Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[CKfarm22]

These days, old chicken coops that look like an old chicken coop are bringing really good money. The neuvo-poultry clan love them.

Not going to lie, I didn’t think we’d get as much as we did for it

 

[gtaus]

I've never tried glueing wood together like that. I've always had a cross board to hold it all together. I'd think it'd need the dowels or brads for strength? I like it.

Well, doing a glue up will be new for me, too. From what I understand, the glue we use today is actually stronger than the wood. The dowels are used, more or less, for alignment more than strength. Since I will be recutting the glue up panel after it dries, I was thinking the wooden dowels would pose no problem for the table saw.

I have used the cross-board method before. It's fast, easy, and effective. If you add some glue to the boards, it's even stronger. My end goal on the glue up project would be to cut down the panels to make shelving boards, so the cross-board method would not be my first choice for a shelf board.

 

[gtaus]

Our goats had chewed up the wood on the old one. It still functioned but was really ugly with the siding chewed up. The old one was also built from pallets.

I don't know how bad the old wood was chewed up, but was/is it possible just to tack on a new piece of pallet wood over the old one? That would be the fastest method. Or, just replace the chewed up pieces? A little more work, but not much more.

...but I know it'll function well and last well when I'm done.

Frankly, for most of my pallet projects, that is my end goal, too. The pallet raised garden beds I built should last me as long as I need them. If they need a slight repair in a few years, it's not a big issue for me. If I can make something look a little better, I'll give it a try. But my first concern is that is just works for what I need.

 

[gtaus]

If you are using it as a shelf there will be cross braces on the frame to attach it to. Otherwise it will have good longitudial strength but poor lateral atrength. Adding dowels, buscuits and such take it to a higher level but are tricky to learn.

I'm only talking about a shelf length of 2 to 3 feet, and about 6 inches deep. On a short distance like that, you don't need lots of support. It's only going to hold tool batteries.

I bought a dowel kit last summer but have yet to use it. I'm sure there will be a learning curve, but I'm going to give it a try.

I have watched a number of YouTube videos, and it looks like dowels are stronger than biscuits. Plus, you don't need any fancy machine to use dowels. Just a drill.

 

[gtaus]

Our pallet wood (first) coop! It was a PAIN to get all the pallets apart to use the woodView attachment 3415980

Nice job on the coop. Yes, breaking down pallets can be a challenge. But there are a number of different methods and tools to make the pallet breakdown much easier. Now that I have been working with pallet wood since last summer, I can usually break down most pallets in about 5 minutes using either my saw or my pallet buster. If, for some reason, I want to break down the pallet with a hammer and crowbar, then it takes me about 30 minutes.

For me, it's the harvesting and repurposing of "free" wood that makes it worth it. But I am more or less retired, so these pallet projects I work on are for enjoyment.

 

[gtaus]

It's beautiful!! Everything that a chicken coop should be. I'm glad you didn't paint it.

I agree.

Having said that, my chicken coop is going to need some repairs this spring. I was looking at some trim board on the coop that has cracked and rotted over the winter. I'm thinking I will replace it with pallet wood slats, but it will be painted to match the coop. My coop looks like a small barn, painted barn red with white trim. But it's going to need a good facelift this summer.

My coop was built before I got into pallet projects. If I build a second coop, I think it will be pallet wood and unpainted. Lots of nice looking, and functional pallet coop designs out there.

 

[gtaus]

Not going to lie, I didn’t think we’d get as much as we did for it

Well, I would think pallet wood on a decent coop build would probably be much better than the pre-fab coops that are sold at our local Fleet store for hundreds of dollars. I want to be careful, because I know some people buy a pre-fab coop and are very happy with them, but the pre-fab coops sold in my town are not good at all.

Glad you got a good deal on your sale of your pallet coop.

 

[CKfarm22]

Well, I would think pallet wood on a decent coop build would probably be much better than the pre-fab coops that are sold at our local Fleet store for hundreds of dollars. I want to be careful, because I know some people buy a pre-fab coop and are very happy with them, but the pre-fab coops sold in my town are not good at all.

Glad you got a good deal on your sale of your pallet coop.

Yeah, i searched around for pre-fab and then i did some research on chicken math…. too expensive for not good quality, or enough space, i wasn’t happy with any of the prefab. This costed us a couple 100 dollars but they had a lot more room and the coop was sturdy… we know it was sturdy because we accidentally dropped it on its side moving it and it didn’t fall apart LOL.

We used the pallet wood to make the siding ontop of plywood. Held up pretty well for the year and half we had it

 

[gtaus]

This costed us a couple 100 dollars but they had a lot more room and the coop was sturdy… we know it was sturdy because we accidentally dropped it on its side moving it and it didn’t fall apart LOL.

If you can swing a hammer, cut some wood, or drill some screws, chances are you can make a pretty decent chicken coop for a lot less than buying a prefab coop. I know that the pallet wood I use in my projects is of higher quality than the wood that is used in the prefab kits sold in town. BTW, last year when I looked at the price of the prefab kits here at our Fleet store, it was about $800. And those coops could house maybe 3-4 chickens at max.

Well, I think anyway someone gets into having a backyard flock is probably a good thing. You live and learn. From the feedback I hear from other members, they usually outgrow their prefab coops in a short time. At least by then they have a better understanding of what they need/want in the next chicken coop. Then they use the prefab coop as a grow out coop for the next flock of chickens after the brooder.

I spent almost a full year researching chicken coop designs before I built mine. As much as I like my chicken coop build, there are a few small things I would change on that build.

However, now that I have gotten into pallet projects, I think I would build a pallet shed/chicken coop. My chicken coop will only ever be good as a chicken coop. I like the shed conversions because if you ever stop having chickens, you still have a nice shed for your outdoor tools and equipment. At least, that is where I am leaning if I ever build another coop.

 

[ChicksnMore]

I don't know how bad the old wood was chewed up, but was/is it possible just to tack on a new piece of pallet wood over the old one? That would be the fastest method. Or, just replace the chewed up pieces? A little more work, but not much more.

I was originally going to repair it since our last goat had passed, but the kids got me a new goat and the coop was empty at the time...so I decided to tear it down and build a new one on the other side where the goat can't get to it.

I used hex top screws so it was so easy to take apart and reuse everything.