Making things from old Pallets

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Making things from old Pallets
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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Nov 10, 15 12:34 am Post subject:
these are quite useful but very often wont pull a long annular shank nail hence my saw comment cheaper saws are available but those beasts are quite good at taking things to bits(houses for instance) hence having one in the tool collection.even a sabre saw with a metal cutting blade will do the job given enough time.

cassandra

Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 15 9:51 am Post subject:
Something else to consider when working with 'found' pallets: https://greenupgrader.com/19085/how-to-tell-if-wood-pallets-are-safe-for-crafting/

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 15 1:27 pm Post subject:

the comments from the pallet makers and timber folk are relevant however i have had pallets that have been treated with a copper compound (basic flame colour test) which i assume is copper arsinate (a well known and iirc now banned wood preservative) which as it gives off arsine in some conditions aint a good idea indoors or when working,tributyl tin is another possible treatment compound .

pallets made in the eu/usa etc should be safe ,those from less regulated places might not be and there is always a chance they have been dipped in something nasty during recycling/reuse by a less than scrupulous firm ,so being aware of such things is sensible.

as mentioned ht are safe,mb should be safe but why risk it(ppe) and chipboard ,mdf etc is use basic ppe when machining whether it is an old pallet or fresh stock from a timber yard.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 15 3:45 pm Post subject:

I have been making things for years from old pallets. I used to do horse jumps, making different types of wing using 4x2 and 3x3 and 3/4x 4 (all Imperial inches!), and buying in the poles. It was possible as the pallets I got were from a steel company and the sheet steel arrived in big sizes-pallets up to 96" lengths were common.
As you are a fair way from me I will pm you if you want, with things I make now. The quality of the timber is the most important thing, horses for courses etc! I would advise against using those pallet blocks which are compressed out of sawdust for firewood as they usually have an adhesive to keep them together-excellent for bonfire night though. This I am told can make a mess of your chimney, similar to using fresh sawn spruce in particular for logs! Dirty marks on the chimney breast in the room don't always put you in good books with the other half.
I have a machine for demolishing pallets, google them and you will find there are several on the market. I sell the nails to the scrappy.

Hill farmer

Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 49
Location: North Oxfordshire

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 15 5:48 pm Post subject:
The next Pallet project is a fence around a new veg plot. Euro Pallets cut in half and screwed together fortified with fence posts in a rough rectangle the end result is still in my head but I think its going to be ok. Also if a chicken wire strip is tacked to the base - Rabbit proof. I will post pics when its done.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 15 10:50 am Post subject:

You can get proper sides for euro pallets Martin, and these can allow you to move them from place to place in a garden if you want to, a sort of mobile raised bed; also you can reduce the amount of slug damage by raising the crop off the ground and applying your slug control system under the raised bed I use solid boxes with copper wire nailed to the base of my 'raised bed' boxes-doesn't stop the cabbage whites attacking!

Hill farmer

Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 49
Location: North Oxfordshire

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 15 1:21 pm Post subject:
Gregotyn , when you say have sides do you mean they are constructed to fit the Pallets ? Or is there something else - you see I have access to lots of free Euro Pallets and they all look the same to me,some are better nick than others but the shapes are all the same. I like the idea of a mobile veg bed - very cool.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 15 11:05 am Post subject:

The euro pallet has manufactured sides about 200mm to 250mm deep, about 22mm thick. They are joined at the ends by hinges to make them be in one 'piece'. The base of the hinges has 2 tags sticking down. So they will travel flat. To erect you simply place pallet on the floor, open the flat surround to form the rectangular shape of the pallet and place this on the pallet base. In a former life I was a fork truck driver in a manufacturing plant, and one of my duties was to make these pallet sets up to the height for the operators to put the finished goods in to send to SAAB in Sweden I think. So to answer your question they do make the sides to fit the pallet- but they are hinged to allow them to flatten for transport when they are sent back to the company who fill them. You can buy them of the net if you look for them. There are several sizes-the standard I think is 1200mm x750mm. The euro pallet was devised for transport purposes to maximise lorry space- not done for gardeners at all, but they are very good!
The tags at the bottom of the hinges allow the sides to hold onto the pallet, we used to stack the sides one on top of each other to make a side up to a metre high! Hope I have explained this well enough.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Wed Dec 23, 15 5:16 pm Post subject:
we have access to a lot of pallets - we only get the broken ones - as the good ones are reused. We use them for firewood mostly - nothing gets the esse to frying temperature faster than pallet wood we have also made feed troughs hen houses a garden table kitchen shelves log stores a cold frame I'm sure there is more...

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Thu Dec 24, 15 10:35 am Post subject:

There are lots more things to be made; what doesn't happen very often is that you get the quality of wood in the pallet to make exactly what you want. The trick is to take it even if you don't need it for a job today, then keep it if it is quality and burn it if it is rubbish I have lots of storage space so I keep a store of the stuff, then when I need a job in the town I have it. Years ago for taking it away I had access to 16-18ft lengths of 4&5 in wide boards, so useful, dried up after about 6 loads, but my pile is still going after about 7 years!
The thing to watch out for is the dreaded worm! I still I don't know how to control it.

Hill farmer

Joined: 08 Feb 2009
Posts: 49
Location: North Oxfordshire

Posted: Tue Dec 29, 15 5:53 pm Post subject:

Thanks Gregotyn , you have enlightened me I really didn't know the Euro pallets had sides - the ones I get hold of are from Germany a friend of mine had a solar panel farm put on his land and all the products came of a wagon straight from Germany and he was suddenly swamped with hundreds of pallets. He mainly burns them in a biomass furnace but allows me to harvest what I want.
Some of the slats are really lovely wood and quite smooth I have made two perfectly fitting shed doors from them and I am no carpenter I just look at the expensive posh stuff in the garden centre photograph it on my phone and copy it at home with the pallets, I reckon I have saved hundreds of pounds doing this.

The raised beds are simple box or rectangle constructions with the thick sections of pallets for bracing - they wont last forever but I reckon a few years will be had and hopefully a few meals from what they are surrounding !

Ginkotree

Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 2956
Location: south west wales

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 16 11:06 am Post subject:
I have been fortunate enough to have a supply of pallets from a Printers..because they are used for paper they are smaller but have a solid face and are clean wood.. The printers are glad to get them taken away.. When we have used the usual ones for the front of a porch floor we have filled the gaps with wood to fit rather than rip them up.

Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2573
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 16 6:39 pm Post subject:
Having recently gotten a pickup truck load (that's 21) of pallets my darling daughter sent me this link No directions but a slew of images to inspire you. Click on the top row of boxes - patio, bed, etc - and the images will conveniently sort themselves for you

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 16 7:16 pm Post subject:
Nice link, we have a few pallets in need of re-purposing, though I think they may be too crap to make much use of. Aiming to get them checked tomorrow.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 16 7:24 pm Post subject:
This is my favourite pallet creation.

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