Sawdust - Versatile By-product Of Wood Processing | Natural Absorbent, Eco-friendly, Multi-functional Wood Waste

Saw Dust

Sawdust or wood dust is a by-product of cutting, grinding, drilling, sanding, or otherwise pulverizing wood with a saw
or other tool; it is composed of fine particles of wood. It is also the
byproduct of certain animals, birds and insects which live in wood,
such as the woodpecker and carpenter ant.
It can present a hazard in manufacturing industries, especially in
terms of its flammability. Sawdust is the main component of particleboard.

Manufacturers use this common by-product in countless ways: to make
particleboard or as a fuel source for boilers, for example. If you're
working on a home-improvement project, chances are you've got a few
piles of sawdust in your garage, too. Here are some ways to keep it out
of the trash bin:

1. Make fake snow. Mix sawdust with white paint and glue to cover holiday crafts with simulated snow.


2. Get a grip. Winter loggers spread sawdust
on their truck paths. It provides traction and strengthens compacted snow while protecting the ground underneath.


3. Soak up spills. Keep a bucket handy for accidents. Sawdust is highly absorbent and can quickly contain spills of oil or paint.


4. Feed your plants. Sawdust mixed with manure or a nitrogen supplement keeps your plants healthy and moist, too.


5. Make a fire starter. Melt candle wax in a
nonstick pot, add sawdust until the liquid thickens, pour into an empty
egg carton, and let cool. Use the briquettes to help get a fire going.


6. Fill wood holes and defects. Used by
professional floor refinishers, very fine sawdust or "wood flour" makes
an excellent, stainable filler when mixed into a putty with wood glue.


7. Pack a path. Tamp sawdust into a dirt walkway to curtail erosion and create a soft, fragrant pathway through your garden or wooded lot.


8. Chase away weeds. Sawdust from walnut wood is a natural weed killer. Sweep this variety between the cracks of your walkway.


9. Lighten up cement. Sawdust mixed into mortar
has long been used when erecting cordwood walls to aid in bonding the
logs together. Do the same when casting lightweight vessels and
moisture-loving planters.


10. Clean a floor. Moisten a pile of sawdust
with water and use a push broom to sweep it around the concrete floor of
your garage, basement, or shop. The wet sawdust will capture and absorb
fine dust and grime.