Pallet Wood Recycling (was; Re: Alternative Furnishing Ideas 2 [Was; 'Re: alternative furnishing ideas?'])

[Warm Worm]

"Ken S. Tucker"

> D>> "Warm Worm"> wrote >> > Skids: Collect a few skids (or similar throwaway wood) and take apart. >> >> Have you ever actually done that? >> Take apart oak pallets? >> Very difficult, I tried. >> Oak is very hard and they use ringshank nails. >> I thought I could salvage the wood from some pallets but it ended up >> being >> alot more work than its worth. > > That's for sure! I recall they have a deposit, anyway > my Old Boy got some and gave me a crow-bar, my > first thought, no sweat, NOT, I gave up.

Google: "disassembling pallets"...

Some results:

rec.woodworking

------------------------- " ...The easiest way I've found to disassemble them is to use a s*wz*ll but I guess you could pry the boards up slightly then use a hacksaw to cut the nails. Then use a nail set to pop out the nails. This works better for me than simply prying the boards up since they're generally assembled with ring shank nails which tend to split the boards. A pair of vise grips on the remainder of the nail in the skids usually works. I rarely use the skid wood since they're usually notched for forklifts and have lots of nails. Sometimes I just cut off the boards where they meet the skids since this area usually has a nail every half inch and the wood is generally unusable. I keep a beater saw and hammer in the trunk just in case I find any pallets while driving around so I can break them up and cram them into the trunk :) "

-------------------- "Any type of saw blade will cut this, steel or carbide. You don't need a diamond saw to cut wood. But yes, it IS difficult to pull nails from pallets, which is why I bought a 2 lb sledge hammer and a wrecking bar. The sledge hammer is pounded on the slats from the bottom, pushing them (and the nails) outward. Then the wrecking bar is used to pry the nails out. There is so much pressure on the nails they often pop out and go flying across my garage! BTW, a "wrecking bar" is made from 1" hex steel with usually 1 straight end and one curved end, and usually around 30" long. They are specially treated so as not to bend when you put pressure on it. If you make your own from untreated hex stock, it will bend the first time you use it. I got mine from a store for $7 brand new. They are usually $12US. Each end is flattened and has a notch for pulling nails. You use the curved end to grab a nail, then pull back using the bar like a lever. A lever is a wonderful tool for getting more strength from an action. So now you know my secret method for disassembling pallets:

- Put pallet on edge, use sledge hammer to loosen top boards.

- Put pallet skids down (face up). Push wood down while leaving nail head poking up. Use wrecking bar to pull out nails."

"My technique is to use the claw hammer the backs of the thin boards to help start the nails out. This is pretty crappy wood and not worth keeping, IMHO. Once I bust up the thin boards, I set up the stringers in the face vise and start removing the nails. It's not fun but it might be a good way to get that exotic species you've lusted after. Then again you might try dumpster diving at the nearest pattern shop in town. I've found some nice mahogany that way. Cutoffs for sure but nice." Pry Bar By Jr-bar: Apparatus for disassembling wooden pallets (patent):

[Edwin Pawlowski]

"

Some do. Most don't. I have a hard time getting rid of them unless the are

48 x 40

On the few pallets that have good wood, I cut the boards between the runners. Great for small projects. IMO, it is not worth the effort to take them apart completely. Even if you do, the quality of the wood is such that I often cut out bad spots and end up with short pieces anyway.

[mac davis]

hmm... flash back time..lol The only 2 pallets that I've ever bothered to take apart for the wood were small ones from our Craftsman rototiller and our neighbors riding mower, also CM, I think..

Made from rough sawn oak and fairly nice once cleaned up.. Mac

[EXT]

Some of the best pallets are ones that carry paper for printers. Because the paper will pick up uneven surfaces they are usually made with better grade wood or plywood. Check out behind a local printer to see what I mean. If they use bulk uncartoned paper, it is always shipped strapped down with a "lid" which is like the deck of a pallet without the runners or a sheet of plywood or masonite. I still have a collection of lids that use from when I ran a printshop.

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[Roger Shoaf]

Pallet wood can sometimes be really great stuff.

I used to use it quite a bit. I would make a scavage run and get a whole pickup load, then I would run the skids through the band saw sclicing the face pieces next to the 2X4's. Unless they were exceptional, I would just band saw the 2X4's and toss them in the fire wood pile. This would eliminate all nail pulling.

The face boards were then culled of splintered, warped and otherwise boogered boards and the rest I cleaned up on the jointer.

The boards could be used as is for small stuff like boxes, and for larger projects I would glue up to make panels. I suppose if you wanted to, you could finger joint them end to end, but I never tried this.

A little time consuming, but free is free, and you can always use the savings by not buying lumber to buy some more clamps.