What do you do with the sawdust?...

[Durtdawber]

Besides throwing it out, what do you do with all the sawdust created as you carve? Just wondering if anyone had a creative uses for it.

[Bubbabear]

could be used in a compost mix

http://www.compostguide.com/

[pkunk]

This month (mostly from my business) I generated a dozen 55 gal. bags of shavings/ sander sawdust. Most went to the landfill. I will not put any on the ground as mulch as it will pull nitrogen from the soil. Some, (hardwood shavings only) go to a local horse stable as bedding. The sawdust/ sander dust, is worthless unless there's a pellet making facility nearby.

[Kenm810]

Here’s what I do with a lot of my shop wood Chips, Sawdust and Shavings.

I have a 3” id. Piece of dura iron pipe about 60” long with a threaded removable cap at one end, and a 4 ton hydraulic jack with a 24" stroke at the other.
I spray the hard wood chips, dust and shavings with a little less than quarter cup of liquid paraffin wax as a binder, and then load the dura iron ¾ full with the chip, dust, and wax mix. Next I slide a piece brass rod stock ( no sparks ) that just fits in the dura iron and is about 8” long. The first stroke compresses the mix to 36”, I then add a 12” spacer, and the second stroke compresses it to a log 3” round and 24 to 28” long. I remove the cap and with the aid of a short length of 2x2 oak the third stroke of the jack push the newly formed log and brass plug out of the dura iron and it is ready for a reload. It all takes around 10 to 15 minute per log and cost close to $.30 for the paraffin. Depending on the type wood I use and how tightly I compress it, each log burns in the fire place for 35 to 60 minutes. One or two a night is usually enough for Barb and I, one or two more if we’re entertaining guests on the weekend. There is very little ash to clean up and they don’t foul the chimney like scrap or unseasoned wood can do. Oak burns the hottest, Poplar and Aspen the fastest. But for the holidays I stocked up on fresh cut pine to make our logs.
Any one that has used a router or table saw on a nice piece of pine will tell you how great the aroma is in the shop,
and when it is burned in the fireplace, it just down right smells like Christmas.

[IM2HAPPI]

I make firestarters with some of ours too. I save all old candles plus get from friends. I melt them down and place shavings in cupcake holder with paper. Than pour 3 or 4 tablespoons of wax in each. You'd be surprise how long they burn. (approx. 15 minutes)I have also dipped those hudge pinecones in wax and tossed them into bag of planer shavings. They are great firestarters as well. Hubby has a press and just said he was going to try and do what Ken does after seeing them being made on TV couple weeks ago. Pine shavings we give to some farmers for their chicken coups, hog pens.
Barb

[Kenm810]

Hi Barb

If you hubby dose make some fire place logs,
tell him to sprinkle a few bits of copper foil or wire in the mix.
It's mesmerizing to watch the green and blue flames dancing among the red and yellow.

[IM2HAPPI]

We always take old hose and chop it up into pieces and place some old copper tubing into it. Drill holes into it and throw into firepit. Everyone likes to watch that ; )
Barb

[Kenm810]

Just like my Barb here at home, your both way ahead of me!

[TIMCOSBY]

here in the south say not to use hard wood shavings for bedding in the stalls only pine????

[911guy]

We always take old hose and chop it up into pieces and place some old copper tubing into it. Drill holes into it and throw into firepit. Everyone likes to watch that ; )
Barb

Yep...I do the same

With the shavings, great fire starters like Happi said.