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Thread: Uses for sawdust
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29th April 2013, 06:44 PM #1Senior Member
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Uses for sawdust
Does anyone have any ideas regarding a use for sawdust from a dust extractor? Can it be used as a mulch on garden beds? I don't know whether it will pack tight, and prevent water from getting where it is needed, or whether it will refuse to break down to compost with the passage of time. Incidentally, I do not use any treated wood at all, so there should be no nasty compounds lurking in the mix. If not used on a garden, is there any other viable use for the stuff?
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29th April 2013, 06:51 PM #2
You could make a smoker and smoke fish and meat.
An old 150 ltr refrigerator gutted makes a good smoker box.
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29th April 2013, 06:55 PM #3
Depending on what it consists of with regards to shavings and sawdust, you may be able to sell it to people who have stables or poultry.
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29th April 2013, 07:14 PM #4
I just fill paper bags with sawdust and shavings and then use them as fuel in my slow combustion heater (Kent stove). They burn well.
With other uses, one must be careful about possible contamination - eg if using MDF or chipboard; they contain some really nasty chemicals.
Fair Winds
Graeme
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29th April 2013, 07:23 PM #5
'Tis fine as a mulch, but not so good by itself as a compost; it uses up nitrogen as it rots down.
However, mixing it with blood'n'bone or chook poop or similar makes for a lovely garden treat.
- Andy Mc
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29th April 2013, 07:31 PM #6GOLD MEMBER
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My son has a large open compost heap so I give mine to him to spread there and it seems to break down well. The bagful that I took to him yesterday contained some Camphor and Huon Pine shavings so it will smell OK when he spreads it. It never contains any treated pine or similar.
Tom
"It's good enough" is low aim
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29th April 2013, 09:20 PM #7
The Sawdust.
Hi mspil,
My Lady uses it in her Garden, to great effect. Mainly in the Vegie Patch.
Another use is for your Shed,
Drill some 4in. holes in the Top of your walls, & blow all the dust & Shavings into the wall.
It will have the most Deadening Effect you could Imagine.
I know this works, but some will say it is unsafe for all that stuff in the walls because of fire.
Rubbish as far as I can see.
Knew a Very Fine Woodworker that had this system, & I'm afraid it has seen him out, & still there as far as I know.
Not sure if the New Owners know about it.Regards,
issatree.
Have Lathe, Wood Travel.
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29th April 2013, 10:00 PM #8.
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It is indeed very effective but I would then recommend sealing all the gaps in the walls otherwise it will continually fill your shed with invisible wood dust. The saw dust will very slowly degrade inside the wall cavity and continually pump fine dust into the shed by the regular changes in atmospheric air pressure over time.
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29th April 2013, 10:31 PM #9Old Fart (my step daughters named me)
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If I am making something out of Reg Gum I always place clean bag in vacuum cleaner and give it my bro inlaw for fish smoking ( I get some to).
I try and save some of all different timbers for use in my normal mistakes. That is with aquadere and saw dust to fill in gaps etc.
You got it in one, I aint a very good carpenter.
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29th April 2013, 10:35 PM #10
Good on the floor in the chook pen.
Good as mulch but as Skew says, it uses up the Nitrogen so it needs to have some added.
Works better if you can compost it first with some green waste.
One lady gets bags of it from me to fire some of her pottery work.Cliff.
If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.
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29th April 2013, 10:59 PM #11SENIOR MEMBER
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Preserving Dahlia Tubers
My Mrs digs up the dahlias every two years and keeps the tubers in sawdust for a year then re plants them
Not sure why.
Bill
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30th April 2013, 09:29 AM #12
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30th April 2013, 12:36 PM #13
Probably not helpful, but aside from the garden and compost, I use some of mine mixed with a bit of ash to cover up my "business" in the home made composting dunny on my block. Works a treat to absorb moisture and keeps the stink at bay. Then, if I need to, it helps with incinerating it.
Mixed with wax it can make pretty decent firelighters too.
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30th April 2013, 06:42 PM #14
Just a slightly different tack: I've recently started using shavings from planing instead of paper to get the firebox going - better than paper as it seems to burn hotter (She-Oak in particular).
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30th April 2013, 07:09 PM #15
My plane shavings go to the local preschool where they use them for craft.
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