Wood Storage

[barb.j.enders]

So, as my workshop is near the finish line a general question for discussion.  How do you store the small, but not too small, pieces of wood?  Do you just throw everything into a bin and then look though when you want a small piece. Are you organized enough to have separate areas for different sizes? Pictures of your storage would be great!!!!  Thanks in advance for all ideas.

[WayneMahler]

I made shelves for the smaller cut offs, less than 2 feet under my chop saw. The wood is sorted by type, pine, oak, maple etc. For BB I have two boxes one for 1/8 and one for 1/4. These are from paper reams and make it  easy to find a piece too big to toss but smaller for little projects. The longer board are all stacked on a rack I have and labelled according to what they are. Sheet goods are standing together unsorted but are easy to identify. 

[kmmcrafts]

I go through a lot of wood.. and I only use Cherry, Oak, Maple, Walnut, and Ash.. however recently I started lightly using Poplar... Since I go through so much wood.. I don't end up with a lot of scraps big enough for me to make anything new out of it...Now Intarsia folks would shoot me for the odd pieces I throw into the wood burner probably.. LOL But I don't hang onto much of anything too small.. If smaller than 2"W x 6"L in the wood burner it goes.. actually in the wheel barrel now.. since I no longer use a wood burner.. but I save it for campfires.. 

I have all my lumber separated by wood type.. smaller short pieces go against the wall next to my shop bench where I prep board for the next project.. small pieces stay there and get used first.. The bigger stacks stay upstairs of my shop.. I grab one board at a time of whatever species I am working with.. most everything get's planned down to 5/8"  so I suppose I don't end up with a whole lot of scraps.. I cut mostly Cherry for my clocks etc.. but occasionally also make them from other types of wood.. Cut 300 BFT of Cherry last year alone..

Same system for my plywood.. used 15 sheets of 5' x 5' 1/8" BB ply last year for ornaments and plaques.. plus quite a lot of Cherry and Walnut ply.. 

Had I known I was going to be so busy.. I'd have bought much more lumber at my local wood expo when they run the big sale...     

[ike]

I don't keep any pieces less than 6X4 and I just have a ben for then no matter what type when I have a small project I pik out a piece thata works no matter what type of wood it is.I have limited spaces to work in so I can't keep any thing too small.

IKE

 

[scrollerpete]

1 hour ago, WayneMahler said:

I made shelves for the smaller cut offs, less than 2 feet under my chop saw. The wood is sorted by type, pine, oak, maple etc. For BB I have two boxes one for 1/8 and one for 1/4. These are from paper reams and make it  easy to find a piece too big to toss but smaller for little projects. The longer board are all stacked on a rack I have and labelled according to what they are. Sheet goods are standing together unsorted but are easy to identify. 

Way too organize for me Wayne, you will put the rest of us to shame.  But I envy you LOL

[scrollerpete]

I have a big plastic box approx. 3'x2'x2' high and just throw the smaller pieces in there. I keep any size that I think I can get something out of it. I have another same size box that is for the real wood stove destination. Bigger pieces are stack o the shelves under my drafting table, also I have some shelves hooked up to the rafters for the bigger pieces.

[Scrappile]

Several years ago I built this cart for wood storage and to help keep thing organized.  As you can see, it doesn't work unless you keep things "organized"!

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I really have no answer for this question. I have 2 locations for lumber. One is I built shelves on a wall in my utility room and it stores all types of wood. My overflow is stored next to the pool table that gets no use any more. Smalls are stored in the shop. there is no filing system. I can pretty much look at a piece of wood and know what it is. I work with many domestic and also many exotics. I use to hoard wood because I got much of it on sale from my local hardwood dealer. Now that he had a fire in his warehouse he has gotten out of the business so not much hoarding any more. But do have plenty of stock left. Domestics I buy as needed from another local dealer. This is the mahagonys, walnuts, oaks, and maples. I always keep some on hand. Again stored in one of 2 places and that is a crap shoot. I use to save my small cutoff pieces and tried selling when I had a couple barrels full. Could not even give it away. People did not want it even for fireplace because it has exotic woods in it too. So I just throw away now and do not look back. I am fortunate to have a shop full of big boys toys so I can buy lumber in the rough and mill it to whatever dimensions I need. Cheaper to buy this way. I make so many different products so my ability to do this is an advantage. I could not tell you how much wood I have gone through over the years but many of BF have run through my tools. Having slowed way down now this too has slowed. 

