I seem to collect a lot of firewood but also a heap of fine saw dust,anybody found a good use for it?
I try to keep my wood dust separated by wood species. I’ll mix it with some wood glue and use it as a filler.
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Depends on the wood species/material.
Animal bedding is an option, but certain species are toxic to various animals, e.g., cherry to horses.
Composting is another, but certain species are allelopathic, e.g., walnut.
Since I cut enough plastic (not bothering with a second cyclone) and metal (only using a second cyclone to catch metal chips for large jobs), mine just goes in the trash, unless I’m doing a large job of a species which I have a certain use for, e.g., cedar for animal bedding or walnut for garden paths to try to keep plant growth down and it’s worth emptying and dedicating a fresh bag to it.
I have always used some of it for repairs as Brew states and then compost the rest with limitations as Will mentions. I have also experimented with making fire-starter material with different mixes of sawdust and waxes with some success in my spare time, because you know…. I have so much spare time to spend playing with sawdust.
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I have a horse farm down road from me and I give them all my dust. They love it and provide me with the plastic bags to put it in. They offered to pay, but I have just been sending it to the recycle center for trash and I am glad to help them out.
That’s a good idea with the horse people, we are surrounded by horses,I wonder if they will not eat it??They chew the post and rail fences.I was hoping someone had made a simple briquette machine to burn them in the fire?
I have a couple of horses that walk by my property. I will have to ask. Thanks !
This article may be of interest.
as suggested here firestarters are a good idea. I have some silicone molds from baking, put a wick in the middle, and with seasonal motives they make nice presents. Kids learn fast and try to eat them rarely more than once. I imagine could sell nicely at markets. Don’t know the latter. Its worth collecting candle stumps, gives you wax and wicks.
You can make tons of firestarters. Can fire up the fireplace for generations 
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You can also mix sawdust or small chips with various things like wallpaper paste or PVA glue to make a modeling clay. There are various recipes and instructions if you do a web search on “sawdust clay.”
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I have one buddy that likes it for compost. He says it comes out nice and soft with the sawdust where otherwise the compost is just a hard block. I have another guy that uses it for his car repair garage to soak up spills. Years ago we used to wet sawdust and clean up floors with it. When all else fails I spread it out on the lawn. I figure if it works for compost it help the lawn too.
Douglas
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A buddy of mine takes it for his chickens.
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Hey all, I have been considering making briquettes for heating with my excess sawdust, assuming I can keep the wood sawdust separate from any other material I’ve been using. Does anyone here have experience with this? Are there any domestic hardwoods that should be avoided?
I am going to try the wet method as mentioned but close by we have a small operation that makes feed pellets,so out of principle I have asked the owner if I could put a bucket through his system,I will clean everything up,he has agreed but maybe a few weeks before he can let me try?
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I have friends that use the wood pellets in their one heating stove in their house. I had been looking into a wood pellet machine as well because I could send all of my sawdust into it and bag up all that I have and give it to them. Might even be able to sell bags of it at the local grocery here.
But what I have been doing with it so far has been burn it in a burn barrel at first. Then I started piling the hardwoods like the oaks and hickory in a pile to rot for my garden later. Red cedar gets put around some of my trees by the shop as mulch.
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Throw it in your garden or flower beds
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