8, 2012)

Woodwart said:


> I didn't know that! Everyone around here seems to call mitre saws "chop saws." Doesn't matter to me, I don't figure I need one...:smile:


i never knew that chop saws were for metal! i always cut kindling and fire wood with them. :laughing:


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## SeniorSitizen (May 2, 2012)

chopsaw32 said:


> well, even though pics wont load, thanks for trying to help me


Well chop, now I think I've got it. Sorry for the delay.

These Scotch tape dispensers are a project I build from scraps that remained from scrap projects. As you can see they must get awfully small before I pitch them in the wood stove. They may be small but can be challenging. One challenge is making them weigh around 12oz.


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## Purrmaster (Jul 19, 2012)

Chopsaw32,

You can glue strips of scrap wood together for a cutting board.

By the way, your question is an excellent one and one I wonder about frequently.


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Let's see, I've made beer steins and goblets (without a lathe) spinning tops (with a lathe) jewelry boxes, reed cases for musical instrument reeds, tables, bookshelves, and all kinds of other stuff out of "scrap". As others have said, you imagination is the only limit you have. Toys are a great use for scraps because they almost always need small components and they're great for donating or giving as presents. Plus, kids don't really care if the woods "don't match". In fact, they usually prefer it, in my experience. 

Small boxes are good because they let you use scraps and learn lots of joinery techniques.


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## Dopalgangr (Jan 20, 2012)

frankp said:


> Let's see, I've made beer steins and goblets (without a lathe) spinning tops (with a lathe) jewelry boxes, reed cases for musical instrument reeds, tables, bookshelves, and all kinds of other stuff out of "scrap". As others have said, you imagination is the only limit you have. Toys are a great use for scraps because they almost always need small components and they're great for donating or giving as presents. Plus, kids don't really care if the woods "don't match". In fact, they usually prefer it, in my experience.
> 
> Small boxes are good because they let you use scraps and learn lots of joinery techniques.


How do you make a beer stein without a lathe? Thanks.


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## LukeDuke (Dec 2, 2012)

Cutting boards... coasters?


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Dopalgangr said:


> How do you make a beer stein without a lathe? Thanks.


Coopered sides. Basically you cut strips of wood that have angles cut to mate depending upon how many "sides" you want on the "barrel". It's simple geometric math to calculate the interior angle based upon the number of sides to a polygon. After that it's just glueing the sides together and putting a handle and bottom on the mug. You can use a bastard file and some sandpaper to smooth out the angles, if you want, but I tend to leave them "edged" because they are mostly for people going to renaissance fairs and the like, so its generally considered a plus.


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## against_the_grain (Aug 15, 2010)

Not sure I would agree that chop saws are only for metal. You do a google of chop saw and many come up that are miter saws for wood. You put
a metal cutting blade in a miter saw and its a chop saw . No ? 

Not trying to nitpick or anything, but I think motorized miter saws have sort of inherited the name chop saws . Typically a chop saw intended for metal is
called a metal chop saw.

Anyways, never saw this brought up before on a woodworking forum where it seems everyone calls a motorized miter saw, a chop saw.


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## Dopalgangr (Jan 20, 2012)

frankp said:


> Coopered sides. Basically you cut strips of wood that have angles cut to mate depending upon how many "sides" you want on the "barrel". It's simple geometric math to calculate the interior angle based upon the number of sides to a polygon. After that it's just glueing the sides together and putting a handle and bottom on the mug. You can use a bastard file and some sandpaper to smooth out the angles, if you want, but I tend to leave them "edged" because they are mostly for people going to renaissance fairs and the like, so its generally considered a plus.


Thanks Frank, they sound pretty cool. Do you have any pictures of one you could post? Is there a certain type of wood I should use? I mainly have black walnut, red oak, and some maple in the scrap pile.


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Dopalgangr said:


> Thanks Frank, they sound pretty cool. Do you have any pictures of one you could post? Is there a certain type of wood I should use? I mainly have black walnut, red oak, and some maple in the scrap pile.


I actually gave them all away as gifts before I started taking pictures of my projects. LolaRanch currently has a great thread on coopered boxes that show fine examples (much better than mine) of the technique. http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f13/coopered-tube-box-45775/

You can use whatever woods you like/have. I've made them from Walnut, Paduak, Maple, and Purpleheart. I've seen them made from a whole lot more options.

I used marine epoxy to make mine completely waterproof but it's not a necessity. I happened to have it left over from a kayak build. Just about any "food safe" finish will work just as well, though.


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## Fins59 (Oct 16, 2011)

chopsaw32 said:


> well, even though pics wont load, thanks for trying to help me


 Now here's a polite young man:thumbsup:

I have a few boxes of scrap wood that I know as soon as I throw them in my wood burner I'll find a use for them.
I hate cutting up big boards for little projects.


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## nates-dust (Dec 20, 2012)

*Scrap Dinosaur*

Here's what I made with scrap


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## bradnailer (Nov 11, 2008)

LukeDuke said:


> Cutting boards... coasters?


Agree. Scrap wood is great for making butcher block tops for bakers racks and such. I use a lot of scrap but when I get to the point of diminishing returns, it goes to the fire pit.


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

nates-dust said:


> Here's what I made with scrap


I wouldn't call that little guy scrap... looks like grade A material to me. :laughing: perhaps a "chip off the old block" but certainly not scrap.


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