Everyone is different and everyone's $$$means are different. But my suggestion do not get into the habbit of saving every scrap piec hoping for a project to use it on. Never happens and you clutter the shop. Toss it or burn it or give it away but get it out of the shop and keep things moving. Good luck.  

[new2woodwrk]

I'm a pack rat when it comes to wood pieces and proud of it! I can't tell you how many tines I went looking for a short or small piece of 3/4 or 1/2 or other size scrap for a project I was working on or to use for a spacer etc.

I separate my scraps by width and place them into 5 gal buckets and keep them out in my shed. The pieces most often called for like 3/4 strips I keep in my shop along with a bunch of scrap not yet separated.

Just yesterday I made 10 sanding sticks (50- 320 grit) using various scraps - some with half circle edges like half round floor molding and a bunch of flat pieces ranging from 1/2" by 3/4: to 1" x 1/4 as well as dowel sticks for interior rounded surfaces

I use them quite a bit on various projects and keep the sticks in a jar on one of my finishing benches.

Works for me any - here are some buckets from a few recent projects I've not organized yet

Edited February 1, 2018 by new2woodwrk

[Chunkthekid]

I was storing small pieces in an plastic bag that zips up (the kind that blankets sometimes come in) just because it was laying next to me when I decided I needed something to store smaller pieces in. I believe that bag got thrown away in the recent move because I haven't seen it, which is a shame because I had some decent sized pieces for future intarsia projects. I haven't thought about what to do with them in this new shop yet, probably the same thing, I'll grab a convenient box or something and start loading it up. I have been doing nothing but fret work since I moved so I haven't really had any scrap pieces to think about. Thanks for the thread as I could use a couple of better ideas myself.

[jollyred]

I have a bin I built to store larger pieces, up to 4 feet long, down to 1 foot.  Smaller pieces get put in a convenient pile where ever there is room for it.  Most of my unused stock is kept in a shed.  I also have a lathe, so have a bucket to keep the really small pieces, especially exotics, for that.  I will often use 3/4" square by 1 inch long pieces to make refrigerator magnets and other small projects on the lathe. 

[Brianr24]

My wood is meticulously stored wherever I can find an open spot.

same as my tools. I can always find them laying right wherever I used them last.

[amazingkevin]

15 hours ago, barb.j.enders said:

So, as my workshop is near the finish line a general question for discussion.  How do you store the small, but not too small, pieces of wood?  Do you just throw everything into a bin and then look though when you want a small piece. Are you organized enough to have separate areas for different sizes? Pictures of your storage would be great!!!!  Thanks in advance for all ideas.

I've tried 5-gallon buckets laying sideways on a shelve made to hold a lot of them,6'x7' tall 2' wide.I need 2 more just for all the shorts I have of hardwoods.and then the long stuff stands straight up where I can find room and there is no room ,lol pictures soon hopefully as long as I don't have names to do.

[ScollSaw Slasher]

Since I do intarsia as well as fretwork, keep some pretty small scraps of 5-20 dollar a board foot lumber, strewn across the garage in about 5 different areas. They do'n't call me "MR ORGANIZED" without a reason. LOL. About every six months, put on some good country music (actually, about the only time I listen to country, I cut to metal or classic rock) and clean the mess up reorganizing the place. Well after the first project it's back to chaos. So in response to the initial question of this thread, I'm not your source for good info.