I’m building some wood loads today from amazon.com’s finest scale wood.

Good stuff. I have an admission. Two years ago I built a lot of my Challenge build out of stir sticks from…well…I hate to say it…but when we’d go to get hot chocolate for my kids at that dang Strb**s place, I’d have them stir their cocoa with about forty sticks apiece. (I rationalized it by telling myself no one should charge $4.75 for a lousy cup of hot chocolate.) I didn’t make Best Dad on the cover of Parent Magazine that month.

John

I to have bilked SB’s sort of. Many years ago we got a summer hire to work in our office on base as an admin assistant. While she was there I encouraged her to attend several free Microsoft training courses offered by the base education office (because none of my hardheaded Airmen would). She got picked up that fall as a permanent part time employee by the squadron because of those certifications. She remained in our shop until next spring all the time continuing to take advantage of any and all training opportunities. She applied for a full time position as office manager in another unit and got the job. The next year she called and ask if I would write her a recommendation as she was applying for a promotion to the Base Records Supervisor which I was happy to do. She got that job too.

One month later a SB service truck pulled up outside of our shop. The driver came inside and dropped off about 40 lbs of assorted coffees. I asked if he had any stir sticks. He gave me a case (24 boxes similar to what Eric pictured). Turns out the lady’s husband was a regional manager for the coffee chain. His duties included spot inspections on over 150 stores. He explained that he would often pull over-stock or slow moving product from the shelves most of which was donated to local churches, shelters and schools. In addition his wife had made it clear that the EOD shop would get a delivery every quarter similar to this one. That continued until I PCSed five years later. I still get a Christmas card from the family. Apparently she took the summer temp job because they were about to loose their house.

Okay so the moral of this story is that somehow stealing coffee stirs is good karma.

The ones I have are made of birch so they sand and take glue and paint wonderfully. I used them in various parts of all these projects and more:

You can get a very similar product at Hobby Lobby in the wood crafts section for about $2. I have also been able to buy a box or two at a time from the local SB if the manager is there.

I like the way that you didn’t just cut off the ends and throw them away.

Best free timber in modelling!! bar for odd wonky bits!!

I found tongue depressors are of good wood (Have to be I suppose!).

Nice cutting with a Swann Morton scalpel…instant red wood…(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

Clever!..(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

A good example of Yankee ingenuity.

I bet even I could do this! Thanks for the idea!

• Eric

That looks great Eric and I like how you used the otherwise wasted ends.

I have used wood coffee stir sticks for all sorts of projects from wrapping a peanut butter jar to make a tank to using them as siding on board and batten type construction.

They are also good to frame doors and windows.

Slightly off piste…but I used a couple of embroidery hoops for the basis of a large watertank and clad them in 1/8th inch strips of spruce…

Needed four hands to start it off tho!(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)