Thread: Pallets

Hi Tony

Perhaps consider making it so boards can be removed and replaced if needed; as in screwed together.
That way you could keep renewing as required all from pallets.
My 2cw.

Cheers
Keith

Hi Tony

I frequently used salvaged timbers but I cannot remember salvaging pallet material for at least ten years.

Pallets seem humble but are actually quite heavy industrial engineering. They are designed to be cheap and robust, to survive attacks by predatory forklifts, and to bear heavy loads while being racked on semis and in ships on a stormy sea. They are very well nailed.

My problems stem from three aspects:

• Timber is extremely fast grown plantation pine with growth rings 15 - 20 mm apart,
• A small percentage (5% ?) were tropical hardwood of similar specs,
• Extremely difficult to disassemble without destroying the timber - they are designed to remain intact,
• Too much effort needed to salvage third grade material.

In my view there are much better sources of salvagable timber such as tip shops, salvage yards, and old furniture.

Most likely if the ones that aren't pine are hardwood and painted then they're probably rentals and belong to a pallet pool and are not appropriate material for DIY.

I agree with GC, unless there's an awful lot of work done to them most of that Pallet furniture looks like its made out of ordinary timber. At the timber ward we've broken up loads of old pellets to use the timber as stickers. After wrestling with half a dozen trying to get all the nails out all them we've basically given up and now just run a hand held circular over them and extract the short nail free timber pieces, the rest, including the pieces in the middle goes to scrap.

Originally Posted by BobL

... At the timber ward ......

I don't care if it was auto complete or fat fingers, but this one is so evocative I love it!

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

Most likely if the ones that aren't pine are hardwood and painted then they're probably rentals and belong to a pallet pool and are not appropriate material for DIY.

Hmmm, Chep pallets. Yum.

I love them!

I've been thinking of grabbing a denailer that was suggested by Brett some time back: AIR LOCKER ap700 professional Punch Nailer/Nail Remover (AP700 With DAP700 Piston Driver Assembly) : Amazon.com.au: Home Improvement

There is also the option of a Japanese tool called a BAKUMA. These things (kuma means bear in Japanese) act like levers from hell. I read somewhere they are most efficient at dismantling pallets.


On pallets, I've found some are made with the nicest timbers. Quite a few around here are made with Oak!

I've been using my scrub plane (I keep it in the boot of the car) when I see an abandoned one I give it a quick scrub to reveal the timber.... I was thinking of getting a cheap battery powered sander to do the same! BBBRRRVVVV and it shows its beauty

A bakuma will replace the crowbar


414JPSMPPPL._AC_.jpg

If you can get some from the USA you might well find that they are made with offcuts of some very nice timbers - I've had oak, sycamore and others that I didn't recognise, and made some nice furniture from them.
The ones I scored had been used to bring in large diesel engines. Not sure who you'd ask in your neck of the woods.

Thinking more along this style instead of breaking them up.
Pic 1 has potential with star droppers every pallet and ends bolted chained together, wouldnt trust that wally for all the pennies in china. The bar is a little over the top but general idea.

GreameCook down this way? whats a recycle yard? I dream of one of them but nearest is Adelaide. 2nd hand yeah sure pay the kings ransom.

Some ideas though thanks.

Just keep in mind that they are not treated (hopefully). So they wont last outdoors. Which is OK but the problem might be that they will soon look very..... mmmm... let's say "rustic".

I used to deal with thousands of pallets and never saw one I would want to use to build anything.

I thought I could get a lot more useable timber form a pallet that most people were getting. I live just 2 blocks from an industrial area. So I got 2 trailer loads of pallets. Then started to break them up and dress the timber. Used an air tool to denail them, dressed them on 4 sides and everything. But after just a few pallets I realised it just isn't worth the work. Timber has shot up in price since then but even so. One thing you can never get past is the nail holes. Which is why most people just cut them into little bits - but then you just have short bits of crap timber.

I did re-use the small pallet by table saw came in to build a timber cart. So I'm not writing off pallets entirely. I think it just doesn't really stack up unless you have a very specific use in mind and those uses are pretty limited when you really look into it.

The wife paid someone to remove and toss out all the remaining pallets, which were an eyesore in the back yard. Which kinda sums it up.

Your backyard bar idea looks nice and all but pallets are not H3 treated and so in a few short years it will look horrible. If exposed to sun and rain it will only take a few months. IMHO.

My father-in-law (ex builder) made a fair bit of pocket money making simple coffee tables and similar 'beach house' items from pallets. Sold them to a local posh shop for a couple of hundred, and they sold them on for around $700. Don;t have pictures unfortunately, but it was really nice looking stuff. Whitewashed finish.

I made this little fellow out of pallets:

complete front kitchen.jpg

Dark edging is recycled hardwood roofing timbers. All the hardwood in my workshop WIP is the same recycled roofing timbers.

rollaway into hole.jpg

And the cats quite enjoy this ex-pallet and old carpet:

cat tower.jpg

So, it's do-able - just takes a bit of imagination. And a lot of work to process and turn it into something useable. You have to get a kick out of using something instead of sending it to landfill or the fire-pit.

Hard to make a living out of I expect

Originally Posted by Bernmc

Hard to make a living out of I expect

But EXCELLENT for pocket money