Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[Hedgeland Farms]

The pallet shed is officially done! It took 3 full days to build and hang the doors because nothing is square, but we got them to be functional. A small cinder block is used to keep the bottom of the doors flush with the frame to help prevent critters from squeezing inside. We were quick to start embellishing and one day I hope to build an old west false front with more pallets to finish the western feel. For now though, a long break from pallet work!

UH-MAZING!!!
You guys have done well!!!

 

[Folara]

Thank you all! I love being able to share this work with like-minded pallet people! I did have one last pallet project today, redesigning my compost bins to better suit my materials and climate. All leaves and other organic material now go into the chicken run for a deep litter composting system in there, so these bins will be used for composting my other creatures' manure and bedding. I went with the same board on board style with these pallets to roughly fill gaps so it will contain little goat berries and help retain moisture in my dry climate. The bin on the far right is nearly full with goat manure and hay/straw that I've been piling since spring, so I'll be starting a new pile on the far left and letting the right one cook down until next spring. Hopefully this new setup will allow me to process compost quicker too, because once the horses come the manure piles will be getting larger!

 

[gtaus]

Thank you all! I love being able to share this work with like-minded pallet people!

I get lots of inspirations from pics uploaded by everyone.

I hope the southern people will continue the pics and pallet projects while those of us up north buckle down for the winter... In a few weeks, it will be pretty much wait until April before I start any new projects.

I did have one last pallet project today, redesigning my compost bins to better suit my materials and climate. All leaves and other organic material now go into the chicken run for a deep litter composting system in there, so these bins will be used for composting my other creatures' manure and bedding.

Yes, I think turning the chicken run into a composting system just makes so much sense for many of us. My chicken run composting system has so much compost ready to harvest, that I never worry about trying to speed up the process in the chicken run or my other compost bins.

I went with the same board on board style with these pallets to roughly fill gaps so it will contain little goat berries and help retain moisture in my dry climate.

I really like that board on board look for some projects. And, how easy is it? Took me almost no time to make a roof for my pallet wood storage bin using that board on board method. Looks great as a wall covering, too. Very nice.

The bin on the far right is nearly full with goat manure and hay/straw that I've been piling since spring, so I'll be starting a new pile on the far left and letting the right one cook down until next spring. Hopefully this new setup will allow me to process compost quicker too, because once the horses come the manure piles will be getting larger!

I have 5 pallet compost bins where I dump organic stuff that I don't want to toss into my chicken run composting system. Usually overflow grass clippings, leaves, and the occasional moldy food that we "found" shoved in the back of the refrigerator.

In my case, I just fill up one compost bin, then start another, and so on. I never bother to turn the piles, because I just don't need to speed up the natural process. By the time I fill up the fifth bin, the first bin is more than ready to harvest and I just start all over again.

Just want to mention that many YouTuber's with livestock rotate their chicken tractors or free range chickens a day or two behind their cows and horses. Evidently, the chickens love to tear apart the cow and horse manure looking for bugs and worms to eat. In the process, they also spread the manure and fertilize the land. Depending on your chicken run setup, you might be able to toss in some manure into the run and let the chickens break it down. It will also supercharge the composting process in the run.

I would not want to turn my chicken run into a smelly manure pit, but I think small quantities of livestock manure would not be bad, at least in my run. I don't have other livestock, but tossing some livestock manure into the chicken run is something I would consider doing.

When I clean out my coop, all the old bedding litter gets tossed into the run. But I have never had a bad smell in the coop with deep bedding litter and tossing it into the run for composting just makes sense for me.

 

[gtaus]

Speaking of winter coming on, I find I am busy with preparing for the snow months. Talking about "fish or cut bait", I was thinking today that I am "cutting not building." I cut up a wagon full of 16 inch wood slates for future projects. Not too exciting, but I'll have plenty of slats ready to build more pallet planters or pallet raised beds next spring.

I got the bike hanging up on the ceiling for the winter, so now I have room to bring in the snow blower into the garage. Too early? Yes, but I'm at an age where if I miss the good weather clean up, it gets really tough later on if I get caught after a snow storm and have not moved my winter shovels and blowers into the garage.

On a more positive note, I made room for my table saw in the garage for the winter. So, I should be able to work on some pallet projects until it gets too cold to work in the garage. Also brought a scroll saw in from another garage into my main garage. Hope to maybe use that in a future pallet project. Probably get my benchtop drill press in a few days and move that to the main garage as well. Should be able to make a few things in the garage this fall before it gets too cold.

One of my recent project builds on the short list is making some pallet wood crates. I was going to rip some of the 2X4 stretchers today with the table saw that I just moved to the main garage, but did a close examination of the wood and could see some nails cut off in the wood. Good thing I saw those nails before I ripped it on the table saw. That would have ruined my table saw blade. On my short list of tools to buy, I'm looking at a Metal Detector Wand to scan the lumber before I cut it with a saw.

Wondering if anyone has any feedback on this $40.00 unit from Harbor Freight? It's the only scanner wand available in my town at the big box stores. I could, however, obviously order one from Amazon. At any rate, I'm thinking that I will need to scan all my pallet wood and reclaimed lumber I saved this summer before I put a spinning blade to the wood.

I have successfully gotten by without a metal scanner for many years, but that was when I was buying new wood from the lumber yards and did not have to worry about stray or hidden nails and screws in the wood. My pallet projects, thus far, have been using wood that it did not matter if there were cut off nails in the boards. But, I'm looking at some new pallet projects where I will have to prep the wood and cut it down with a saw. When I saw those cut off nail heads in the 2X4's from the pallets that I was going to rip on the table saw, I am now seriously considering buying a metal scanner wand. Safety first, people!

