shavings

Mulch -- lots of it. Luckily my wife is a gardener. We also use it to fill an area in our yard which is heavily wooded, hilly and washes out some with every major rain storm.

Bill

Somewhat puzzled at Derek saying that his shavings don't burn that well. Mine incorporate lots of air because of the way I turn, allowing me to use them as fire starters. I roll them lightly in newspaper, twist (no, I don't lick 'em) the ends so they look like big Doobies, and use them to relight on those few days when the fire is allowed to burn itself out. They can also be fuel in their own right when there are simply more than I can dispose of by other means, including the loan to friends who raise chickens or rabbits. I say loan, because I request they return them after the livestock are through, after which they hit the garden.

Other than that, their love of nitrogen when decaying, plus the acidity of some shavings makes them good mulch under the fence wires, where they help keep the weeds from shorting the electric charge that defends the garden. They also fill in holes where the groundhogs dig around my paths, though I have to tamp them in on several occasions, as well as provide suitable nesting areas for my garden guardian snakes. I've got a seven-foot female who lives on the main compost heap, and she and her annual progeny keep the critters from my peas.

==================================================== I haven't had to buy MULCH since I started turning!

The Other Bruce

The shavings burn fine. Its the smaller chips that are more of a problem. I tend to seperate and save the long shavings for fire lighting, and shovel the chips on in small doses so as not to dampen the flames too much.

the dust and small chips go into the DC, which gets checked for sandpaper, etc. and put in the green waste.. The larger chips and smaller shavings are used for mulching... usually neighbors, since if it isn't in the shop.. I don't do gardens.. lol

I keep a big cardboard box against the wall near the lather for those long or fluffy shavings... good fire starting stuff and fun (along with stubs, failed turnings, etc.) to add to the fire once in a while for a blast of heat & light..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

As I said, difference in turning style. If I get "chips" I alter my tool presentation. I want to cut the wood, and with curved shapes, that's twisted shavings with lots of incorporated air.

Or are you hollowing endgrain a lot?

The local animal shelter.

Jack

More likely a difference in what we turn. I'd guess I do 80%+ spindle turning, and when roughing down its impossible to get a shaving long enough to be worthy of the name, no matter what the tool presentation is, unless I were to stop the lathe and take a hand plane to it:) But whatever I am turning I am more interested in getting the job done as efficiently as possible. Whether I get a nice bird's nest of fine shavings from a finishing cut on a bowl, or a handfull of chips from roughing out a cove with a parting tool, really doesn't matter.

I use it on my garden paths and in my compost pile. When it has decomposed somewhat in the path, I shovel it onto my garden beds as a mulch.

Bill

Try hooking up with potters. People working in the Raku style incorporate shavings into their firings. It is also good to hook up with other crafts people