OK so the kitchen cabinets I did for my kids is finished. About 14 sheets of 3/4″ plywood and some 1/2″ for the drawers.
Did you ever notice that you never use the whole piece of plywood? I must have a hundred small pieces of 3/4″.
What would you do with them?
ASK
Replies
What kind of ply is it? finished or unfinished? Grade and # of faces?
I'm thinking creatively is why I'm asking.
Saw an amazing worktop built by one of the mini-max owners over on their forums recently that was a work of art... done out of plywood edge glued and then coated with a lot of layers.
Depending on what it is, there are some odds and ends that could be made so you don't have to just throw it away and still get value out of it without wasting time.
-michael
Michael
Maple and birch veneer, unfinished. These are the leftovers from the 4 X 8 sheets used to cut the sides, tops, bottoms and doors.
ASK
cabinets for the shop, the garage shelfing for the closets, jigs. Coffins for small animals.
Troy
... shipping cases for pre-Columbian ceramics ....
-- J.S.
Dang things are like rats. You get rid of a bunch and more keep showing up. Before you know it you can't get to anything in the shop cause they are propped up in every corner, working their way out. Next thing you know they are falling out and tripping you. Might as well haul them to the dump or give them to anyone that will take them. More will be showing up.
I use them for supports for simple, knock together shelving, corner braces, jig parts, small projects and so on, it all depends on the size of the scrap. when they start getting down to index card size or smaller, I throw them out.
1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
Edited 8/13/2005 12:42 pm ET by Ricks503
Router fixtures, speaker cabinets, step stools, shelves....Mark
Visit my woodworking blog Dust Maker
ASK,
I read somewhere that you should go through you shop every few months and if you come across something that you "think you could use" that's been sitting around for too long, get rid of it. It's hard to distinguish the truly usable stuff from the really hurts me to throw this away stuff, but you also don't want a growing fire hazard in your shop. If you can't toss it, build something with is soon so it doesn't continue to clutter your work area. Build yourself some handy portable containers for all your different sizes of screws and nails, or a couple of simple project specific tool boxes ex.: one for all your plumbing stuff, one for all the electrical stuff, one for all your sandpaper,...... the list goes on.
Good Luck,
Brian
It's hard to distinguish the truly usable stuff from the really hurts me to throw this away stuff, but you also don't want a growing fire hazard in your shop.
I think it's a problem for all woodworkers actually. I do go through every couple months, look through all the 'scrap' that I just KNOW is useful, and finally haul it to the burn pile. Until then, it's all fair game for jigs, fixtures, etc. Shame ain't it.
Sigh.....
Dave,
It does tug at the old heart strings, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Are you the same dave that's made of mud (he'd understand)
Brian
Well, I've been accused of a lot of things, but I'm sorry, that ain't one of em.
Sorry Dave,
It's a different guy that I'm talkin about then, have a good one.
Brian
Brian, I've come up with a foolproof way of figuring out which scraps I'll need - I throw them away!Sure as shootin I'll need the scrap of wood, piece of metal, or whatever a few days after the garbage truck hauls it away!
Mike,
There's that damn murphy again showin his ugly mug, just when you thought you were safe.....
I still don't think it's good to keep a bunch of scrap around cluttering the shop, it's just not worth the risk.
Maybe we should all have a little contest and build something out of scrap in our shops and post pics of the results, we could call it scrapfest!!
Have fun,
Brian
There's that damn murphy again showin his ugly mug DAng I just posted my thoughts???
Will,
Don't get touchy, I was talking about "Murphy's Law". Your thoughts are always appreciated.
Brian
Don't get touchy, WHO ME?? LOL...I only get 'touchy' on dates....To get me mad it would have to be really serious.. Like take my drink or somethin'...
Will,
Rather than take your drink I'll have to buy you a few some time. Something tells me you be a hoot with a half a bottle of tequila in ya.
Take Care,
Brian
with a half a bottle of tequila in ya..Dang I hope it's the GOOD stuff with JUST Ice!... LOL....EDIT:: USA ICE.. I had Ice in Mexico once and got really sick!Well, that was way back in 1959 or abouts!
Edited 8/17/2005 2:07 pm ET by WillGeorge
Will,
Actually Will, we'll drink it warm, you put a little salt on your thumb (lick it off after the shot) then you sqeeze all the juice out of a lime (insert in mouth also), and the whole works goes down the hatch.
I garauntee it'll kill anything that could make ya sick, even the ice.
I'll get a bottle of the really good stuff to celebrate your initiation.
Take Care,
Brian
A few years ago I purchased a optimizing program and now most of the scraps are not worth saving. Paid for itself on the first job!
If good veneer ply..
I save and cut into strips.. of whatever size to make a panel for something else...
I once made a bretty big pannel in sort of a 'Z' pattern out of Cherry and Walnut ply scraps... Yes.. I used small biscuits to assemble them...
I made a small (steamer trunk size) chest out of it.. Turned out pretty nice if I don't say so myself...
Very different though...
EDIT:: Z pattern was just my brain at the time...
Edited 8/14/2005 10:32 am ET by WillGeorge
Make a big pile in the backyard. Add about a gallon of kindling and enjoy your sacrifice to the fire gods.
Make a big pile in the backyard..Ya out to have my four BIG dogs!
Leftover plywood...Mmmm, let me see, I've made large boxes to hold scrap wood, smaller boxes to hold planes and other important things, for shop shelves and reinforcing shop tables etc., I use it for jigs and the like, I attached wheels and made a cart to move furniture I'm building from place to place and I still have a lot of it laying around. As long as I have the space I keep it for future use, other wise it'd be a problem. Good luck.
pk
Thanks for all the suggestions. Some of the pieces may have some use, others are going to the dump. How about the fireplace or is the glue not good for the chimney?
An aside with regard to things you accumulate over the years. Wife and I decided to sell the house in NYC and move into an apartment. Rather then spend weeks or months going through the things in the cellar and deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, I hired someone to clean out the cellar. 3 hours and there was nothing left. What a relief not having to think about it any more.
If you haven't used it in 5 or 10 or 20 years, you probably don't need it.
thanks again
ASK
Ply is not good to burn - too many checmical addivtes to be healthy to breath.1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
Thanks Rick
That's what I thought.
ASK
In the past I've incorporated most of the before mentioned suggestions. Another suggestion that I used in the past was to scroll cut-out simple puzzles of animals to pass out to nephews, nieces, friends children, etc. But there came a time a couple of times a year that I just had to close my eyes and chunk the scraps.
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