Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[akroberts1085]

 

[akroberts1085]

@gtaus, do you think that if I took the top support boards off and used the pallet stretcher to add support that I would still need to add 2×4s for extra support.

 

[gtaus]

@gtaus, do you think that if I took the top support boards off and used the pallet stretcher to add support that I would still need to add 2×4s for extra support.

OK, not quite sure what you are referencing, so I will add a picture and make a comment or two, in the spirit of answering your question, to see if that helps.

This raised bed is almost exactly like my pallet wood raised bed v2.0. You have the 2X4 framing on the outside and the pallet wood planks on the inside. That should hold together well and prevent side wall blowouts.

The only difference I do is that I add a couple 2X4's in each corner, which adds additional strength to the framing. I see you put regular planks in the corners, and that might be enough. I added the 2X4's in the corners because some of my earliest raised beds failed in the corners after about 5 years. The 2X4's in the corners screwed into the 2X4 outer frame was my solution to prevent the corners from failing after a number of years. Is it required? Probably not. I just think it makes the framing stronger and perhaps the raised bed will last a few years longer.

Again, for comparison, here is a picture of my pallet wood raised bed v2.0 design with the 2X4's in the corners for additional support...

As to the other, smaller raised bed...

I would suggest, if you can, adding some 2X4's as top framing to hold that bed together. From my experience, even with a smaller bed like this, those corners will blow out in a few years because there is just not much holding them together.

I don't think the 2X4's in the corners are as necessary in the smaller raised beds because there will be less soil pressing outwards on the framing. In the small flower planters I make for Dear Wife, I don't bother with 2X4's in the corners.

But I don't think the three separate boards along the top face of that smaller box are going to hold very long. In my experience, you might get a few years of use out of it before the sides start to fail. If you can add a solid 2X4 framing to the top, it will make a world of difference in strength.

Having said all that, if you are happy with the build than just go with it. In a year or two, you will find out if that build works for you. As I have always stated, my pallet wood raised bed v2.0 design was a result of the problems I saw in my raised beds after a number of years.

And I try not to take myself too seriously. After all, it costs me only about $2.00 to build a new pallet wood raised bed. Someday I hope to design a pallet wood raised bed v3.0 with improvements I may have learned from my current design. I am open to any and all improvements, but, so far, none of my pallet wood raised bed v2.0's have failed in 4 years.

Thank you so much for uploading your pictures and sharing with others. Please remember to post some pictures when you get your plants growing in your raised beds. Everybody loves to see that stuff.

In that spirit, it's all about growing stuff in the raised bed...

And one of Dear Wife's flower pallet wood planters I made for her...

 

[akroberts1085]

OK, not quite sure what you are referencing, so I will add a picture and make a comment or two, in the spirit of answering your question, to see if that helps.

View attachment 4081195

This raised bed is almost exactly like my pallet wood raised bed v2.0. You have the 2X4 framing on the outside and the pallet wood planks on the inside. That should hold together well and prevent side wall blowouts.

The only difference I do is that I add a couple 2X4's in each corner, which adds additional strength to the framing. I see you put regular planks in the corners, and that might be enough. I added the 2X4's in the corners because some of my earliest raised beds failed in the corners after about 5 years. The 2X4's in the corners screwed into the 2X4 outer frame was my solution to prevent the corners from failing after a number of years. Is it required? Probably not. I just think it makes the framing stronger and perhaps the raised bed will last a few years longer.

Again, for comparison, here is a picture of my pallet wood raised bed v2.0 design with the 2X4's in the corners for additional support...

View attachment 4081204

As to the other, smaller raised bed...

View attachment 4081205

I would suggest, if you can, adding some 2X4's as top framing to hold that bed together. From my experience, even with a smaller bed like this, those corners will blow out in a few years because there is just not much holding them together.

I don't think the 2X4's in the corners are as necessary in the smaller raised beds because there will be less soil pressing outwards on the framing. In the small flower planters I make for Dear Wife, I don't bother with 2X4's in the corners.

But I don't think the three separate boards along the top face of that smaller box are going to hold very long. In my experience, you might get a few years of use out of it before the sides start to fail. If you can add a solid 2X4 framing to the top, it will make a world of difference in strength.

Having said all that, if you are happy with the build than just go with it. In a year or two, you will find out if that build works for you. As I have always stated, my pallet wood raised bed v2.0 design was a result of the problems I saw in my raised beds after a number of years.

