#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

What do you do with your cut off pieces?

I have now filled a fourth box of short pieces from a inch or two up to maybe a foot. Any good ways to store these, or do you toss/burn them or do something else? They can always be used for a brace, a bridge or nut or whatever. I feel like a hoarder but I hate to toss them. As always, if this was discussed before sorry in advance.

2 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Richard Dean on September 24, 2017 at 4:31pm

Here's the best way to cure the hording urge of leftover scrap and satisfy it at the same time, I'm the same way, but I don't usually hoard too much pine scrap except for the occasional piece saved to replace a worn out table saw push stick or a decent size piece used to free hand drill something on top of to prevent drill rip out when drill a through hole into something, otherwise all the pine goes on the fire pit, now hardwood scraps, I make all kinds of things from planters to picture frame to bird feeders or whatever, trick is, as soon as you get a decent small pile, take a break from the norm, use all the pieces you can some way, then the rest off to the burn pile and start again, think of how many hardwood 3-4-6 string bridges you can make, that's what I do with all my small leftover rosewood, build up stock to use or sell.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 25, 2017 at 5:35am

That's a good looking bridge.

I know a guy that makes Pens on his lathe.

I've used left over bits as bracing, kerfing, corner braces, bridge blocks, wings for headstocks, repair patches.

Large pieces for headstocks on scarf joint necks, headstock veneers, body wings/additions, mounting blocks, sanding blocks and radius sanding blocks.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by 3qt17g550yh6r on October 4, 2017 at 3:28am

Hey Dean, how did you make that there beautiful bridge?????

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Richard Dean on October 4, 2017 at 6:40am

Pretty simple actually, I had some 1/2" rosewood that I was cutting down for fret boards, took a piece of leftover scrap, before cutting it down to size, I set up the table saw to only cut approx 1/4" deep, ran the scrap through it to make the slot, then cut down my piece to size, used a sander to angle sand down the sides, followed by a drum sander to get it a little curvature on the sides, finish sanded everything smooth, done. Do this with any hardwood.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by 3qt17g550yh6r on October 4, 2017 at 6:59am

Thanks I just might try this with some of my scrap. I like the drum sander action there, pretty sharp. Smiley face

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on September 30, 2017 at 3:57am

I save it all,use bits when I need to make a part or brace as you said. I'm also toying with the idea of making "negative space headstocks" out of the pieces I cut away shaping headstocks.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by 3qt17g550yh6r on October 3, 2017 at 7:46am

I use the smaller pieces to make wooden kick pedals for busker drums ( hard side suit case) I don't have a pic but I have 2 cut out and will have one assembled and a pic tomorrow if you like !!!