Off cuts and all those little bits

[hughie]

What do you do with all your off cuts and little chunks? I generally throw them into a plastic milk crate till it over flows then try and figure what to do with them.
I used to have a young autistic turner who loved to turn pens and other little objects, but he has moved away. I have at different times resorted to burning them on the BBQ as my storage capabilities are full and limited, all up my shop has a total area of 200sqft.

 

[Jim Reynolds]

You could glue them all together and turn a plate/platter. This is a variant of the multi species cutting board project.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

Kindling!

 

[hughie]

You could glue them all together and turn a plate/platter. This is a variant of the multi species cutting board project.

not really into that

 

[hughie]

Kindling!

yes and it works just as for me, the most part its hardwood

 

[Odie]

I recently tried to give away my bowl corner pieces, and ended up connecting with those who want spindle blanks. There might be a few that would work for a finial, but for the most part, not even that without laminating.

Just hate to throw them away....knowing someone somewhere would love to have them.....but, that's what I'll probably do with them.

-----odie-----

 

[Richard Coers]

Earrings, necklaces, and pens. Over the years I've probably sold at least 200 pendant necklaces at $24 each. Now I can only give them away. Wife jokes that everyone has one.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

Just last week, I got for the first time ever in 27 years of turning, a bottle stopper set. I also hate to throw away wood, especially if it is something with curl. Now, I can save small pieces for bottle stoppers.

 

[Steve Chaplin]

For cutoffs that are long enough they can cut up for segmented turning.

 

[Kevin Jenness]

They burn just fine in my wood stove.

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

I use them for bottle stoppers, knobs and anything else I need that is small.

 

[Mike Braden]

I made a coffee scoop from some small cutoffs

 

[Barry Richardson]

I make furniture too, so I probably get a better selection of cutoffs and thins than the average turner, But I have been doing this lately. Its quite a bit of work though, and requires woodworking machines, i.e. table saw and jointer....

 

[Dave Fritz]

Just last week, I got for the first time ever in 27 years of turning, a bottle stopper set. I also hate to throw away wood, especially if it is something with curl. Now, I can save small pieces for bottle stoppers.

Emiliano, I think you're wise. I know of several turners that do bottle stoppers in local woods that tourists purchase on their visits. A memento at a lower price point. I'll bet you sell out.

 

[Mark Mandell]

Since I have more wood than I'll ever use (and more keeps showing up uninvited) scraps and such go in the garbage/landfill.

 

[Larry Mitchell]

 

[Mark Jundanian]

I make furniture too, so I probably get a better selection of cutoffs and thins than the average turner, But I have been doing this lately. Its quite a bit of work though, and requires woodworking machines, i.e. table saw and jointer....
View attachment 46524

That's a really good looking vase. Wish I could examine it up close.

 

[Brian Deakin]

A member of our club sold more than 50 turned mice for cats Each mouse made from a scrap piece of wood
Turned pigs could be another option

 

[Roger Ziegler]

I save the small scrap pieces to use on pens, bottle stoppers, small segmented bowls, and pencil holders. I also use pen blanks for segmented bowls, and the saved cutoffs wind up in other projects. Oh yes, the lathe shavings wind up in the plant beds and gardens as compost, nothing new with that idea (like processing pork, everything is used but the oink, in woodturning, all is used but the bark). Assembling scraps can be tedious, but it forces me to be creative to use them up.

 

[Gerry Patton]

I use them for chain pulls on lights/ceiling fan.

 

[Tom Gall]

Earrings, necklaces, and pens. Over the years I've probably sold at least 200 pendant necklaces at $24 each. Now I can only give them away. Wife jokes that everyone has one.

Way back - when I used to do shows I made pendant watches to have some items at a lower price point. Rough blanks were 2" square by 3/8-7/16" thick - mostly from scrap cut-offs. I sold about 1,600 of those suckers over the years.