Shopsmith Forums

If you do 'get' them under control, you may have enough room to help HD keep their cull pile under control.! I have a goodly collection of 1/4 sheet sized(and larger) MDF and 'melaminized' particle board. They almost give it away! I do not let the lack of controlling the scrap pile interfere!:D Occasionally they have nice hardwoods there(up to 3' lengths-mostly red oak). Prices TOP OUT at $4.01.

JPG40504 wrote:If you do 'get' them under control, you may have enough room to help HD keep their cull pile under control.! I have a goodly collection of 1/4 sheet sized(and larger) MDF and 'melaminized' particle board. They almost give it away! I do not let the lack of controlling the scrap pile interfere!:D Occasionally they have nice hardwoods there(up to 3' lengths-mostly red oak). Prices TOP OUT at $4.01.

I used to get all kinds of great scrap pieces like you've described from the HD cull piles, but for some reason they stopped selling their cull pieces around here (Charlotte, NC) a couple of years ago. Maybe they still do it, but they have it hidden. I'll have to ask next time I go. It was a great source of material for jigs & such.

You can always try something like this.

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I made shelves that seperate the tubes into 4 sections.

The problem is - What to do after these tubes get full??

Maybe something like this - or these

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[quote="MikeG"]I try to use Norm Abrams' trashcan rule: "If it fits in the trashcan that's where it belongs". Like I said I try, but sometimes a few short pieces collect under the workbench to be used as sacrificial backups.]

If it's good enough for Norm and Mike, it's good enough for me. I just put a lot of stuff in the trash, mostly smaller pieces of MDF and plywood that I would not want to burn. I also took Francis advice to get a scrap bin and now use my Rubbermaid Brute on wheels as a hardwood scrap bin. I hope to put this stuff to use. Charlese, you're the ultimate in scrap management. Love those Lincoln Logs and pepper mills! I would not like those loaded tubes over my head though. Great stuff guys...my shop is really starting to get cleaned up!

JPG40504 wrote:If you do 'get' them under control, you may have enough room to help HD keep their cull pile under control.! I have a goodly collection of 1/4 sheet sized(and larger) MDF and 'melaminized' particle board. They almost give it away! I do not let the lack of controlling the scrap pile interfere!:D Occasionally they have nice hardwoods there(up to 3' lengths-mostly red oak). Prices TOP OUT at $4.01.

I cannot pass a Home Depot without checking the cull cart. I make dressers for a charity out of MDF. Everything comes from the cull cart except the knobs, staples and glue. Even the paint comes out of the "oops" cart @ $5 per gallon. I try to make a dresser every month. Maybe $10 in materials. If I really got organized I could make a lot more. They're fun to make. I have made them for my kids. So far the dressers have survived college dormitories and frat houses and are now used in their homes, so they are durable too. Just keep 'em dry.

I treat my shop like the rest of my household. I have 2 racks to accomodate shorts. When they are full, I sort the least desirable pieces at give to a friend with a woodburner. I try to plan enough small projects (mostly gifts) to keep the scrap supply at a minimum. I work a lot so there are times that I only have time for the larger projects and have to burn scrap.

It ain't scrap until you throw it out.

I have a five gallon bucket that I keep the potentially usable cut-offs in. Other smaller scrap pieces go immediately into the trash can. Actually, I have two trash containers. One (smaller) holds normal type trash, and a larger 35 gallon tub holds dust/chips and wood scraps. The larger tub gets emptied in a pit, while the normal trash goes to the transfer station. But I digress...

When my five gallon bucket gets full, I'm forced to make a decision as to what I want to keep. So far this seems to keep my scrap and cut-offs under control.

8iowa wrote:I have a five gallon bucket that I keep the potentially usable cut-offs in. Other smaller scrap pieces go immediately into the trash can. Actually, I have two trash containers. One (smaller) holds normal type trash, and a larger 35 gallon tub holds dust/chips and wood scraps. The larger tub gets emptied in a pit, while the normal trash goes to the transfer station. But I digress...

When my five gallon bucket gets full, I'm forced to make a decision as to what I want to keep. So far this seems to keep my scrap and cut-offs under control.

What is the difference between that and disappearing.

I'm with dusty, Robinson and the other guys. i cant throw out a scrap unless its too small to use for anything!! if it fits in a coffee cup, most likely its on the way out!!

bill