Trash Wood

[smokeatillyjoe]

Dose anyone here use trash wood ( old dirty wood that contractors throw away) to build things with??Thanks.

[DayDr]

Any chance I get............wood is wood. Even if only for framing another project around the house........better than paying for it.

[smokeatillyjoe]

I like to take old dirty wood and build nice things with it and go back whrere I got it from and show them what I made.Most people don't belive that it is the same wood.I will post some pics of some stuff soon...smokeatillyjoe

[Dachshund]

I get a lot of my wood out of a dumpster at a local door manufacturer and dumpsters at contruction sites. Most of the time they are either going to burn it or bury it, so why not put it to good use and earn a little money while your at it?

[Larry Wilson]

I've used wood from skids we get at work, and also found some great walnut in a pile of camp firewood.
Got some redwood at a maple syrup distiller, they were getting ready to burn it. So there's wood out there if you look.
Larry

[DayDr]

never occurrred to be a dumpster diver.......will have to check it out.

[smokeatillyjoe]

Hey everybody,thanks for all the replys.So you have never been dumpster diving DayDr?? I 've been dumpster diving many times.I use to run a vending route for a man and one of my stops was a cabinet mfg..My boss said one day, that he didn't know if he had a vending srevice or a lumber transport srevice..Wood is wood and free wood is better...Smokeatillyjoe

[StuW]

As it happens, I have been building a home next to my woodshop and have been collecting all the scrap pieces. After some judicious planing and sawing, I have salvaged quite a bit of yellow pine that I used for making step stools, boxes, etc.. It sure beats taking all the scraps to the dump. :)

[injury]

have yet to do anything with what I recently acquired, but in my search for trashwood I came across a lodge resort someone is building in my neck of the woods.

It's all log cabin construction with wooden floors. So they let me grab all the scraps my truck can carry (they were just burning it before). Figure I'll just rip the tounge and groove off the floor pieces for regular projects, or leave it in place for the back of racks and such for a different look on other stuff.

Don't forget to check for nails in used wood. Some I grab out of interior remodeling (studs and such). I always go through it pulling nails (cutting off the parts and throwing away the nails I can't remove) before that stuff makes it to my normal woodpile.

Maybe someday I'll be able to afford a real nail detector, instead of the old magnetic stud finder I use now :)

Remember if nothing else the old 2X's make great shelves, and who can't use another shelf in their workshop.

[Charlie]

I can't emphasize enough what INJURY said about checking for nails in "Trash Wood". A piece of metal in wood can become a missle when it hits a saw blade. Only the Lord knows where it might strike, the head, the neck, arm, chest. The results could be disasterous and expensive (medical bills). Just do everything you can to assure there is no metal in that wood before sawing them and then....DON'T stand behind the saw blade. Stand off to one side. Safety Glasses are a must too. When an accident happens, it happens suddenly and so fast that it's over before you know it started.

By the way, I love to use wood others are throwing or plan to burn. It's fun and there is some beautiful grain and color in some of that wood.

[scroll-1]

I am still trying to use some 3/4 edge glued oak i got last year, but still pick up scraps. wife calls me packrat . Instead of wearing the planer out I use the table saw to make thin lumber out planks. put the Dado blade on and adjust to cut no more than 1/4 inch then start in the center of the board and run it thru then turn in end or end and run it thru again, then adjust the fence and repeat. I leave about a 3/8 runner on each side and use a 6inch wide push stick. Cut the runners off and run the board thru the planer for a final thickness. Really saves time and planer knives. I Don't have very good luck resawing so came up with this. I work with Habitat for Humanity and always make the home owner something out of scrap from the house, usually a cross, or small clock, or any thing small and easy.

[kkmbknap]

i get parts in on pallets that every once in a while have spacers of black walnut or maple and i "high-grade" these pieces, i have gotten some of the finest and most highly figured black walnut burl and tiger maple that i have ever seen, if you are willing to dig a little you can find treasures that you would spend a fortune on from a specialty wood store for next to nothing.

[grybeard22]

Hey trash wood is great!
I just gotta tell this one for all to read!

I rented a house a few years back that had a dirt floor garage and open frame attic with 5 ft peak ...now as u guys I have to have a "get away from the BS spot " and thats the garage/workshop....this doesnt work with dirt floor.
I walk every morning as I have diabetis and this helps control the bloodsugar level...on one of my many walks in this new area I discovered a building site where a contractor was remodeling a small office complex of 5 offices.....and low and behold out in front was a VERY LARGE scrape pile!!
So later on that day I went back there and talked with the site boss and asked him about the scrap pile as I was looking for wood to do my shop floor....told me that if I took it all I could have it as he would have to pull guys off the job to get it moved as they were getting ready to pour concrete there for a parking lot.
to make a long story short I called a buddy of mine and that day we hauled 3 pickup fulls out of there! now all this was half sheets of construction board 3/4 thick 4x4 sheets I counted 80 of these when I unloaded it all and close to 50 2x4 with maybe 6 inches gone off the end not to mention dozens of 2x6 and 4x4.
I not only was able to get the floor in but made a floor in the attic area for storage and built a nice storage shed for my buddy at his house and still have tons of it left ...sold some of it recently and bought a new toy for the shop....used wood lathe for $100.00

