Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[gtaus]

Today I took an old pallet and made a coop sign

Nicely done. Looks great.

 

[gtaus]

I have never met a company that compensates for bad reviews

Unfortunately, I have read some articles on companies paying people to submit negative reviews on their competitor's product.

Many years ago I heard the saying, "Competition brings out the best in products, but too often the worst in people." I think that is what we are seeing.

 

[gtaus]

What do you use for pulling out pallet nails and headless nails?

Depending on how you breakdown your pallets, you might end up with nails to pull out of wood. As we all know, the spiral nails used to make pallets are "demi-screws" and hold much better than a normal nail. Great for keeping a pallet together, but tough on us when we break down a pallet for the wood. Especially when you have to pull out a headless nail driven deep into the 2X4 stretchers.

My first choice to pull nails is the standard crow/pry bar, providing lots of leverage.

Sometimes a standard hammer will work, but at my age, I find the crow bar makes pulling nails easier for me. When I get a pallet nail that won't budge even with the crow bar, I use a scraper bar...

I use the bottom end of the scarper bar and slip in the nail head....

...and then whack the top portion of the bar with a heavy framing hammer....

That loosens and pops up the nail and then I can remove it with either the top claw on the scraper or the hammer. Works great in about 90% of those tough nails that I cannot budge with a crow bar (but maybe my 20-year-old self would not have a problem).

Occasionally, the nail head will pop off before the nail is pulled.

When that happens, you need some specialty tools. I have found a couple of options very useful. First, for small nails that are not otherwise too hard to get out, I use my Harbor Freight 10 In. End Nipper

The nippers are fast and efficient for pulling out headless nails that are not really stuck in the wood. So the nippers is always on the bench when I am pulling nails out of pallet wood.

When you get those long pallet spiral nails that won't budge with the crow bar, you might end up popping off the nail head with the claw of the crow bar. I hate it when that happens. Anyways, the nippers is not strong enough for those longer nails. That's when I go to my heavy duty option, the Crescent Code Red 11" Nail Puller Pliers

You clamp the pliers end on the headless nail, and then rock the pliers on the curved head for leverage to pull out the nail. As you pull the nail back on the curved head, it adds additional clamping force to the headless nail and that is what makes this tool so great for pulling out those long pallet nails without a head. I won't say it makes everything easy, because I find I have to work on it to pull out the nail, but the Code Red pliers pulls those nails that no other tool I have will do.

Here is a promo video of the pliers in action...

OK, honest review on pulling out headless long spiral pallet nails, I always have to use both hands and pull on it. The headless nails in the video are easier to pull, and a one handed operation would be all you need for them. Spiral pallet nails are designed to grip better, and the long pallet nails can be work to pull out. If I cannot remove a nail with the Crescent Code Red pliers, then I either pound the nail back into the wood or cut if off with a blade.

In most of my cases, I try to use full pallets first so I don't have to go to all the work of breaking them down. My second option is usually to cut off the planks leaving the nails on the stretchers. But, if you need to separate the wood from the pallet and pull out the nails from the 2X4 stretchers, then the nippers and Crescent Code Red pliers are great tools to have in your toolbox.

If you made it to the end here, I would just ask that you tell me what works for you in pulling out headless nails, and I am most interested in any tool that might make the process more automated. Like a pneumatic or cordless tool that clamps on to the nail and pulls it out - if one such tool exists. I'm not getting any younger....

 

[gtaus]

But, if you need to separate the wood from the pallet and pull out the nails from the 2X4 stretchers, then the nippers and Crescent Code Red pliers are great tools to have in your toolbox.

Just wanted to add that I have used both of these tools extensively in cleaning up reclaimed lumber I got this summer. Those tools were a small investment that allowed me to reclaim hundreds of dollars of lumber to use in future projects. So, these tools were not purchased just for my pallet projects. They have paid for themselves many times over just in the past few months this summer.

 

[chickengr]

What? Where is my chipping hammer?

