# scrap wood projects



## Twoodsr (Feb 7, 2011)

Hello all,
New to this site and am interested in what projects people build out of scrap/ recycled wood? like pallets, old furniture ect. any type of free wood.
I get a lot of pallets from next door to where I work and I have made every thing from lamps, ring, jewelry boxes to book cases standing 4' tall, 3' wide, 18" deep.
I have a neighborhood kid that I taught to disassemble pallets with out destroying them and it is win-win for both of us, it frees up my time and he earns more then an allowance and his parents are happy that he is willing to help bring in some extra money.
I have a very hard time tossing any wood that I feel that I can make some thing out of unless it is OSB, particle board, MDF ect.


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## Texas Sawduster (Apr 27, 2009)

*Welcome from Texas !!!*

Welcome to the forum.

I have a pile of re-claimed pallet wood as well. Most of it is rough cut and came from India.

Sittin and waiting for an idea to pop into my head. :laughing:


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Welcome to the forum. 

You can always do segmented bowls ... lots of advice on the Internet on how to do that.


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## jaxonquad (Jan 26, 2011)

Glad to see someone with a similar attitude towards wood. I am jealous of your " help" though.
I have a deal with my employer of removing unwanted pallets. Allot of junk but occasionally It pays out ...like the poplar and walnut pallets I Removed last month! 

And welcome from one " newb" to another


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## Fly Fisher (Jun 22, 2010)

it seems like everyone i know drops off old furniture, old hardwood flooring, etc. etc etc if i see stuff on the side of the road that says free and its hardwood, its mine. I built three multi-species boxes as Christmas gifts this year, all from wood i found on the road.
A little planing and its as good as new. :thumbsup:
Welcome to the forum


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I'm not using old pallets (well actually a couple of pieces were), but I do try and get my wood from recycled sources whenever possible. I have a source that works for a furniture company that builds large dining and conference tables out of tress that are saved from the landfill, or salvaged from construction projects, etc. They usually just put their cut-offs out for people to take to burn, but he saves me any larger pieces or stuff that has some interest. Have gotten all sorts of species and some really spectacular grain. I've also recycle some old headboards that I've picked up at garage sales.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

Welcome to the forum, Glad to have you.

How about you post some picture in you albums of those projects of yours. We like pictures.


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## cowboy dan (Apr 11, 2010)

sawdustfactory said:


> I'm not using old pallets (well actually a couple of pieces were), but I do try and get my wood from recycled sources whenever possible. I have a source that works for a furniture company that builds large dining and conference tables out of tress that are saved from the landfill, or salvaged from construction projects, etc. They usually just put their cut-offs out for people to take to burn, but he saves me any larger pieces or stuff that has some interest. Have gotten all sorts of species and some really spectacular grain. I've also recycle some old headboards that I've picked up at garage sales.


 same here, i get some of my stock from a few finish carpenters. i just resaw on the table saw. but you dont get brazilian tulip wood or purplheart from them. for most of my stock i still have to buy. i would love to find a walnut pallet left for scrap! i also refuse to throw out my veneer shavings...lol they are very useful for repairs. i even plan on using the sawdust... even sort my dust by color. there is still a mix bin but thats not waste either.


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## midcent' dave (Dec 20, 2010)

Welcome.

I too love reused and recycled wood. I just hate to see scraps thrown away or burned up. You can find some great stuff with a little patience and luck. 

I 2nd the notion of posting pics of some projects with found materials!


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## cowboy dan (Apr 11, 2010)

my garage was built long before i bought the house. it was a blank canvas. all the shelving and benches i built out of scrap 2x4 and some plywood i had carried with me for many years... was all i had, and stored out side uncovered. this stuff i mainly used as dunage for working on my trucks in the bush. when i parked them and got out of the sport, i had little use for it all untill i bought the house. the only thing that isn't made of garbage is the table saw home. that is top g1s 3/4" red oak ply.


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## cowboy dan (Apr 11, 2010)

here is a couple more of some scrap work. even the mdf for the sub boxes are recycled cunks from other works of garbage...lol.


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## jaxonquad (Jan 26, 2011)

Recycled poplar and oak cutting board.


