What to Do With All That Sawdust From Your Sawmill Bandsaw

Whether you’re a landowner working to get the most out of your acreage, an independent sawyer, or a hobbyist woodworker, your dependable sawmill bandsaw is one of your most vital pieces of forestry equipment. 

Sawmill Bandsaw

Sawyers use the industry’s best-valued portable bandsaw mills to produce lumber for a wide variety of projects. From fencing boards to handcrafted furniture featuring gorgeous live-edge slabs, there’s almost no limit to what you can accomplish with the right sawmill bandsaw.

Of course, mills also produce quite a bit of sawdust. It seems a shame to let all that byproduct simply go to waste, doesn’t it?

Instead of simply bagging it and dumping it, here’s a list of five clever, practical purposes that can be served by the sawdust from your bandsaw sawmill.

Fine Filler for Woodworking Projects

Have you ever heard of wood flour? It’s an effective, sustainable filler created by mixing your finest sawdust with wood glue. The result is a putty that’s ideal for correcting minor imperfections or putting the finishing touches on your latest woodworking project.

If you need to cover an errant nail hole or perfect a joint that got away from you, wood flour is just the thing. You can keep some on hand for everyday use, and for special projects, use the sawdust you created while milling the lumber you’re using for an exact match.

A Quick, Effective Fire Starter

With your finer sawdust accounted for, you can use the coarser stuff as a fire starter that’ll save you time and effort. Rather than just toting around a bag of sawdust, the best way to create your own fire starters is by forming briquettes.

You can use a muffin tin to make your briquettes. Start by mixing coarse sawdust from your mill with small wood chips from your PTO chipper. Melt some candle wax in a non-stick pot, stir in your sawdust mixture, then pour it all into the muffin molds and let it set. You can use them at home or take them on the go, and they’re perfect for starting a campfire.

Wood Chip Mulch for the Garden

Maybe you already use one of the leading off road utility trailers to collect wood chips from your 3 point wood chipper. If so, you may have heard of wood chip mulch, which is excellent for gardening.

You can also use your mill’s sawdust to create this mulch. Better yet, mix your sawdust with manure or a nitrogen supplement to support your garden.

Spill Absorption in Your Shop

For most messes, shop towels will get the job done. Some, however, are better addressed with sawdust.

There’s a reason sawdust used to be so common on barroom floors: It’s super absorbent, and it’s easy to sweep or shovel into the trash once the spill has been soaked up.

You likely wouldn’t want to coat your shop floor with sawdust, but keeping some in a 5-gallon bucket is a good way to be prepared for anything, especially when you’re working with automotive fluids.

An Upgrade for Trails and Pathways

If you produce sawdust in large enough quantities, it can make a superb addition to the trails and walking paths on your property.

On trails and even two-track forest roads, spreading a little sawdust is an excellent way to improve traction, especially during the wetter fall months as you’re hauling loads of firewood in your ATV log trailer.

For walking paths closer to home, sawdust makes an excellent liner. Pack some sawdust along your frequently traveled paths to create a cushion your guests will appreciate. The sawdust also lends a pleasant, subtle, and natural aroma. Replace as necessary.

About Woodland Mills

Independent sawyers, landowners, and hobbyist woodworkers alike regularly turn to Woodland Mills for the best-valued forestry products. Founded by childhood friends Neil Bramley and Josh Malcolm, Woodland Mills is recognized globally as an industry leader offering capable, dependable products at justifiable price points. More than a decade since releasing the flagship HM126 portable bandsaw mill, Woodland Mills continues to innovate. New offerings include robust Loglander log arches, the nimble yet sturdy Pathlander ATV trailer, and the forthcoming HM136MAX portable sawmill bandsaw, delivering a 36” cut width. The worldwide community of sawyers who depend on Woodland Mills rave about more than the products—they also love the peerless customer service and fast shipping. Whether you need a bandsaw sawmill for your portable milling operation or a UTV dump trailer for acreage management, you can count on Woodland Mills.

Explore the best-valued forestry products from Woodland Mills at https://woodlandmills.com/

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