Offcuts

Roland

Every woodworker I’ve met hangs on to offcuts. You never know when you’ll need a sliver of something. Recently I acquired a lathe, and this week I have been able to cross something off my bucket list.



The bowl on the left is an offcut from the waist of the Recyclecaster, the guitar which was modified in the C18Q1 challenge. You can still see the green dye from the builders plank around its rim. The other comes from the cedar block which became my main gigging guitar. 

Anyone else use offcuts, apart from in the log burner?

Rabs

Lol.... I have boxes of them.. I find it really hard to throw away nice looking wood....  As you say, I have them in case I ever need to plug something or to find a match for whatever.. 

If you happen to be near East London I can sort you out some if you want...  Better than it just sitting there doing nothing in my eyes   

WezV

I went through a stage of making exotic wood bull roarers

m_c

WezV said:

I went through a stage of making exotic wood bull roarers

That has reminded me a few years ago at the Harrogate model engineering show, one of the clubs had lots of model wooden wheelbarrows made from different woods. There must of been well over 30, and it still sticks in my mind because one of them is the only time I've seen hawthorn used to make something worthwhile.

Roland

Thinks ... there’s a thorn tree been felled in someone’s garden just up the road ...

m_c

Roland said:

Thinks ... there’s a thorn tree been felled in someone’s garden just up the road ...

I'll give you a tip. Welding gauntlets.
Thorny bushes are horrendous to deal with. Especially hawthorn with it's 2-3 inch thorns that will skewer you, and you can't pick it up without it snagging on something. I've seen a couple high-viz vests go through wood chippers, because the thorns have grabbed a hold. You get three part vests with poppers up the sides for this very reason!
And if it's berberis, the thorns are poisonous just for added fun. My brother got to spend a week in hospital with a septic thumb due to a splinter from one.

Roland

We ripped out a hawthorn hedge because of this. We used a diesel truck to pull it out so that we didn’t need to touch it.  When harvesting thorn for firewood I run down the sides with the chainsaw to take all the thorns off.

TTony

Roland said:

When harvesting thorn for firewood I run down the sides with the chainsaw to take all the thorns off.

That'd have the Health & Safety people in a panic.

Children, don't do that at home.  When you're using a chainsaw, make sure that your feet are firmly planted to keep a stable balance.  Don't over-reach with the saw, only cut what's in comfortable reach.

And *never* run with it.  Unless you're really in a hurry.

Rocker

Nice work @Roland

Simo

A few random things I've made from off-cuts over the last couple of years.. a toy pickup truck for my nephew, a chopping board, a banana hanger, and a Tardis ring box for a friend's wedding.

http://u.cubeupload.com/simo/Zx1NZA.jpg

aord43

Roland said:

Every woodworker I’ve met hangs on to offcuts. You never know when you’ll need a sliver of something. Recently I acquired a lathe, and this week I have been able to cross something off my bucket list.

I thought you meant you'd made a bucket (or two, after seeing the picture)

mar10

waste not want not!

made a load of clocks from some unused/wonky mango 
 need a cheap lathe, stupidly sold dads when he passed (RIP jbl)

https://cdn.pbrd.co/images/HbKmxyx.jpg

WezV

Just reminded me... I did a few clocks years ago.

a few people got hunting knives with fancy burl handles too