Scrap wood piles - modeling idea

I do a lot of structure modeling which includes use of and cutting to length stripwood.  Some time ago I realized that all of the small cut off pieces I was throwing away were actually useful to represent wood scrap piles on my layout.  So now I put all of these scraps of various sizes and thicknesses in a small box for later use.  When I need them I usually first douse them with an eye-dropper of one of my india ink and alcohol mixtures to weather them, then make a pile on the layout where I need it.  It is simple and costs nothing since the scraps are essentially throw-aways.  I keep several bottles of india ink and alcohol mixture in various shades of blackness to suit the situation.  I always use the 91% isopropyl alcohol as it contains less water and thus results in less warpage of the wood I use it on.  The scene shows a pile behind a small mill on my layout.