Well thats my story ...just thought you might like it ....I have a laugh everytime i think of it.....by the way I bought lunch for the crew at that site 3 days later!!! ,,,lol

[Dave]

I guess I am not really grasping the concept of trash wood. I've never seen any. It's all first class to me.
Seriously, I agree with all of you. When I was working in the construction field there was never a problem with what to do with the scrap wood. I already had it loaded up.
Went on a call one night, (I'm a retired Captain with the fire service) to a fire alarm that turned out to be a false call, but this was an apartment complex under construction.
So it's midnight and there is a dumpster full of plywood and 1 x boards. So I loaded it up on top of the hose bed of the fire truck. Fortunately we didn't have any calls before we got back to the station and I could get it all unloaded. That would have been a mess.
The guys on my crew thought I was nuts, but they sure liked the Christmas presents I made them that year, especially when I told them where the wood came from.
Scrap wood? There ain't no such thing folks!
Dave

[Jr_Ranger]

Hi,
I found a cabinet shop that tosses all their scraps in a dumpster! Asked if I could check it out, lady looked at me strange but said go ahead! I went diving and came out with so many pieces of of 1 in. Red Oak I thought I died and went to scroller heaven.
Dumpster Diving Proud
Sylvia

[scroller_aus]

I havent looked around for a cabinet shop yet to do any dumpster diving from, but from the sounds of the success some of you are having I had better start looking.

I usually keep my eye out on council rubbish days where people throw out old cupboards and tables, usually can salvage some useable wood from the drawers or some part of it. Have found some packing crates/pallets are a good source of scrap wood. Just need a planer to get it to a nice thickness and smooth the wood out a bit :p

[Dave]

When you get those pallets there is one thing you really need to check on. They are a great source for wood, but they have a drawback.
Before you run them through a planer, be certain all of the nails/staples are out of them. Not always easy to do because sometimes they are buried in the wood and you can't see them.
Nothing will ruin planer blades faster than hitting a nail. This is the voice of experience speaking. Had to have mine reground when they had less than 10 hours of use on them.
So do your best to make sure there aren't any surprises lurking below the surface.
Other than that, these type of wooden materials are great. Found some once made out of walnot. Most of them are oak, but you never know.
Good Luck
Dave

[scroller_aus]

I have never been good at knowing what wood is what when i find it.

Good tip on the nails, thanks.

[kkmbknap]

i just talked to one of the dealers that i buy some of my exotic woods from and he was telling me that he just got in a shipping crate of burls etc. and what do you suppose the crate was---
the crate was made out of HONDURAN ROSEWOOD!!!! needless to say he said it didn't stay on the loading dock very long. some kind of trash wood huh?

[Dave]

You never know what you might find in a dumpster or from pallet material. I wonder if pine and oak are considered exotic woods overseas? You know, do they clamor for pallets of oak like we do for rosewood and walnut? Who in this country would even think of building a pallet out of honduran rosewood or purpleheart, or teak? I would guess it is in abundance there and not considered exotic.
As for Brett's last post about not knowing what wood is what, don't feel bad. Some, like pine, red oak, walnut are easy to identify, but many others are not. I have got to the point where I can tell quite a few different species by looking, but I have a friend who can look at a tree and tell you what it is. Me, I know maple and elm and some of the others that stand out, but for the most part, I can't tell one tree from another.
A good rule of thumb, if you find a piece of wood or a pallet that doesn't look like any kind of wood you have ever seen before, grab it because it is most likely some really expensive hard to find wood here.
Dave

[scroller_aus]

Not sure i'd go as far as exotic, but Oak would be well regarded here in Australia. Depending what sort of pine it is, but pine is nothing special here, its quite easy to get hold of and cheap.

I know the difference between a gum tree and a pine tree :D . But usually when I find some scrap wood i'll grab anything that looks interesting or has a nice colour to it. A pallet I got the other week had two thick slats of some red wood that im not sure what it is. It should come up nicely once it gets sanded to a smooth finish ... if only i had myself a planer..

[Dave]

A planer is indeed a good thing to have. The only other option is a good belt sander and that requires a lot of patience a gentle and even touch, and more finesse than I would ever have.
Planers can be bought here anywhere from $200-$400 for a portable planer and of course like anything else, you can also spend thousands of dollars.
I would imagine your prices are probably the same where you are, but I know very little about where you live. I also know that even $200 is no drop in the bucket for most of us, myself included.
But maybe somebody will have a used one for sale you can snatch up at a good price.
I have to say that they are a worthwhile investment and can save you a lot of money over time because you can take rough lumber and make it as smooth as silk.
Hope you find one before too long. Hand sanding rough lumber, well it just ain't no fun at all!
Best of luck in your search for one.
Dave

[woodiecrafts]

i own a pest control company and do wood working as a stress releif sideline,,we spray a couple of cabinet shopw from time to time and i always raid thier scrap bins before the burn up the left over plywood wood..works great for building jigs or using the the thin for backers.

