Recycling shavings?

Clancy · Post by **Clancy** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:39 pm

After only 3 instruments I've found myself with an abundance of stored wood shavings from carving. It seems such a waste to simply throw it all out. We spend so much money on the tonewoods, yet so much of what we use ends up as shavings, dust & off-cuts.

Has anyone found a use for the shavings & dust (other than starting the fireplace)?

I was thinking it could be used in moulds to make solid sculptures or tool handles but wouldn't know what to 'bind' it all with.

Any ideas?

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:14 pm

I saw several months ago someone was selling East Indian Rosewood, and Mahogany shavings on eBay. Marketing them at the craft crowd. God only knows what they'd do with them though. According to Bob, the EIR smells like dog turds. So I'm guessing not Potpourri.

DarwinStrings · Post by **DarwinStrings** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:35 pm

Potpourri for dogs?......

Jim

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:56 pm

Wood Carvers could use 'em as pubes on their carved nudes

matthew · Post by **matthew** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:31 pm

good for mulch and excellent for starting barbeques

DarwinStrings · Post by **DarwinStrings** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:46 pm

kiwigeo wrote:Wood Carvers could use 'em as pubes on their carved nudes

Chuckle

what a funny man....... Does give me some input for my next sculpture though.

The thought just occoured to me Craig, you said "an abundance of STORED wood shavings".......you better find a use for them or you will eventually have to move out of your shed for the bags of wood shavings if you keep building those arch tops.

Jim.

Clancy · Post by **Clancy** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:14 pm

Your right Jim.
Met James 'Blood' Ulmer on the weekend and am further inspired to stay on this track, so the archtops will keep coming in one form or another.
I've already filled one of those old galvanised garbage bins and am starting on the next. Guess it's going to garden mulch - got no use for wooden pubes.

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:12 am

Sheep feed?

Rod True · Post by **Rod True** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 6:18 am

Depending on the wood, adding some chips and shavings to the BBQ adds a bit of nice flavor to what ever you're cooking. I would avoid anything too oily but cherry or maple is very nice.

Put it in a tin can (to contain the remains), drill some holes in the sides for the smoke to escape, you're good to go.

Kim · Post by **Kim** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:02 am

Hey Rod,

If you were to use EIR for this not only would BBQ sausages look like dog turd, they would probably smell like dog turd too which I don't think would be very appetising.

As for using wood shavings to make pubic hair for sculptures, you could go the next step and market merkins made from exotic woods. However in this application it may be wise to avoid those species that are known sensitizers such as cocobolo. Which is a pity really because I can just see the pick up line "Hey babe, how would you like to run your fingers through my cocoboloes" being very, very, affective.

And Jim "Potpourri for dogs?"

Cheers

Kim

DarwinStrings · Post by **DarwinStrings** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:44 am

"my cocoboloes"

That is a weird pic, it just looks wrong...hmmmm, needs a part maybe.

Jim

sebastiaan56 · Post by **sebastiaan56** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:53 am

yeh, mine would definitely need a part

Thats way out there Kim, well done!

Kim · Post by **Kim** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 11:51 am

I think aside from the sensitivity issues, if one was to seriously consider offering a line of merkins manufactured from exotic timber shavings, they would first need to consider species quite carefully from a marketing perspective. For instance I have my doubts about the sensability in offering a line of 'minerichi' merkins. Just something about the name irritates me. However I 'could' see a myrtle merkin being a really big winner and of course an instant classic would be the mahogany merkin. For something a little more chique and up-market, the Bunya merkin could be used to targeted those with big nuts.

I better go take my medication now

Cheers

Kim

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 2:35 pm

Hippety Hop · Post by **Hippety Hop** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 4:27 pm

Gunns might buy it.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 5:31 pm

Can I get mine in Bunya and with a part.

Did you forget to take the Lithium today Kim?

matthew · Post by **matthew** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 4:41 pm

Check these woody pubes

nuffin like a bit of ebony

Paul B · Post by **Paul B** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:18 pm

Gotta be careful with some wood shavings. If you're sensitised to coco or other species (or not), and you burn the shavings, you might not have a great health outcome if you breath in the smoke - especially if you're cooking food over them and then eating it. My advice is to not burn any wood shavings from exotic species where there are health issues associated with just being exposed to the wood dust (sensitisers) - the smoke from burning them is bound to be far worse for you than just being exposed to the wood dust itself. It might really f**k you up if you smoke food with them and then eat it. Better to just bin them, or put them on the garden.

There are however, some quite enjoyable outcomes when exposed to the smoke produced from burning some other exotic species of plants... Obviously, our Kim is quite familiar with these species.

Heard somewhere that you can't use walnut shavings as bedding for horses, 'cause the horses pee in it, there is some kind of chemical reaction between the horse pee and the shavings, that produces a toxin that is then absorbed through the horses hooves, and it kills them. Horses are very heavy and difficult to move when they're dead. - just so you know.

Dennis Leahy · Post by **Dennis Leahy** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 2:38 am

Well, lovely as they are, I'm not in the market for a pube toupee, but I could definitely use a couple of handfuls for the top of my head.

A few years ago I saw someone making small chunks of a wood + plastic composite (using shavings and epoxy or acrylic), and I think I remember it was destined for bowl turners and pen turners. Wonder if Larry Davis knows about that stuff.

Dennis

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