 

[Folara]

I really like that board on board look for some projects. And, how easy is it? Took me almost no time to make a roof for my pallet wood storage bin using that board on board method. Looks great as a wall covering, too. Very nice.

I've learned to love it, just because it is so easy! Especially when you can just nail the board on with the same nails already in it. There are many imperfections with it but it has proven to be very functional on the shed and the compost don't care.

Just want to mention that many YouTuber's with livestock rotate their chicken tractors or free range chickens a day or two behind their cows and horses. Evidently, the chickens love to tear apart the cow and horse manure looking for bugs and worms to eat. In the process, they also spread the manure and fertilize the land. Depending on your chicken run setup, you might be able to toss in some manure into the run and let the chickens break it down. It will also supercharge the composting process in the run.

I would not want to turn my chicken run into a smelly manure pit, but I think small quantities of livestock manure would not be bad, at least in my run. I don't have other livestock, but tossing some livestock manure into the chicken run is something I would consider doing.

When I clean out my coop, all the old bedding litter gets tossed into the run. But I have never had a bad smell in the coop with deep bedding litter and tossing it into the run for composting just makes sense for me.

I was thinking the same thing with the horse manure - I'm sure it would offer some great enrichment for the chickens and would make great compost in the run. Definitely only small amounts for them on occasion, the majority will go into the bins. With just the two goats I can fill one bin in about 5-6 months so I bet I can run a similar system as your 5 bins, especially because I don't plan on much turning either.


We talked about some type of metal detector to find any stray nails or nail heads in the yard after our run of pallet projects, but I'm thinking of just getting a big magnet to do the finding and collecting all in one. Maybe a magnet would be good to use on the wood too, I'd imagine it would stick to any hidden nails.

 

[gtaus]

We talked about some type of metal detector to find any stray nails or nail heads in the yard after our run of pallet projects, but I'm thinking of just getting a big magnet to do the finding and collecting all in one.

I have a magnetic sweeper on an extension pole that I use to sweep the grounds for nails after I breakdown my pallets. The other day I was in Harbor Freight and saw this 17 In. Mini Magnetic Sweeper on sale for $10.99 (Regular $12.99). My sweeper does not have wheels, so I think I like this type better than the one I bought years ago. In any case, these magnetic sweepers pick up nails that you probably won't see yourself. I know my sweeper pulls up stuff I did not see.

Maybe a magnet would be good to use on the wood too, I'd imagine it would stick to any hidden nails.

Yeah, I don't know about that. You would have to have a very strong magnet to stick to a cut off nail buried into the wood. I have seen some people hang an earth magnet over the wood to find surface nails, but I have not seen anybody using a magnet to detect metal buried in the wood. Probably easy to find nails on pallet wood, but I also have a lot of reclaimed lumber that I want to scan.

 

[gtaus]

Are you thinking of getting a demolition saw blade for your circular saw?

So, I am looking for a metal scanner wand to scan for hidden nails and such in my pallet wood and reclaimed lumber. It occurs to me that I should probably invest in a demolition saw blade for my circular saw as well. I watched a 20 minute YouTube video comparing demolition saw blades from about 10 different brands. Believe it or not, in this guy's testing, some of the least expensive saw blades had the best performance!

I was particularly surprised to find that the Hercules 7-1/4 in. x 24T Demolition Miter and Circular Saw Blade at Harbor Freight currently selling for $11.99 came out in the top 3 picks.

Another good choice, on a budget, was the Masterforce® 7-1/4" x 24 Tooth Demolition Circular Saw Blade at Menards selling for $12.99.

I mention these saw blades because they did very well in the testing and I have both a Harbor Freight and Menards in my town. Also, they were less expensive and performed better than what the "name brand" blades did in the tests. You don't see that very often.

If you are interested in this topic, this 20 minute YouTube video really puts the different blades through the testing and he shows you the results in comparison charts after each test. I found it informative, but it's not prime time engaging TV.

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

The pallet shed is officially done! It took 3 full days to build and hang the doors because nothing is square, but we got them to be functional. A small cinder block is used to keep the bottom of the doors flush with the frame to help prevent critters from squeezing inside. We were quick to start embellishing and one day I hope to build an old west false front with more pallets to finish the western feel. For now though, a long break from pallet work!

It looks beautiful!

 

[Folara]

I have a magnetic sweeper on an extension pole that I use to sweep the grounds for nails after I breakdown my pallets. The other day I was in Harbor Freight and saw this 17 In. Mini Magnetic Sweeper on sale for $10.99 (Regular $12.99). My sweeper does not have wheels, so I think I like this type better than the one I bought years ago. In any case, these magnetic sweepers pick up nails that you probably won't see yourself. I know my sweeper pulls up stuff I did not see.

Well guess who is now the proud owner of a $11 magnet sweeper from Harbor Freight! I didn't know this genius contraption existed and we conveniently found ourselves near a Harbor Freight today, so I had to try it. I had the most fun 20 minutes rolling around the yard and found a shameful amount of pallet nails, along with some other treasures. We are relatively new to this property so I can't wait to see what has been left behind here.

 

[Sally PB]

Are you thinking of getting a demolition saw blade for your circular saw?

I don't have time to watch the video, so can you explain what the benefit is to a demolition saw blade?