Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[gtaus]

I really like that. Great looking [2X4 foot] planters and your beans and chickens will love it.

Thanks. I am very happy with them. When the beans climb up the fence, they should provide some early morning shade for the chickens. Also, it is just nice to look out there and see a fence wall of green beans. Adds a little more color to the run.

I would like to someday build two more raised beds of the same size to put along that back fence. I have room for them. But I am cleaning out the garage workspace for new chicks and a brooder, so I might not be making much of anything in the garage for a couple of months.

Just don't have room for everything all at the same time inside the garage. Fortunately, the weather is getting warmer and maybe I will be able to do some building outside soon.

If not, I am happy just to fill all the new pallet wood raised beds I did finish this winter. I increased my gardening beds by a good 50% or more this year with all my new beds.

 

[Smokerbill]

Thanks. I am very happy with them. When the beans climb up the fence, they should provide some early morning shade for the chickens. Also, it is just nice to look out there and see a fence wall of green beans. Adds a little more color to the run.

I would like to someday build two more raised beds of the same size to put along that back fence. I have room for them. But I am cleaning out the garage workspace for new chicks and a brooder, so I might not be making much of anything in the garage for a couple of months.

Just don't have room for everything all at the same time inside the garage. Fortunately, the weather is getting warmer and maybe I will be able to do some building outside soon.

If not, I am happy just to fill all the new pallet wood raised beds I did finish this winter. I increased my gardening beds by a good 50% or more this year with all my new beds.

I might be stealing your idea, @gtaus . The east side of my chickens' day run is 14 feet long and covered with a 7.5' tall section of concrete remesh. That will make an ideal trellis for some climbing rattlesnake beans.

If I plant the beans a foot or two away and train them over to the remesh a few feet above the ground it will keep them out of the chickens' reach so they can't damage the vines.

But I'll need to somehow protect the beans from the deer.

Dang deer.

Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[bhawk-23]

That's too bad. There are some places where I live that try to sell pallets, but there enough free pickup locations that I have never had to buy a pallet.

Frankly, I don't know if I would be as enthusiastic about pallet wood projects if I had to pay for the pallet wood. It's a lot of work to get that "free" pallet wood. It takes time to tear apart a pallet and cut the wood to the size you need. And, not all the pallet wood is the same size and most likely non-standard lumber was used. But I still enjoy taking something like pallets that was headed for the landfill and making useful stuff out of it.

I have access to free pallets but tearing them apart is my issue. Do you have a method, outside of prying every single piece apart with a hammer, to get the job done? We’ve done pallet projects in the past and I love the free wood and keeping more out of landfills but hubs prefers to just get wood we do not have to pry apart. I understand his point. But if there was a simpler way to dismantle them I’d be willing to take up the issue again!

 

[gtaus]

If I plant the beans a foot or two away and train them over to the remesh a few feet above the ground it will keep them out of the chickens' reach so they can't damage the vines.

My pallet wood raised beds are 16 inches high, so I think I will have enough height built in so the chickens don't eat the young bean vines. However, I also put a 3 foot high chicken wire on that side of the fence to discourage them from trying to get at the young vines.

You might be able to build some kind of a lean-to structure for the beans to grow up - and away - from the main fence for those first couple of feet. Something like this only much shorter...

Or, in keeping with the theme of this thread, maybe a pallet wood trellis...

Frankly, if you just wanted something simple and easy, I would just cut a pallet in half at 24-inches and lean that up against the fence. The bean vines could climb up the pallet up to that 2-foot height and then attach to fencing after that.

Maybe I am lucky in that I have picked up a number of half pallets ready to use in my projects. In fact, just today, I put down one of those half pallets to stack up some red wood chip mulch bags for Dear Wife's flower garden. I love those half pallets for some jobs.

 

[Smokerbill]

I have plenty of that remesh I can use to guide the beans over to the side of the run. Pallets would block the chickens' view! LOL

 

[gtaus]

Do you have a method, outside of prying every single piece apart with a hammer, to get the job done?

Yes. I seldom pry apart the pallets I work with. I mainly use the circular saw method for breaking down the pallets. This leaves me with plank pieces about 18-inches-long, which I then cut down to about 16-inches-long for the raised beds I like to make.

Circular saw method...

