Thread: Inexpensive Australian Timber suggestions for beginners first time box making?

You can often find companies giving away pallets, and will have lots. That way you can get an airtasker to pick them up for you without having to worry that 1-2 pallets on a nature strip will be gone before they're there.

I wanted to use them for furniture making but realised the cost saved is not worth the time it takes to take them apart and machine them, especially because a lot of time the timber breaks or you just get short pieces. I might change my mind if I could get some hardwood ones.

What I found very productive (again for larger amounts, but may suit you as well) is to monitor gumtree and find when someone is selling lots of old timber. For a $100-$200 you could get enough to last you a lifetime of boxes Requires machining but you can usually get healthy and big pieces of timber that are worth it.

Another idea is old flooring - I got a whole bunch of baltic pine for free from someone who was disposing of it. 19mm thick, 40-150cm long, 19cm wide, awesome for boxes.

All of this stuff requires some work on the timber but I find myself really enjoying it, going from a board that looks ready for fire to a beautiful piece is very rewarding

Originally Posted by igalic

All of this stuff requires some work on the timber but I find myself really enjoying it, going from a board that looks ready for fire to a beautiful piece is very rewarding

Just want to add my hearty AMEN to that - rewarding indeed

Try getting in touch with https://Smart Recycling to see if they have any of the hardwood pallets that they provided for 'Create from a Crate' which they sponsor. They contained oak, sycamore and much more.

Thanks again to all.

Much appreciated.

If you're in a smaller city/town, go and check out your local transport companies for pallets that they are throwing out. I work for a transport company, we have a huge amount of plain pallets that are burnt in the early hours of the morning during winter. Chep & Loscam pallets are hired, so you won't get any of them.