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maki
1st November 2005, 10:50 AM
Hi all,
I have definatly got the bug and am filling my already cramped workshop with shavings cant see the floor anymore, I was thinking what does everyone else do with their lathe shavings? Someone must of come up with a use for them.
regards Maki

LineLefty
1st November 2005, 10:52 AM
Not lathe shavings but plane shavings, I'm chicking them on the compost heap at the moment. Need more greens to go on the heap to keep it balanced!

hughie
1st November 2005, 11:12 AM
Maki,
Luckily for me my neighbour has a garden and will take all that I can give them. Other wise I do use some for the spalting process as well.
When all else fails I am out and about late at night when the garbage bins are out, filling up the not so full ones....lol

Hughie

ribot
1st November 2005, 04:49 PM
Try pet shops etc.

They won't be interested until you say you don't want any money for it then they will take as much as you can give.

If you are a sales type person you could probably get something out of them.

If your local paper runs free community adds, put a notice in the paper, there are lots of uses for shavings.

rocabig
1st November 2005, 10:26 PM
Have a sign out the front of our place with "free wood shavings please take a bag" and place the shavings in garbage bags, they seem to go quickly. I fill about 3 large garbage bags a day.

Richard

maki
2nd November 2005, 10:46 AM
Thanks for the replys I am currently storing all shavings to rot so it can be used as a mulch for the flower beds, I have added as much as I can get away with to the composter. But will try the pet shop. I will wade into the shavings tommorrow and bag em up, once done I will bury myself in em again.

Regards Maki

soundman
2nd November 2005, 09:51 PM
If you are turning any thing particularly aromatic such as camfor laurel.
bag it up in little zip lock baggies and sell it as pot pouri. :D

La truciolara
3rd November 2005, 09:10 AM
If you are turning any thing particularly aromatic such as camfor laurel.
bag it up in little zip lock baggies and sell it as pot pouri. :D
That is a realy good suggestion :)
Thank you.

rsser
5th November 2005, 09:23 AM
I use it as a mulch; even spreading thinly over grass it seems to disappear.

Huon pine also makes a good pot pouri.

Grumpy John
5th November 2005, 09:28 AM
Maki,
Luckily for me my neighbour has a garden and will take all that I can give them. Other wise I do use some for the spalting process as well.
When all else fails I am out and about late at night when the garbage bins are out, filling up the not so full ones....lol

Hughie

I gather from this statement that spalting can be caused deliberately. How is this done and are some timbers better than others to "spalt"? How long does it take for the spalting process to start (also how long is a piece of string http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon7.gif ) and can it be controlled?

Thank in advance
GJ

rsser
5th November 2005, 10:34 AM
Hey GJ,

yes, probably, depends, kindof

OK?

I guess you want the details ;-}

It's a bit of a black art. Some humid places with some local timbers (eg. East central US) they struggle to dry their timber without spalting.

Two recipes, both from pro turners (one in Melb and one in Hawaii):

1. Let yoghurt go furry in the fridge then paste liberally over your blank and let sit in a plakky bag. How long? Well, I gave some silver birch a month or two and only got limited penetration.

2. This one is with short logs of Norfolk Pine and is going gangbusters, courtesy of Chris Allen of Hawaii: spray the ends of the logs with water with a bit of sugar dissolved in it. Wrap plakkie bags around the end. Things fire up pretty soon. In fact, they fired up just with the ends bagged in one case. I really should now cut into them to see if the spalting has gone too far - it can and it leaves you with s**t timber. I started about 6 months ago and once I got the fungus started stopped spraying but kept the bags on.

As for good timbers to spalt, the only one that I've had experience with or seen that I didn't like was Plane Tree (Platanus Hybridis) but my experience isn't that extensive with spalting.

btw ... you do know about the dangers of turning this stuff?

Hope this helps

MathewA
5th November 2005, 11:22 AM
If you have a ute you could fill the back and just go for a long drive. By the time yo get home the tray should be empty.:D

Grumpy John
5th November 2005, 11:37 AM
Thanks Ern,

I have a pretty good respirator if it is inhaling the stuff that is the problem. Or is it a skin (dermatitis) issue?

Cheers GJ

Gumby
5th November 2005, 01:19 PM
Grumpy John,

Off topic but I'm curious. Is yor avatar from an old record cover. I'm thinking King Crimson. Early 70's or so.

Grumpy John
5th November 2005, 01:22 PM
Spot on. In The Court Of The Crimson King. My motto at the bottom says it all


Cheers
GJ

rsser
6th November 2005, 06:18 AM
Thanks Ern,

I have a pretty good respirator if it is inhaling the stuff that is the problem. Or is it a skin (dermatitis) issue?

Cheers GJ

I believe it's mainly breathing in the spores and their byproducts. Some guys scrub down the piece with a mild bleach solution before starting and use lung protection of course.

Don't know about skin reactions ... perfectly possible given the range of things that can irritate the skin.

Exador
6th November 2005, 08:50 AM
Spot on. In The Court Of The Crimson King. My motto at the bottom says it all


Cheers
GJ

I thought it was. I remember the first time I heard that album - I was stunned, Robert Fripp is a genius. I'm somewhat surprised to find more KK fans on this forum though...

Cheers,
Craig

rodent
21st November 2005, 01:54 AM
it makes great snail repelent they dont like it one bit and its user freindly

maki
21st November 2005, 09:29 AM
Thanks thats a usefull sugestion with the amount of hostas we have in our garden.
Regards Maki