[DayDr]

You people have all the luck.................what I find is pine..and prety messed up pine at that.

[grybeard22]

ok here is another one for you

Ever used lumber sticker's? short usually 4ft 2x4's used to separate units of lumber in shipment and also used in shipping stacks of pipe and lots of other things.

I live next to a plumbing wholesale bussiness...they deal mostly in supplying contractors with plumbing material such as bath surrounds and shower stalls....pipe etc.

They have 4x4 bins full of these stickers and when they cant get rid of or use them they haul them off to the dump.

Now being new to the neighborhood I only recently discovered this and in doing so struck up a deal with them and now when they get a bin full they just tote it right over in front of my shop next door ....talk about delivery service!!!.....I then go threw it and get all the "goodies" out and a friend of mine takes the junk for his wood heater ....works out great and i have used these to make small tables and plants stands....what ever!

[woodiecrafts]

i am never lucky enough to get any scraps delivered to me, but i did get a slab of green pecan dropped off at my shop door last night from a carpenter friend of mine,,,,it measures 3 1/2 ft in diameter and is 2" thick,,,,,i just hope i can dry it without it cracking all up,,, would make a beautiful table top for a card or coffee table.

[DayDr]

See what I mean....no luck. Live in a remote area and there is nothing close by. I think a portable milling machine is my best bet.

[woodiecrafts]

hey daydr, where do you usually get your wood from and what kind do you work with mostly?

[DayDr]

On a mountain top in Missourri, I cut a lot of Oak, some walnut and hickory. What doesn't go ito the fireplaces, I plane and use that. A lot of work, but I am 40 miles from civilization. Get alot of wood when I help tear down old barns and buildings in the area.

[crolf]

When I started building my wooden toys out of oak I was buying it at the lumber yard( very expensive). Then I noticed that all of these companies were pretty much begging people to take their pallets which are mostly oak. I bought a Delta planer and a metal detector and it has paid for itself. I have gathered some very nice junk wood . Last year I was talking to friend that is a plant manager at a local manufacturing plant and he told me they had some rough oak that they were fixinng to throw away and that I could have it. I got 8 pieces of 1 1/2" X 8 " X 20' boards. I was proud of this find.

[DayDr]

I guess its true then.....one man's firewood is another mans treasure.

[buzza]

Gidday, there is , in my mind, no such thing as rubbish wood unless it is rotten of course, a quick skim through a thicknesser and loe and behold what we have before us,down here in the south pac we get all sorts of wood as pallets etc, people who burn this stuff should be forced to dress it by hand to see what they are burning, wood is a beautiful medium, gotta go and light the fire ;-))))
buzza

[kkmbknap]

hey guys-
I have been collecting all this "trash wood" and now my garage is so full I can't get anything else in there! If any of you guys out there would be interested in some black walnut or some tiger maple send me a e-mail and I will work out a very good deal with you that would be benificial to both of us and make my wife a happy person again LOL.

[Larry Wilson]

Yes, I'd be interested in some tiger maple. What condition is it in (green, kiln dried, etc.)?

[scroller_aus]

love to try some if i was in the same country :D

[john_p]

in this part of the country "trash wood" has a habit of
ending up in a fireplace. i have 20 acres of hardwood and
am willing to share with woodworkers who need green wood,
oak, hickory, black walnut. pine... if it lives in SC i have limbs that
can be trimed. one of my hickory's lost a limb in a storm that was
around 100 bf. the tree is 150' and 30 or so inches in diameter.
i also have almost any size dead fall cedar that has air dried for decades. lots of checks but i have make some 6-8 in bowls from
it. i don't sell wood but will trade or share (it's a southern thing)
Great-Grandpa John_p

[wrlcurtis]

I have found that I can find old weathered wood from farmers fences or old buildings that can be made into many neat projects. Just look around and most of the time it doesn't cost anything. Have made picture frames, bird houses and even a bridge out of it.

[scroll-1]

For WRICURTIS good to see someone from the great state of Wyo. I was raised in Greybull but left many years ago.
Here is another source for "Trash" , Habitat For Humanity in some of the bigger cities, make arrangements with people responsible for deconstructing buildings to get stuff they can sell at their resale stores, floors, wndows, appliances, cabinets, etc. A real good chance to get some GOOD stuff, like broken floor boards battered cabinets etc. The usually sell the stuff for less than half price. so even if you had to buy it, it still is a pretty good deal.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Now here is an old post from July of 2003 kicked up again. Great to see and a new voice is heard. Keep it coming. Like to see some photos of this old wood work.

[Woodbutcher68]

I agree there's no such thing as scrap wood.
I used to work in a rail car building plant. We would get the couplers in with 2"X12"X3' Oak, Walnut, Cherry and Maple separating them. I don't have a planer, so I gave most of it away.