Alternative uses for sawdust

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:09 pm

robinson46176 wrote:In the winter I usually just bag it up and drop the bag in the woodstove. The rest of the time I just scatter it "someplace". There are a lot of advantages to living on a farm.
With the new DC setup it will mostly just blow out to a tiny wooded spot behind the shop.

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You bag muck and drop it in the stove?:D

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:21 pm

A friend used to take mine, stuff it in a smallish paper sack, melted some pararafin (qty?) and poured over the sawdust. Used them for wood stove fire starters.

I don't put any species on plants. Wife says it takes more nitrogen to break it down than it releases.

Walnut is not supposed to be used around hoofed animals.....don't know why, though.

Now, like farmer, most goes behind the shop. DC vented to the outside. Wind takes it away.

mgdesigns · Post by **mgdesigns** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:18 pm

beeg wrote:I have emptyed my DC bag onto the lawn and racked it in.

I would advise to not do this very near to your house. This may attract termites, and they won't stop at the sawdust.

jimsjinx · Post by **jimsjinx** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:53 pm

One of my favorite uses for planer chips, is for cleaning off paste stripper. Just grab a handfull with gloves on, and scrub the slime/old finish off. Works like steel wool and rags. jimsjinx

chucks · Post by **chucks** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:40 pm

Ceramics is another use....primarily for Sagar...provides an interesting effect.

anmius · Post by **anmius** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:53 pm

Compost! I compost all of it (except walnut).

swampgator · Post by **swampgator** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:41 pm

Pine chips, curls and sawdust are excellent for helping sweet potatoes to grow slips. Some folks think you put a piece of sweet potatoe in the ground to start the plant. As a child, we grew fields of sweet potatoes. We grew our own slips. Dig a hole several inches down, put a couple inches of shavings, curls or sawdust as a bed. Put down the sweet potatoes you wish to grow. Then cover them with what you have. In a week or two, you'll have nice plants peeping throw the sawdust. Uncover the potatoes, notice that there are fine roots on the outside of the potatoe and the roots are attached to the small plant. Gently remove these from the potatoe and soak in water. Hill the row, don't furrow, insert the slips. In about 4 to 5 months, you should have the same type sweet potatoe as you grew the slip from.

Why are they called slips? No clue.

Supposedly, cedar and juniper keep bugs out of your lawn. Did that many years ago and I don't remember. Sorry. Flower beds will take cedar shavings and look good for months. Neighbors will want some once they learn you have it. Maybe, a market for it?

gilamonster · Post by **gilamonster** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:20 am

robinson46176 wrote:In the winter I usually just bag it up and drop the bag in the woodstove.

And that doesn't cause a problem? My dad always used to say that sawdust could be explosive...

since he was a firefighter, I've always been afraid to test his theory

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:40 am

He's correct on that, but ya have to get enough in the air for that to happen.

flatfoot · Post by **flatfoot** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 4:16 am

I'm thinking I want to use mine to make firestarters, maybe mix it with kerosene or something then bind it all together with wax as mentioned before.

I was wondering about the amount of sawdust in the air it would take for ignition. I have one of those cannon shaped diesel burning heaters in my shop right now and I think about that every time I start the heater. Seems like I am taking a big risk.

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Alternative uses for sawdust

Sawdust