Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[Theurbanhomestead]

I personally love the look of wood furniture. It's hard to look at those pictures and think the wood came from pallets. You really have some talent making furniture like that.

Thanks, I didn't post all the mistakes before those I will say that just trying stuff is how I figured it out.

I have been building up my tools and supplies to get to the point where I could do some kind of panel glue-up to make cutting boards, or tabletops. I already have a board planer that I had to buy many years ago for a renovation project on a house. Recently, I bought a couple sets of pipe clamps for the glue-up setup. I don't have a jointer, but might try a jointing jig on my table saw to get really close.

I don't have a joiner but I think the table saw jig would work fine. I have found that making cutting boards all you really need is the table saw and board planer. Just make sure its square and you can mill the rest of the stuff off.

I got an Alaskan chain saw mill a few years ago and have been using that to slab up logs I get. I have only used that wood for a few things so far, mostly cutting boards, because I am letting it dry.

Most of my pallet projects are not nearly as finely crafted as your furniture. Well, I did make a couple of outdoor benches out of 2X6's. The first one, years ago, I used new store-bought wood. The second bench, with the same design, was made with reclaimed 2x6's. After a few years outside, they both look pretty much the same. For anyone interested in an easy outdoor furniture project, here is the video I watched to make my benches...

Those look pretty awesome.

 

[gtaus]

Thanks, I didn't post all the mistakes before those I will say that just trying stuff is how I figured it out.

I am in my retirement years. Building stuff out of pallet wood is my current hobby. Other than some time and effort, my pallet wood projects don't cost me much. And, if I really screw up, the wood can be reused for something else - no tears. I rarely get something right the first time. But if often takes that first build to teach you what you need to improve for the next.

My father and I used to make things together. He passed away about 8 years ago. Since then, I have been having to learn how to do projects on my own. Funny how much a second hand really makes a difference in many larger projects. Many of my tool purchases are related to devices that allow me to work alone.

Speaking of which, one of favorite tools is the JawHorse, a three legged clamping sawhorse...

I bought my off brand "JawHorse" at Harbor Freight when they went on clearance for less than half the price of the genuine JawHorse. Harbor Freight doesn't sell them anymore. But I highly recommend the JawHorse type of clamping sawhorse to give you that third hand you might need for lots of stuff.

Here is a picture of the HF one that I bought on clearance, for about $80.00. Got the last one they had in the store. At that price, I would have bought two of them.

I don't think the HF "JawHorse" was made to the same quality as the original. The original Rockwell JawHorse has a 5-year warranty. The HF Bauer model had a 90-day warranty. I use my clamping sawhorse all the time. If/when it finally breaks, I'll be buying a genuine JawHorse because it makes my life so much easier working alone.

Those [outdoor benches] look pretty awesome.

Well, they are easy to build and strong as heck. I have them outside in a couple of spots. One in front of my chicken run in case I want to relax and watch some chicken TV, and the other by my campfire ring.

 

[gtaus]

Salvaging Good Hardware Off Pallets

This afternoon, I disassembled those long pallets I picked up from the Bobcat dealership last weekend. The main reason I picked up that load was because the pallets were made from good quality 6-foot-long 2X4's. However, as a bonus, a couple of the pallets had the square bit head Robertson screws and the star bit Torx screws used on them. Sometimes I can find one of these industrial pallets completely put together with those screws, but this load was just a few pieces screwed on to the main pallet which used pallet nails.

In the end, I got about a dozen and a half of 3-1/2 inch Torx head screws, and another half dozen of 1-1/2 inch long Torx head screws for my effort.

I think I prefer the Torx head screws over the Robertson screws, but I got ~10 Robertson screws as well.

I save almost all the pallet wood nails as well, but I mainly use screws for most of my projects. I'm lazy that way. Screws are faster, especially if you need to take apart the project later on. I always seem to be building stuff and taking it apart in a few years. That's why I like screws over nails.

In any case, I'll have another small container of useable nails after I de-nail all the wood.

Back in the day, working with grandpa, I spent more time hammering out crooked nails and making them straight. Grandpa never threw out a usable nail. The only time we ever went to town to buy new nails is if we had already used up all the old nails. I am still pretty good at straightening out bent nails!

As to the wood, I salvaged about the equivalent of 12 2X4X6 boards...

I managed to get about a dozen ~36-inch-long 1X6 planks after cutting them off with my circular saw. The planks were not the best on this load - I was mainly after the longer 2X4's. Many of the planks had splits and cracks at the ends, like this....

I have found that I can salvage more useable wood on the pallet if I simply use the circular saw to cut off a couple inches at both ends of the plank and just use the middle of board. If I try to pry up the pallet wood plank when they have cracks or splits at the ends, more often than not I'll will end up splitting the entire board ending up with firewood for stump burning.

All in all, I probably salvaged about $50 worth of lumber and hardware on that small load of long pallets. Although saving money is a great thing, even better is that it keeps me out in garage for a while and gives Dear Wife some quality time alone in the house to do her stuff.

Working alone on pallet wood projects out in the garage is a great way to work on the marriage relationship inside the house as well. Believe it or not, too much of me is probably not a good thing!