Thread: Questions for a school project!!

Here's my thoughts....


1. Do you believe that using wood from furniture and pallets is a safe idea?

Furniture should be fine; finding enough roadside furniture that matches might be problematic.
Pallets are reasonably safe to use as long as you steer away from anything obviously chemically treated (have a look at the pallet challenge here for ideas)

2. What timber should I aim to use?
Ummm pallet timber?? Will depend on where you get your pallets from, can be hardwood or even varieties of hard-to-get-here hardwood, or, more frequently softwood like pine. Worry about that once you have a few trailerloads of pallets to sort through and you can see what you have available to play with.

3. Do you believe that the timber will be strong enough to support storage and people leaning on it?
Depends on your design. See existing structures for ideas, and you can always laminate stuff together to make it thicker/stronger.

4. Should I purchase timber, such as structural pine, to construct the framework?
From a strength point of view, not necessary if you design with an eye to the strength of the material. And hey, if you need stronger bits, no-one can tell if that bit of plywood is from a really good pallet OR if it's AC grade stuff from Bunnies if you peel the price sticker off!!

5. What hinge/s do you recommend to support the lid of the trunk?
What style do you like? Strength wise, it's a case of using as many as you need.

6. What type of joint would be optimal for this project?
From a longevity viewpoint, mortise and tennon is very traditional, but there's also dowels, loose tennons, knockdown fittings and so on. Just say 'no' to nails, though!!

7. Is it suitable to use a mixture of coconut oil and beeswax to finish the timber?
It's certainly possible, but it depends on why you want to use that particular finish. With all finishes, it's best to test them on scrap offcuts to see how well they work on your timber and if you like how they look/feel/apply.

8. Are there any other recommendations you have for the product?
Search these forums for 'create from a crate' as well as 'pallet challenge'

Heck, look at the stuff here - http://www.vwa.org.au/exhibitions/ar...te-crate-2014/

Welcome to the fora Breeannah!!

Even more welcome because it looks as if you wish to be a member of the Grand Amalgamated Union of Scroungers and Recyclers!!

There should be plenty of recycle timber available for your project. Glass people usually have longer pallets or crates that will give you good usable lengths
of timber. Some standard pallets are made from hardwoods of one kind or another and that will be quite strong timber. A trip to a demolition yard is another
option but keep an eye on prices. The advantage with demo or recycling yards is that the timber will be well seasoned. The local tip is another good source
of relatively cheap timber. You could also slip an ad in the local paper.

As for hinges that will very much depend on you style and design. If you want the piece to look rustic then there a suitable hinges to be found. A modern look
simply require a trip to a hardware store. Another option is to make wooden hinges. They would need to be bulky for strength but that may fit in with your design.


Good luck with this!!!

Just saw Master Splinter's post and it's a good one!!

Hi Breeannah,
Wow, that's a lot of questions many of which can't be answered without knowing something about your design. I believe that a part of your assessment is based on your design and design logic, so I suggest you start with that and then there are many people on this forum who can help you through the questions below.
However, to get you started, IN GENERAL.........

• Yes, found timber from used furniture and pallets is an excellent source of timber PROVIDED it is solid timber not chipboard or coarse cardboard. There are many examples on this forum of furniture made from salvaged timber even including competitions to make furniture from pallets
• yes, timber will be strong enough to take MOST loads but, to be safe, don't use your creation to support the weight of anyone
• hinge and joints largely depend on your design
• I gather you are looking for a natural, environmentally sensitive finish and, if so there are many choices. My personal choice is shellac and bees wax. Coconut oil is too greasy to use as a finish
• Any other suggestions? Yes, but designs first!

Fletty

Originally Posted by hannaeerb

Hello! My name is Breeannah and I am currently completing my year 12 major work for Design and Technology. I would very much appreciate it if you could answer a few questions in order for me to comprehend what is required for my desired project. I wish to manufacture a wooden trunk that doubles as a table; within this trunk there will be two or three wooden stools that can be used at this ‘table’. I intend to utilise furniture that is found on the side of the road and/or pallets for this project

1. Do you believe that using wood from furniture and pallets is a safe idea?


2. What timber should I aim to use?


3. Do you believe that the timber will be strong enough to support storage and people leaning on it?


4. Should I purchase timber, such as structural pine, to construct the framework?


5. What hinge/s do you recommend to support the lid of the trunk?


6. What type of joint would be optimal for this project?


7. Is it suitable to use a mixture of coconut oil and beeswax to finish the timber?


8. Are there any other recommendations you have for the product?



Thankyou very much!

Thankyou everyone!! Looking back i probably should have put some more detail in, but i really appreciate what you've given me!! Have a wonderful day

Welcome Breeannah,

Just a tip for locating pallet type materials. I get a lot of pine etc from a local ride on mower retailer. Virtually all mowers that they sell come in softwood packing frames, virtually a base pallet, a top pallet, with uprights and braces in between. The guy I get mine from in outer eastern Melbourne on average has at least a full truck load (abt 20) of machines delivered each week, and they pay to dispose of a car tilt tray truck load of timber every fortnight or so. They are more than happy to put some aside for me upon request, and I can collect a trailer load, stacked about 1m high of bases and uprights within a few days of requesting that they keep me some.

The bases I get are screwed together, with metal brackets at the corner which are easily unbolted. The frames as delivered are covered with black plastic, so there are nails and staples embedded in the timber which also need to be cleared before the material can be processed safely, metal and woodworking tools/machines don't mix well.

You didn't give much in the way of specific location details, and the whole idea may not be viable if you are in an area where there is not a need for a lot of ride ons.