Actually, I have a chipping hammer on the welding cart with my flux core welder. But good eye on noticing my incomplete set of hammers on that stand. Truth be told, not all my hammers are on that stand. I have a few other hammers and mallets stashed away in tool bags and drawers. Those hammers and mallets are set aside for certain uses and/or for quick tossing a tool go-bag into the truck to take on the road. That hammer stand was meant to hold all those hammers I had laying on the shelf in the garage.

I pretty much have a complete set of tools in my tool bags that I use on the road. I don't normally use any tools out of those bags because I don't want to be looking around the garage for my toolkit if I need to pack up and hit the road. That way, I save lots of time not worrying about what tools I have in the bags. I only need to add any specialty tools that I might need for a specific job.

My father was great in many ways, but not with tool usage and organization. I don't ever remember him returning a tool to a storage location. I would be constantly cleaning up after him and returning tools. I am more organized, but still have a long way to go. Keeping some tools in my tool bags for mobile use and other tools for use in and around the house separately helps me.

I wonder if I am somehow related to your father

I don't have a place to keep my tools. that's why I cannot be organized. but I do plan to make a shed in the future.

 

[chickengr]

Banned from writing any and all reviews. According to the initial ban notice I am either fake or suspected of receiving compensation for reviews. I have never met a company that compensates for bad reviews and I really would like to at the very least receive this magical compensation they speak of if they're going to ban me anyways. I'm also definitely not fake because if they took one look at my purchase history they would see that this fake account spent $10,000+.

if I were you I would probably try to inform some journalists about that and they would love to make a big news.

 

[ChicksnMore]

What do you use for pulling out pallet nails and headless nails?

Depending on how you breakdown your pallets, you might end up with nails to pull out of wood. As we all know, the spiral nails used to make pallets are "demi-screws" and hold much better than a normal nail. Great for keeping a pallet together, but tough on us when we break down a pallet for the wood. Especially when you have to pull out a headless nail driven deep into the 2X4 stretchers.

View attachment 3265693

My first choice to pull nails is the standard crow/pry bar, providing lots of leverage.

View attachment 3265697

Sometimes a standard hammer will work, but at my age, I find the crow bar makes pulling nails easier for me. When I get a pallet nail that won't budge even with the crow bar, I use a scraper bar...

View attachment 3265700

I use the bottom end of the scarper bar and slip in the nail head....

View attachment 3265701

...and then whack the top portion of the bar with a heavy framing hammer....

View attachment 3265705

That loosens and pops up the nail and then I can remove it with either the top claw on the scraper or the hammer. Works great in about 90% of those tough nails that I cannot budge with a crow bar (but maybe my 20-year-old self would not have a problem).

Occasionally, the nail head will pop off before the nail is pulled.

When that happens, you need some specialty tools. I have found a couple of options very useful. First, for small nails that are not otherwise too hard to get out, I use my Harbor Freight 10 In. End Nipper

View attachment 3265709

The nippers are fast and efficient for pulling out headless nails that are not really stuck in the wood. So the nippers is always on the bench when I am pulling nails out of pallet wood.

When you get those long pallet spiral nails that won't budge with the crow bar, you might end up popping off the nail head with the claw of the crow bar. I hate it when that happens. Anyways, the nippers is not strong enough for those longer nails. That's when I go to my heavy duty option, the Crescent Code Red 11" Nail Puller Pliers


View attachment 3265713

You clamp the pliers end on the headless nail, and then rock the pliers on the curved head for leverage to pull out the nail. As you pull the nail back on the curved head, it adds additional clamping force to the headless nail and that is what makes this tool so great for pulling out those long pallet nails without a head. I won't say it makes everything easy, because I find I have to work on it to pull out the nail, but the Code Red pliers pulls those nails that no other tool I have will do.

Here is a promo video of the pliers in action...

OK, honest review on pulling out headless long spiral pallet nails, I always have to use both hands and pull on it. The headless nails in the video are easier to pull, and a one handed operation would be all you need for them. Spiral pallet nails are designed to grip better, and the long pallet nails can be work to pull out. If I cannot remove a nail with the Crescent Code Red pliers, then I either pound the nail back into the wood or cut if off with a blade.

