tips for breaking up pallets?

[Big C]

Pallet producers do not use regular nails so you will not be able to (easily) pull them out. They are circular in design so wet or dry they dont dislodge. Usually the wood will crack while trying to pull them out.
Best bet is to use them whole.

 

[ranchhand]

If you look in the Coop section of the Index in the blue bar above, there are several coops built from whole pallets. That would make it a lot easier. Some are pretty cool!

 

[SpunkyTheMonkey]

it's easy. use a pry bar/wrecking bar/crowbar and a hammer (or no prybar and 2 hammers if you really have to).

put the end of the wrecking bar next to one of the nails and use the hammer to force it in between the two bits of wood so you can lever them apart.

it's all about leverage. you won't get them apart with brute force...but getting them apart is not difficult.

 

[wyo-helpmeet]

Quote:
Nothing worth doing is ever easy

With newer pallets the wood will have more give to pull the nails out. The nails are spiral (I'm not sure what they are called). As I mentioned, it DOES take time & perseverance, but if it's so difficult, I'd like to know how I was able to do it, as well as so many others on here?

So far I've done the coop & a potato bin. My next recycled pallet project is a greenhouse.

Here are some pics of the coop I built using pallets. I only did 3 sides, as this was built into a shed, so one of the walls was existing.

 

[wyo-helpmeet]

OK, I googled. The nails are called spiral shank nails.

 

[edb]

The fastest way I've found is to use a hand grinder to grind the heads off the nails. With no heads the boards pull out and i just hammer the headless nails into the board.
Hope this helps.

 

[AmyRey]

I built the framework of our tractor out of torn down pallets. Wugh. Some of them were beasts.

I have to second jj's suggestion of a LONG prybar with a smaller board placed under the bend. One board, I pulled and tugged and yanked and jerked on and it wouldn't budge. Then my dad says "Hold on a minute. Try this." He sticks the scrap of wood under the bend and I literally pulled that same nail out with only one hand.

That little scrap of wood became the most valuable tool of the day.

The only wood I wound up having to buy for our tractor was a 10' long 2x6 (didn't have any 10' lengths) and the plywood.

 

[Skamaghetten]

Quote:
Nothing worth doing is ever easy

With newer pallets the wood will have more give to pull the nails out. The nails are spiral (I'm not sure what they are called). As I mentioned, it DOES take time & perseverance, but if it's so difficult, I'd like to know how I was able to do it, as well as so many others on here?

So far I've done the coop & a potato bin. My next recycled pallet project is a greenhouse.

Here are some pics of the coop I built using pallets. I only did 3 sides, as this was built into a shed, so one of the walls was existing.

I'm with 'wyo-helpmeet' on this. I recently took apart 4 pallets with a hammer and prybar (wonderbar). I hammer the long end of the prybar on the inside of the nails and SLOWLY pry up the board. Then try and get the claw of the hammer on the other side. Because there are usually thee nails in one section of the board you have to go at it on both sides, this minimizes you destroying the board. There will be some broken ones, it's all part of being free.

So far I've done a compost bin and my coop with pallets. Hope this helps.

 

[werecatrising]

Thanks everyone! You have encouraged me to try again!

I'm kind of dense about this sort of stuff. What do you mean by the bend?

 

[PeepsInc]

Theres a tool called a cats paw. Made specialy for pulling nails $10 @ ACE. You hit it with a hammer it digs in for the nail,and you pry the nails. or if you have a good hit you can snap the nail heads clean off.