Sawdust

Start to grow mushrooms. About any hardwood is suitabe and that way you can eat your waste.

seismo malm

I use it for the occasional accident while changing the oil. The rest goes to a guy I know who does auto repair work in his garage.

I am not a pest control expert but was told that saw dust attracts bugs and insects. They eat the fungus that grows on the saw dust.

I know from experience that cockroaches like saw dust. At one time I would not bother to clean up the saw dust every time I used the tools. It accumulated and I got a significant cockroach problem in the shop. I cleaned up the saw dust and the cockroaches left. I have kept the shop clean since then.

Exactly the basic stuff used to maufacture charcoal briquets, Add a little glue and coal dust for color. Mold it, dry it, bag it, and ship it. Bob-tx

For making fire starters you mix it with paraffin wax. Fill a muffin pan with the mixture and let it set, or do it in muffin papers.

Bill

Or cardboard egg cartons...

Or pound a wax coated milk carton full of saw dust. Makes for an excellent firelog.

We looked into using sawdust, especially planer chips for mulch a year or so ago. Several extension services were not big on sawdust because it doesn't provide much soil nutrition as it breaks down. It also tends to attract termites. However, they did suggest trowing an inch or two between layers in a compost bin. It would add bulk and absorb some of the nutrients from the surrounding compost matter during decomposition.

RonB

We looked into using sawdust, especially planer chips for mulch a year or so ago. Several extension services were not big on sawdust because it doesn't provide much soil nutrition as it breaks down. It also tends to attract termites. However, they did suggest trowing an inch or two between layers in a compost bin. It would add bulk and absorb some of the nutrients from the surrounding compost matter during decomposition.

RonB

I've read that you compost it until it turns grey, *then* add it to your garden, beds, whatever. Something about the initial decompostion process actually leaching the nutrients out of the soil if you don't compost it first?

jc

Or do this with it.

That only works if you use PVC for dust collection...

Before the innovation of ground foam, dyed sawdust was used to mimic grass and weeds for model railroads and dioramas.

The sawdust leaches nitrogen until it is composted. So the idea is to add nitrogen.

I use it in a pee bucket in the shop. Put some sawdust at the bottom of the bucket, add a few handfuls every time you take a leak. Does not smell and urine adds nitrogen. Into the compost bin when it's full. This idea came from Doug Stowe here on the Wreck many years ago.

I also mix it with grass clippings in the compost bin. Works really well in creating nice compost rather than a smelly mat.

Luigi

Caution: I would not consider ANY ideas that involve food if the "sawdust" contains ANY plywood, MDF or laminate residue. Moreover, I wouldn't burn such residue and I wouldn't place it anywhere near where children play. As you probably already know, it's not nice stuff.

Bill

How many handfuls for number 2?

Can't you read?? PEE bucket.

What you want is a composting toilet.

Eaaaeeew-ah. Do those exist?

Luigi, are you trying to resurrect the pee/sawdust/mulch thread from back in 1998? ;-)

A pee bucket thread would be before I joined the group. I joined just before and read all about using dead cats as push sticks.

Either is better than a bunch of liberals whining how bad President Bush was.