Find Woodworking Inspiration in the Scrap Bin

I snapped this picture of my father's scrap bins the last time I visited his unfinished cabin.  This explains a lot when I look at my own growing scrap collection.  Indeed, the apple does not fall far from the tree.   Most people would see trash cans waiting to be dumped in this picture, but I see bins full of inspiration.

When I look through dad's scrap, I always find pieces to bring home.  Sometimes I recognize pieces, such as the two curvy cutoffs from his fireplace mantle supports.  Sometimes I find historical artifacts with his sketches, measurements, and calculations written on them.

Scrap bins are packed full of future projects just waiting to be built.  The possibilities are endless, and many times, the shape or wood grain will make it obvious to me what a piece is supposed to become.  Sometimes I see a piece and know it's destined to be a bandsaw box, a plaque, a bookend or some sort of knick-knack.

So the next time you can't think of anything to build, raid your scrap bin (or better yet, a friend's scrap bin) with an open mind.  You might discover a piece of history or find a future project.