Sawdust/Shavings disposal

[PokerG]

I have the Scheapach dust extractor for my big tools, how do you guys get rid of the sawdust and shavings?

I guess some of you burn the shavings in the workshop heater, some of you sell the shavings to pet stores/horse owners, and some of you just bag them and stuff them in landfill. (Only option for the fine stuff I believe)

I am about to produce a rather large amount of oak shavings (mostly from my planar/thicknesser for now) and was wondering how to get rid of it? I already have 3 plastic bags full and I am running out of room in the shed!

With bin collections once every fortnight is my only solution to bag it all up and take it to the dump every now and then?

G

 

[PokerG]

Just to reply to my own question, can I compress them into wood blocks without mixing any chemicals in there, and burn them in the wood burner in the house?

G.

 

[Woodmagnet]

Not sure about compressing it G but allotment owners/gardeners might use it for
putting around plants, as slugs hate the stuff. :wink:

 

[Kane]

Depending on the wood use it for smoking meat/fish

 

[Stu in Tokyo]

The priest at my local Shinto Shrine takes it for his compost, he has 5 big composts set up, mainly leaves from the grounds of the shrine, and the wood shavings, sawdust help put some air into the compost, as the leaves all just compact down, so he loves to get my sawdust/planer shavings.

Tour of the shrine here

Cheers!

 

[Waka]

Mine goes to a chap that keeps horeses.

 

[PowerTool]

My local "household waste recycling centre" has a skip for recycling timber - they accept sawdust/woodshavings,as long as it's clean (no bark,and no other material in it)

Andrew

 

[devonwoody]

Mine goes to a chap that keeps horeses.

Thats strange some timber dust is carcogenic?

 

[Bean]

You can compress them into pellets for fuel, burn well on household fires, but for that you will need a press and a mould, expensive unless that is your business. There may be someone near who makes wooden pellets who may take the waste from you.
Try your local scouts, I burn most of my waste at the scout hut when we have fires. Other than that it is my own fire at home or the compost and some of the other method mentioned earlier apart from the Shinto Temple, our village doesnt have one

 

[Waka]

Mine goes to a chap that keeps horeses.

Thats strange some timber dust is carcogenic?

I think he uses it for bedding in the wnter.

 

[motownmartin]

I've managed to compost mine, I mix it wiyh the grass cuttings and prevents the compost going all slimey. I don't think thats going to happen through the winter with no grass cuttings.

 

[devonwoody]

Isn't the practice of using it has compost likely to create a dry rot situation in some instances (or even wet rot)?

I read a gardening tome once that advised against this practice.

 

[NickWelford]

Those composters should bear in mind that walnut shavings (there may be others) is a natural herbicide ......

 

[motownmartin]

Isn't the practice of using it has compost likely to create a dry rot situation in some instances (or even wet rot)?

I read a gardening tome once that advised against this practice.

I'mnot sure john, it's only about 10% - 20% of the actual compost.

Will this harm growing vegetables :?:

 

[NickWelford]

Notwithstanding my comment above, I have known people with heavy clay soils dig in shavings directly in order to lighten the soil and improve drainage. (Obviously not walnut shavings though :wink: )

 

[Gill]

I'd love to buya Bradley smoker. However, the cost of the wood pellets they use discourages me. If anyone does know how to make pellets for them from shavings, I'd be very interested.

Gill

 

[Nick W]

Currently I have a big wheely bin which my local waste contractor empties, adding my sawdust and offcuts to thier ginormous composting plant. However they are starting to get a bit antsy about my irregular habits (sometimes it takes me 2 months to fill the bin, sometimes 2 days). So I have been wondering about getting a briquetter for my sawdust.

However the machines seem to start at £5k plus, and be capable of processing 30Kg per hour both of which are too much for me. Does anyone know of smaller machines, perhaps even DIY plans for a small unit? Or have I spotted a business opportunity?

 

[NickWelford]

In my long ago youth, there was a character in a comic called, I think, Wilson, who made briquettes from sawdust, coaldust and cement in a railway arch somewhere. I believe he was also a world class athlete, footballer and cricketer, although my memory may be playing tricks......

 

[PokerG]

Nick W:
If you do come up with a briquette solution then I would be your first customer. I was hunting around the web for a while and couldn't find anything other than an industrial size thing. There must be a market for a hobby workshop sized briquetter, even if its just hand operated.

Gary

 

[Bean]

Gary
you could make the briquette's with a simple and cheap workshop press and some simple tooling. The down side would be that it will be time consuming to do and very uneconomic if tried to do this commercially. But for your own use ...... well that would be up to you.

In terms of the press I would imagine that the tonnage would be quite high to compress the shavings, once compressed I expect that a stripper :shock: would be needed to remove the briquette from the mould, unless expensive split tooling was purchased.

Nice to try though, i will see what develops this afternoon