machinery warning

[AlexS]

OK, you've bought your new tablesaw or jointer, unpacked it and set it up, and now you just have to cut something - anything!

The pine palet that it came on springs to mind, so you knock it to bits and carefully extract all the nails. Then you run the plane over it or run it over the planer just to get a straight side.

Then you discover a nick in the blade that wasn't there before. Where did that come from?

The !@#$% nails that they're using on some palets have a little wire barb on them. When you pull the nail out, the barb stays there . Bastard!

[ernknot]

Bummer! did you do that?
ernknot

[Neil]

Yeah, watchout for stones and gravel etc embeded into the timber.

[vsquizz]

Because I have "modified" so many cutting tools on recycled stuff I do one of two things; either run the hand power planer with cheap crap blades over first or, I drill out the holes left by the nails/bolts/spikes etc and turn up some round stock to glue in the hole. I have a heap of old bridge timbers and the later is the only way to remove the small pieces of rust. People comment on the knots:D

Cheers

[AlexS]

Bummer! did you do that?
ernknot

I guess I was lucky - I spotted one of the little Bs when I shaved it - fortunately didn't nick the blade. I think drilling the holes out might be the go.

[barnsey]

Better still - pitch the pine pallet and come round to my place - I've got a heap of clean stuff you can practice on :D :D

[Dean]

Buy yourself a metal detector :)

[himzol]

What Dean said !!!

I've been working with Pallet timbers for the last few months and am yet to "modify" a blade.

I also go over the timbers with a hand held power plane before putting it through the thicknesser, table saw or other.

Have a read of Dean's review of the Lumber Wizard @ http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com

Something else to look out for is that sometimes there are staples in the timber where the shipping documents have been attached and then removed leaving the staple.

regards,

Himzo