Would it be ok if I brought in a bin for small scrap wood? Right now, the medium sized and smal but useable scraps are getting thrown in the trash, and I know of a lot of projects where that wood could be used instead of wasted, like cutting boards, boxes, etc.
A bin would be more sanitary than digging through the sawdust trash. I could set one up near the workbenches next to the trash, and another inside the woodshop itself, using clear Rubbermaid bins that I am happy to donate.
Your thoughts?
It will need policing to keep unwanted things out like plywood scraps and cut-offs from logs/stumps being turned.
Yes, you’re right. A sign might help - or it might not.
If kept in the woodshop or woodshop annex you will need committee/chair approval.
It’s not that its a bad idea, in fact its a good one, but I’ll note this has been tried before and abandoned for reasons @Raymond alluded to: most people can be trusted to only put decent scrap in it and to keep it sorted and well managed; some don’t, and use it instead of a garbage can or dumpster…you can already see the effects/impacts of “scrap bin abuse” like this around the 'Space.
Holly, you will find that the organization has a long memory for things that don’t quite work out and a surprisingly low confidence that any other revised effort can be successful. You may read one member say, “fail early and fail often” in the spirit of experimenting until something either works or is determined to be unworkable, but too many are of the “failed once and isn’t worth to try again” school. Best advice I can give is listen closely to why it failed, think about other ways it might fail, and then try to design around it. As @mblatz says, you will need approval, so go with a plan and an explanation of what failure modes you have tried to design around. Worthwhile concept and I wish you success.
One suggestion … solicit for makers who are likely to use the scraps and get them to form a cleanout squad who manages the accumulated inventory on a frequent basis and keeps it presentable. Two that have sought out my live edge scraps are @John_Marlow & @Kriskat30 and there are many more.
Bert’s right. Think about how to ensure it to succeeds. The freebie shelf is a good model…it has a lot of use, both on-to and off-of, and support by way of volunteers and logistics team ensuring it doesn’t become a hazardous dump site.
Just a thought on the "cutoffs from “logs and stumps” comment… I turn rough wood pretty often and have had several people ask for the cut offs for resin casting and pen blanks… Maybe a milled as well as a rough bin or area makes sense?
Thanks for everyone’s thoughts so far. I read everything and greatly appreciate the input. I’m still pretty new (less than a month), so I am not on any committees yet, and definitely want to abide by the rules and unwritten rules, too.
How do SIGs get started? Is there any interest in a Reclaimed Wood SIG? That way, we can have a group that agrees on what to save/not save. If logs/wood cutoffs would be valuable to other committees, maybe they can pitch in to keep that bin emptied.
I am a fan of reclaimed wood, but can’t often lift large tree trunks, etc. Someone is giving away an old barn on Craigslist. And pallet wood, although a pain to disassemble, is pretty easy to get.
I hope there’s enough interest to move forward with this! Thank you for considering the idea.
Would dating a cutoff be of any help? I’ve dated and I’ve been cutoff… But wait,I diverge… Say any thing older than xxx days gets the boot? I like your thought, just wondering about a way to scope when it is time to toss.
Wait, when did we have good scrap in the trash? A multitude of peeps walk into wood shop all day and check the trash. It’s like a thing ”who got there first” yup, I’ve pulled my fair share of amazing scrap. And other have had scrap envy.
It’s pretty small scrap - mostly cutoffs from the Multicam, “sticks” from the table saw, things like that.
i should add that when i used the woodshop i would check the already existing trash bins for small scraps and never be at a loss for finding them. Don’t fix what isn’t broken? shrug.
Use some sort of wire grate to make the bin. Easy ruler. If it fits through in any direction, put it in the trash.