That's my favorite method. I usually save all the 2X4's as well. I just pry of the bits and pieces of wood remaining on the 2X4's and use a good crow bar to pull the nails out.

Most of my pallet wood projects are fine with the shorter 18-inch-long plank pieces. This is simply the fastest, and easiest method for me.

Modified circular saw method: You cut off both ends of the plank on the pallet 2X4's and then wiggle loose the nails in the plank in the middle 2X4 stretcher. Then it is pretty easy to pull off the whole plank piece yielding a plank about 38 inches long.

If you really need to save the full length of the pallet planks, then my next method is using a reciprocating saw to cut off the nails between the planks and the 2X4's. This will give you full length planks, which is very nice, but you have half the nail in each of the planks and the 2X4's.

Reciprocating saw method...

I have a DIY pallet buster pry bar, but this is my least favorite way to dismantle pallets. In my experience, the pallet buster breaks more planks than any other method. However, every once in a while I get that perfect pallet for the pallet buster and then it is the perfect tool for the job. That happens to me maybe only 1-2 times in every 10 pallets I have.

Pallet Buster method...

Those are the main methods I use, but if you check out YouTube you might find variations on those themes. There are plenty of methods using hammers and blocks, but I think you wanted to avoid that.

We’ve done pallet projects in the past and I love the free wood and keeping more out of landfills but hubs prefers to just get wood we do not have to pry apart. I understand his point.

Oh yeah. I can understand that as well. If time is money, then buying lumber at the store will save you lots of time. I would not pay someone time and effort to dismantle pallets and then build a project. That would not make $$$ sense.

But I enjoy repurposing pallets that I get for free. It takes me about 10-15 minutes per pallet to take them apart, and maybe that much again to remove all the nails. That's just a guess as each pallet will be different in my experience. I don't mind spending that time prepping the wood as it is just a nice hobby for me.

Then I build something like the pallet wood raised beds I like so much, grow food in them, and think about how I saved something from the landfill and used it to provide fresh food for me and Dear Wife and almost year-round frozen veggies.

Or, the many pallet wood flower planters I have built for Dear Wife which gives her so much joy. All from a free resource to me if I am willing to put some effort into the projects.

But if there was a simpler way to dismantle them I’d be willing to take up the issue again!

I hope some of the methods I have shown you might be useful to you. Even if you don't use pallets, maybe you can find some nice projects here on this thread and make them out of standard store-bought wood. Many of my pallet wood projects were just wood projects that I modified to work with my pallet wood. It's all good to me.

 

[gtaus]

I have plenty of that remesh I can use to guide the beans over to the side of the run. Pallets would block the chickens' view! LOL

Yes, that is why I said I put the pole bean planters on the backside of my chicken run fence. I love watching chicken TV from my house/deck/office/kitchen/dining room and would not consider blocking my view from that entertainment.

 

[Smokerbill]

Yes, that is why I said I put the pole bean planters on the backside of my chicken run fence. I love watching chicken TV from my house/deck/office/kitchen/dining room and would not consider blocking my view from that entertainment.

Wow, I never considered the fact that vining beans would block MY view of the chickens from the house. I'm not going to do the bean thing after all. LOL

I was perusing OfferUp this morning and saw a DW703 Dewalt miter saw listed locally. Ended up getting it for $40. That model was discontinued, but its replacement, the DW713 is selling for $239 new.

It's going to make chopping pallet wood much more fun!

 

[gtaus]

I was perusing OfferUp this morning and saw a DW703 Dewalt miter saw listed locally. Ended up getting it for $40. That model was discontinued, but its replacement, the DW713 is selling for $239 new.

Sounds like a great find! Good for you!

My first chop saw was of that same generation. It was built rock solid and still works today. The only negative thing, for me, is that it weighs a ton!

Anyways, since you bought it used, you might not have a manual. I found this little video on how to change the blade if you need a new one...

Hope you get many years of service out of your "new" miter saw.

 

[Smokerbill]

Sounds like a great find! Good for you!

My first chop saw was of that same generation. It was built rock solid and still works today. The only negative thing, for me, is that it weighs a ton!

Anyways, since you bought it used, you might not have a manual. I found this little video on how to change the blade if you need a new one...

Hope you get many years of service out of your "new" miter saw.

Thanks!