In most of my cases, I try to use full pallets first so I don't have to go to all the work of breaking them down. My second option is usually to cut off the planks leaving the nails on the stretchers. But, if you need to separate the wood from the pallet and pull out the nails from the 2X4 stretchers, then the nippers and Crescent Code Red pliers are great tools to have in your toolbox.

If you made it to the end here, I would just ask that you tell me what works for you in pulling out headless nails, and I am most interested in any tool that might make the process more automated. Like a pneumatic or cordless tool that clamps on to the nail and pulls it out - if one such tool exists. I'm not getting any younger....

I use a regular claw hammer for pallet nails but I pop the claw on and then hit the handle from the side with a sledge hammer...one or two hits usually pops it right out. A sledgehammer's overkill but it lets me stand up while I hit...my back likes standing more then bending anymore and I tend to work on the ground in a large dirt area.

If the head messes up and the boards off the pallet, I hammer it mostly out and if it still won't come, I rest it across two blocks with the nail hanging between and use a punch.

If the head messes up and the boards still attached to the pallet, I used to use my cement breaker bar to pry the board off...now I'd just use the hackzall to cut it off.

I tried cutting boards off a pallet that way and wow that's easy! I'm not sure I'll ever pull a pallet nail again...lol.

 

[McChooky]

Just got caught up on everyone's projects...wow some nice build going on and a to die for garden!
I love lil Doc too. He looks like he's living the life!
I need to figure out a way to save my favorite threads on here so I don't lose them when I get busy!

Save it by clicking bookmark. If you click on your user name you'll see account above your profile picture and Bookmarks right beside of it.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Select "Watch" at the top of the thread

View attachment 3265617

Click the three lines to open the menu
View attachment 3265620

Go to "Watched threads"
View attachment 3265615

Save it by clicking bookmark. If you click on your user name you'll see account above your profile picture and Bookmarks right beside of it.

Thank you both ❤. So much easier to check from here then rely on the unpredictable email notifications!

 

[gtaus]

If the head messes up and the boards off the pallet, I hammer it mostly out and if it still won't come, I rest it across two blocks with the nail hanging between and use a punch.

I don't have a problem with pulling nails out of the planks. That is easy enough for me to turn the board over on the underside and pound the nail down, and then use a hammer to pull the nail out from the top of the board.

It's the nails in the 2X4's that are much harder to remove, and especially if the nail head pops off. That's when I bring out the nippers or Crescent Code Red pliers. Because I have been using the 2X4 stretchers for my planter and raised bed builds, I am taking the time to remove the nails out of those boards.

...now I'd just use the hackzall to cut it off.

I tried cutting boards off a pallet that way and wow that's easy! I'm not sure I'll ever pull a pallet nail again...lol.

Yes, I'm a big fan of using the Sawzall method to quickly cut those nails and remove the entire plank off the pallet. Works great on many pallets. Sometimes I need a full length plank, and the Sawzall method is about the best in keeping the whole board useable.

It's easy enough to use a punch to pop out the nail heads from the planks after you use the Sawzall to cut the nails. But, the nail bottoms in the 2X4's are about impossible to remove. Not a big deal unless you plan on using the 2X4's and need to cut them with a saw. Those imbedded nail bottoms can destroy a saw blade.

If I use the Sawzall method to break down the pallet, I set aside the 2X4's for projects that will use the entire length of the board without cutting it. That way I do not have to worry about cutting through a nail and ruing an expensive saw blade. That is why my raised bed planters are 4X4 feet - taking advantage of the entire 2X4 stretcher and I don't have to remove the nail bottoms if I don't cut the board.

If you only want the planks, and can live with shorter pieces ~18 inches, then using a circular saw or a jig saw to cut the wood alongside the 2X4 stretcher is a really fast way to break down a pallet and you don't have any nails to pull out or punch out at all - assuming you don't plan on using the 2X4 stretchers with the ends of the planks still attached.

All my planters and raised beds, so far, just use planks cut down to 16 inches, or less. So, the circular saw method works great for me to quickly build up lots of short pieces to use.

I have learned that some pallets are built in such a way that one breakdown method might work better than another on that particular pallet. So, it's really good to know a variety of pallet breakdown methods to take better advantage of what the pallet offers.