Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[gtaus]

All I need for motivation to break down a pallet is a trip to the lumber yard, and to look at the prices!

That's a great motivator. I agree.

Tangentially related, since it's reclaimed stuff... He scored (25) 10' long u-channel posts from work. The customer was going to trash them. They now are around my garden. It would have cost $1325 to buy them.

I was bragging the other day that I picked up a load of free pallets from our local Harbor Freight and after breaking them down, I figured I had about $140.00 in wood if I had to buy it. I was more than happy with that haul.

You kind of took the wind out of my sail with your score of $1325 wood posts. That's fantastic.

It's a shame that we live in a country where so much valuable stuff is just junked. I personally enjoy recycling or upcycling used/free/junk material and challenging myself to make something of value with my material.

Great job on your various table projects. Good use of old paint that can't be used elsewhere. I really enjoy all the pics of these recycled and upcycled projects. Thanks.

 

[gtaus]

@Sally PB posted...
A lean to shelter for food and water. The metal was a leftover piece from the roof on our house. The back piece was leftover from our coop add-on.

You know, I have been happy with just the "rustic" look of pallet wood, unfinished, unstained, unpainted. But your painted lean to shelter really pops out at you. It looks so bright and fresh. It's just amazing how much a coat, or two, of paint can change the looks of your project.

I have some red barn paint left over from my coop build, along with some white barn paint too. Maybe I'll build some pallet project and paint it to match my coop. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[Egger4me]

Clearly on another level of pallet projects compared to me! Thanks for sharing your pics.

It’s a process for sure.

 

[Egger4me]

Clearly on another level of pallet projects compared to me! Thanks for sharing your pics.

Just a very patient husband.

 

[gtaus]

It’s [pallet coop build] a process for sure.

Just a very patient husband.

Yes. I know how long it took for me to build my coop with mostly unused lumber. I can only imagine how long it would take to break down all those pallets and build your pallet chicken coop. That's a long term project that takes time. Did you guys have the vision in mind from the start, or did you just develop as you built? With a big project like that, I don't think I could just wing it knowing how much work would be needed in all that pallet wood.

Again, thanks for sharing your pics.

 

[Egger4me]

Yes. I know how long it took for me to build my coop with mostly unused lumber. I can only imagine how long it would take to break down all those pallets and build your pallet chicken coop. That's a long term project that takes time. Did you guys have the vision in mind from the start, or did you just develop as you built? With a big project like that, I don't think I could just wing it knowing how much work would be needed in all that pallet wood.

Again, thanks for sharing your pics.

Didn’t realize how much work it was going to be until after we started. Yes we had a good idea what we wanted. Took us two months to build it. Wow I thought a couple of but I was way off.

 

[Egger4me]

Didn’t realize how much work it was going to be until after we started. Yes we had a good idea what we wanted. Took us two months to build it. Wow I thought a couple of but I was way off.

A couple of weeks

 

[samanthaoverton]

Chickens coop twenty plus pallets and old fence.View attachment 3209569View attachment 3209572View attachment 3209573View attachment 3209574

Love your coop..for some odd reason it has a western feel to it..I half expect a cowboy to mosy out.

 

[samanthaoverton]

That's a great motivator. I agree.



I was bragging the other day that I picked up a load of free pallets from our local Harbor Freight and after breaking them down, I figured I had about $140.00 in wood if I had to buy it. I was more than happy with that haul.

You kind of took the wind out of my sail with your score of $1325 wood posts. That's fantastic.

It's a shame that we live in a country where so much valuable stuff is just junked. I personally enjoy recycling or upcycling used/free/junk material and challenging myself to make something of value with my material.

Great job on your various table projects. Good use of old paint that can't be used elsewhere. I really enjoy all the pics of these recycled and upcycled projects. Thanks.

My coop is made of plywood that would have been chucked and the floors are made of pallets which also would have been chucked. Also have a window of plexy glass from hubbies work, they have a lot of it. He got all this stuff from the furniture factory he works at. They throw out gobs of wood. He operates the saw. In the winter they throw out pieces of untreated kiln dried wood. That stuff rocks in a wood burning stove. I can easily have the house at 80 degrees

 

[samanthaoverton]

I posted a YouTube video of a DIY Paller Buster build using 3/4 inch pipe and fittings. Here is a picture of my attempt...

View attachment 3209198

I say attempt, because it's still a work in progress. The problem is that I have an inexpensive Flux Core welder from Harbor Freight for my welding, and I really don't know how to weld. So, this pallet buster has been welded, and rewelded at least twice. Here is the picture of where the welds are...

View attachment 3209199

OK. some of you guys might tear into me for such crappy welds, and I admit they don't look very good. Worse yet, they have not held very well. With all the downward force on the pallet buster to pry up the boards, I have managed to break the weld(s) more than once. Here is what happens when the weld breaks....

View attachment 3209203

When the tongs get out of alignment, it is a lot harder to use the pallet buster to pry up the boards. It still works on the easy boards, but if I get a tough pallet, it's not so good. So, this will have to back to the garage for more grinding down and rewelding.

In my defense, each time I have rewelded this pallet buster I have done a better job. Maybe I'll get to the point where it won't break? I hope so.

Some thoughts, in general, in using the pallet buster.
1) It works great on easy pallets with boards that are solid.
2) Most pallets are not easy and the boards have cracked ends.
3) A small cracked end on the pallet board turns into the entire board cracking in half when you pry it up with the pallet buster.
4) If the end of the pallet plank is cracked, you will be better off cutting the board with a circular saw, wasting that last 1 1/2 inches, but saving the remainder of the board.
5) if you cut off the ends of the pallet planks, you can usually pry up the middle part of the pallet without breaking the board. That is because you can get both tongs of the pallet buster under the board when you pry it up.
6) If you only need shorter pieces of wood, cutting off the boards with a circular saw will typically give you 2 ~18 lengths of useable board. Since I am currently making planters with 16 inch boards, I don't need a pallet buster for that middle section. Just cut the wood with a circular saw and be done with it.
7) If you need boards that are longer than ~18 inches, you can usually use the pallet buster on the middle section and pry that up, giving you a ~36 inch useable board.

View attachment 3209216
Recommendation: I found that the pallet buster was busting more wood than saving boards. Lots of the pallets I have brought home have planks that just split and crack in half using the pallet buster. The tool works great on easy pallets with good wood, but any cracked ends result in cracked boards. No sense in breaking down the pallets in a few minutes with this tool if you end up with firewood. For $20 in parts, if you can weld it yourself, it may be worth it to you. I would not recommend buying one of these tools for $50 or more online. I just don't think they work as good as shown in most videos. At least, not with the quality of pallets I get for free.

I find your planters very visually appealing. I can picture bright pink flowers in them