And I try not to take myself too seriously. After all, it costs me only about $2.00 to build a new pallet wood raised bed. Someday I hope to design a pallet wood raised bed v3.0 with improvements I may have learned from my current design. I am open to any and all improvements, but, so far, none of my pallet wood raised bed v2.0's have failed in 4 years.

Thank you so much for uploading your pictures and sharing with others. Please remember to post some pictures when you get your plants growing in your raised beds. Everybody loves to see that stuff.

In that spirit, it's all about growing stuff in the raised bed...

View attachment 4081232

And one of Dear Wife's flower pallet wood planters I made for her...

View attachment 4081234

Thank you. That's actually the question that I had forgotten by the time I had a conversation with you in the other thread.

 

[gtaus]

Thank you. That's actually the question that I had forgotten by the time I had a conversation with you in the other thread.

Of course, the most important thing is that you enjoy your projects. If my comments help you in any way, then that's great.

 

[akroberts1085]

Of course, the most important thing is that you enjoy your projects. If my comments help you in any way, then that's great.

You're advice has been awesome. That's actually how I got my husband to help me with making the raised beds. The first one I tried to show him some pictures but he just wouldn't have anything to do with it. I then told him here this is the way the pallet beds should look. Yes it was a picture of one of your beds and he was like oh okay now I know how to make it.

 

[gtaus]

Update on Stackable Compost Bin Leafs Used for Winter

Not quite sure where to put this update, but I'll post it here because I am going to start off with the pallet wood stackable compost bin that I made last year and filled with leaves to use this winter in the chicken run.

Here is that stackable compost bin...

I started off the winter with 7 tiers on that compost bin. Winter snow is almost gone, and I am happy to say that I only used 2 tiers of leaves! I thought I might need a lot more leaves, but I had plenty.

The idea was to find a way to let the chickens go outside in the winter. I don't have a roof over my chicken run, so it fills up with snow. My chickens won't go out and walk on the snow. Last fall, I asked myself what if I stockpiled some leaves and spread them out in the chicken run after each snowfall - would the chickens go outside in the cold, and would I have enough leaves to get through an entire winter?

I only needed to spread some leaves out in front of the pop door, not the entire chicken run. Here is a picture of how many leaves I toss down after a snowfall...

That's maybe an 8X8 foot area covered with leaves. For comparison, my chicken run is about 13X30 feet in total...

I had no intention of covering the entire chicken run with leaves in the winter. Just enough for the chickens to come outside and get some fresh air and sunshine. Here is a picture of them enjoying a sunny early spring day earlier this week...

What I learned was that the chickens have no problem going outside in the cold, as long as they don't have to walk on the snow itself. I started off with my pallet wood stackable compost bin at 7 tiers high, and only used 2 tiers of leaves all winter. I had expected it would take a lot more.

All in all, I think there were only maybe 7 days total that my chickens were not able to go outside this winter. Other than that, they had access to the chicken run.

I had thought that I would need a lot more leaves than I had stored in that stackable compost bin. So, I filled up the protective cages I built to keep the deer out of my raised beds with leaves...

I actually have 4 or 5 beds like that filled with leaves that I did not use at all this winter. So, I'll have lots of carbon material to toss in the chicken run with grass clippings from mowing this spring. Nothing goes to waste here.

 

[akroberts1085]

That's a great idea. My chickens don't have to worry about snow but I worry about the rain. There was one day we had so much rain I had to bring Darlin and Little One inside. They were so soaked that they couldn't even lift their wings.

 

[chickengr]

something cut most of 1 variety tomato seedlings I don't think it was a cutworm as it would be difficult to climb, eat and disappear within 20-30 minutes. seedlings stayed outside that long after sunset.

 

[gtaus]

Just wanted to mention that the protective cages I built to put on top of my pallet wood raised beds were made out of reclaimed lumber and repurposed chicken wire...

I had some old 1X4's and 1X6's that I ripped down to 1X2's for the framing. I plan on making some removable tops for a few of those cages to keep the deer out. Last year was the first year I have been ravaged by deer, but they only ate some plants and left others alone. I only need tops to protect the plants they like to eat.

In that picture, you can see those green plastic leaf scoops. I bought them last week at Home Depot. They had been about $10.00 per scoop last year and I had no interest in them at that time because I did not have any leaves piled up. However, I saw those scoops on the clearance rack last week marked down to $2.00 each and got a pair for scooping out the leaves in these cages. For $2.00 each, I think they were worth the price.