The shop is in a constant state of motion. It is more of a place I run in and out of as needed. As an idea surfaces, the shop is an intermittant actor in the scene. I seldom perform the entire process there. Usually its a few cuts to try to match a scribbled sketch that may have awakened me the night before. Often it is the scraps from the last project that re-catch my eye. There seems to be no such thing as a discardable scrap in the shop and I am hard pressed to burn anything that would normally be waste in most work areas. For the longest time I wished for long straight pieces of lumber but eventually learned it was the smaller scraps and pieces that had the patina and the personality.
When confronted with scrap pieces or a pile of interesting shapes, turn them into many variations. This may immeditely launch an idea or sit on a shelf or under one for a long time. It’s a crap shoot. However, there may come a day when you “re-discover” them and they will be the EXACT pieces you need for some idea that floated into your head between coffees or after a rare good night’s sleep.