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## Firewalker (Jan 3, 2011)

cowboy dan said:


> i even plan on using the sawdust... even sort my dust by color. there is still a mix bin but thats not waste either.


I save the dust and sort it too. Talk about some good matching filler. 

I am not sure if I am frugal, a pack rat, or just optimistic. I can't hardly throw any wood cut offs, blocks etc. away. Sure as I did I would need it to make a shim or spacer of some sort.

I don't have any ideas for the OP but another source of free wood is when semi loads of heavy goods are stacked...sometimes there are some pretty big chunks of hard wood to be had (like 4x4 or 6x6) It looks like crap in the rough but run her through the planer and it's like christmas.

Would be cool to take those and make a project and drop it off at the trucking company's office as a thank you.


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## cowboy dan (Apr 11, 2010)

Firewalker said:


> I save the dust and sort it too. Talk about some good matching filler.
> 
> I am not sure if I am frugal, a pack rat, or just optimistic. I can't hardly throw any wood cut offs, blocks etc. away. Sure as I did I would need it to make a shim or spacer of some sort.
> 
> ...


up here we call that stuff dunage... atleast i do. atleast its straight so a single pass on the ts is all it needs. but i'm pretty good at resawing even twisted dunage. i think the best gift for those who waste is to just keep their scrap bins empty. they don't think twice when disguarding it.


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## Firewalker (Jan 3, 2011)

That's exactly what it is.....Thank you! The name for that slipped me and it was buggin. The stuff I picked up was pretty heavy very solid wood....and the best price ever!


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## Fly Fisher (Jun 22, 2010)

I've got jars and jars of sawdust as well. Today I was at a buddies place today picking up about 200 bdft of walnut he gave me (yea, i know) from his grandpas old shop, when he showed me little jars of sawdust that his grandpa would use a razor blade to chop it up into talcum-like powder. Never thought that before as most of the dust i have is pretty coarse. Learn something new everyday. :thumbsup:


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## cowboy dan (Apr 11, 2010)

you know how some artsy farty people encase plants and stuff under a glass top? they frame it all up and call it a breakfast in bed table. i thought of the same but use of sawdust instead. with all my colors of sawdust i'm sure i could come up with some design that would be cool.


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## jaxonquad (Jan 26, 2011)

My wife's friend makes pottery and has mentioned using sawdust as tender for an " inground" kiln. Not that she has asked for any but while on the topic of recycling ....and sawdust


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## cowboy dan (Apr 11, 2010)

jaxonquad said:


> My wife's friend makes pottery and has mentioned using sawdust as tender for an " inground" kiln. Not that she has asked for any but while on the topic of recycling ....and sawdust


 could you explain what tender is?


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## jaxonquad (Jan 26, 2011)

I think I mispelled it, tinder* - fuel for the fire- 
It was explained to me you dig a hole, line it with clay tile, fill half with sawdust then your pottery then more sawdust and light it and let it smolder.


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## cowboy dan (Apr 11, 2010)

jaxonquad said:


> I think I mispelled it, tinder* - fuel for the fire-
> It was explained to me you dig a hole, line it with clay tile, fill half with sawdust then your pottery then more sawdust and light it and let it smolder.


 i see


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## Twoodsr (Feb 7, 2011)

I am amazed at the response to my post, I may have hit a button here? I try to make useful things out of the wood I get and I have had a long standing policy to make something in return for anyone that "gives" me wood.
This past summer, I cleaned up a local guys driveway after he had a 80' Poplar tree taken down and I carried away about 5 cords of wood and it is sitting under a tarp in my field stacked on pallets and so far I have only cut up a few pieces of it so I can get some turnning stock drying. 
Last fall, it was Cherry, Apple, Plum and Juniper to go along with the Aspen, Ash, Maple, Myrtlewood, Oak and of course, Doug fir.
Once I get all of the photos taken of the "projects", I will post some of them here to give folks some ideas of what can be done with scrap or junk wood.
" It's not how many toys you have, It's how you use them that will give you and others the most pleasure"


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## Anywhy30 (Dec 2, 2011)

welcome to the forum


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