# Pallet timber tip



## Dog (20 Jun 2009)

Apart from an excellent source of free timber to burn in the wood burning stove pallet timber can be used for any number of projects. The trouble though is extracting the ring nails from the timber without losing too much of the usuable timber in the process. I was using a reciprocating saw to cut through the nails holding the planks and then simply push out the remaining nail shank and head and fill the holes but it was all too easy to forget about the rest of the nails left behind in the other part of the pallet and then cutting into them with a circular saw etc and ending up with blunt saw blades. Now I use plug cutters to cut around the nails holding the planks and then simply fill the holes in the planks with plugs of the same type of timber. The remaining plugs surrounding the nails can be removed easily and the nails are much easier to extract with a good crowbar with nail puller. That's the way I do it but perhaps other members have an easier method, I'd love to hear it!

Cheers


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## pren (21 Jun 2009)

I'm always surprised by the quality of wood used to make some of the pallets we get at work.

All these were made from recclaimed pallets:



























For my purposes, short sections of the pallets work just fine. I take my circular saw into work and cut the 'deck' planks between the nails, leaving the 3 box frames with nails and the ends of the 'deck' planks still attatched. 

I've ammased quite a stash of timbers including Oak, Iroko (that I can identify) as well as some heavy, white woods that could be Maple or Birch maybe.

Cheers
Bryn  
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## Dog (21 Jun 2009)

Wow, great work there Pren and all out of pallets, just shows what can be achieved out of something that is mostly either buried or burnt in a field or worse still stacked and left to rot. I wonder if other members use pallets in their projects ?

Cheers


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## Rich (21 Jun 2009)

Most of the pallets at work are a mixed bag, but, I salvaged some decent lengths of beech for future use, I made the fence in my garden from pallets, I left the slats rough for the rustic look, it saved me money and someone else for having to travel and dispose of them. A lick of stained preserver and Bob, your uncle

Rich.


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## Derek Willis. (22 Jun 2009)

Very nice work from free timber, I especially like the signs.
Derek.


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## Creampuff (22 Jun 2009)

Its incredible what people and companies (_especially companies_)throw away.

A good friend of mine has a brother that works for a Demolition company.
Several weeks ago they were commissioned to pull down an old barn to make way for a new build. the main structure was all Oak, the barn was roughly 7,000sqft in size, and the whole lot was skipped and sent for chipping.

I found out a few days later and asked him why he didn't give me a call, as I would have gladly bought it all off of him, or the company.

He said It wasn't worth the extra time it would have taken to clear the site...

Several weeks later, and the site is still sitting empty!!!

It actually made my heart sink when he told me what the did with it all.

Shocking :shock: 

Regards

Andy


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## Mailman14 (22 Jun 2009)

I use mainly pallet wood - and I promise to get a photo of the stuff i picked up - but it's currently 23:11 and DARK!!!

This will be what I was told is "rosewood"... Don't slap my fingers till you;ve seen it!

BTW, is there anyone / anywhere I can find a guide to what wood looks like when it's chopped up?

Cheers!


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## Dog (23 Jun 2009)

I found this site useful for basic ID of wood types:
http://www.antiqueclockspriceguide.com/woodidguide.php


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## Hitch (27 Jun 2009)

We get a lot of dunnage, a good amount is timber like ash, oak. 

Its a shame is normally been outside for ages and soaking wet. 
Nor do i have means to convert into useable bits.

Usually ends up being cut into bits for firewood.


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## Dog (27 Jun 2009)

That is a shame!

A Jewson lorry delivered my order yesterday for a few things and I happened to mention at time of ordering that any unwated pallets would be most welcome... well he brought a few along, 26 all in, finding somewhere to stack them and keep the neighbours happy was another matter


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## Shrubby (28 Jun 2009)

Pallets are often dirty and hard work to get usable lengths - still worth it though. If you see any high rise constructions look out for the lifts and HVAC being delivered. Shipped in wooden boxes these yield some nice wood.
Matt


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## big soft moose (28 Jun 2009)

ive used quite a lot of pallet wood in the past - not least for turning as the blocks are often good for tealight holders etc.

that said i'm not limmited to pallets - all the MDF for my two most recent projects came out of a skip where a guy who neighbours our lock up at work was having his kitchen refitted (why they were using that much MDF in a bespoke kitchen build which is alledgely "solid wood" i dont know - but that not my problem)


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## Benchwayze (10 Jul 2009)

Hi Pren, 

I seem to have seen the 'J&C sign somewhere before. Now you have gotten me going, trying to recall where! 
Nice work from pallet timber!

John


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## pren (11 Jul 2009)

hi.

I posted it in the projects section a few months back. I'd forgotten that I'd already posted about it, actually  

cheers,
Bryn


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## Benchwayze (11 Jul 2009)

You know, I think I saw this in the Projects section a while back! 
:lol: 

Thanks Pren. 

Nice job. 
Cheers
John


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## Chrisp (11 Jul 2009)

We used to have a lot of pallets in the place I used to work but they were all soft wood and of no usable quality! I did find one in solid oak but that was so twisted it couldn't be used, as mentioned wooden crates and the wedges used to hold items can be great, I had some oak 30x4x2inch lengths 20 in number used to support/pack an item, and large wedges in beech (many spalted) kept coming in, now I've changed jobs I have to keep my eyes open for any other free timber!...


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## Woolly (14 Oct 2009)

HI all.

This is my 1st post so please be gentle with me ) .

Here are just a couple of projects I`ve made entirely from pallet wood. I live near a retired old guy who spends his days collecting, taking them apart and selling the timber for `sweeties` money. I agree the nails can be a pain to remove but if I can`t get them out easily then I`ll just work around them.
http://www.woollys06.pwp.blueyonder.co. ... 202008.JPG
http://www.woollys06.pwp.blueyonder.co. ... 0Stand.JPG


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## Woodmagnet (14 Oct 2009)

Hi Wooly, don't worry your pics have been
caught in the forums spam trap, after a few more posts
it goes away and you can show piccies( we like piccies)
as much as you like.
And welcome to the forum.


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## Boz62 (14 Oct 2009)

Woolly":1phbb0cg said:


> HI all.
> 
> This is my 1st post so please be gentle with me ) .
> 
> ...



Welcome. Quoted so the links show. Two more posts and you'll be clear 

Boz


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## DaveL (14 Oct 2009)

Hi Woolly,

Welcome to the forum. 

And if you use the img tags the pictures will display in the post, like this:


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## Woolly (15 Oct 2009)

Hi all.

Many thanks for the warm welcome and the tips about posting pics, I`ll try a pic agin later today.


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## Benchwayze (20 Dec 2009)

Mailman14":3mqo5q4i said:


> BTW, is there anyone / anywhere I can find a guide to what wood looks like when it's chopped up?
> 
> Cheers!



I find it usually resembles firewood. :wink: 

Seriously, now... 

'What Wood is That' by Herbert L Edlin.
The book comes with veneer samples of 40 species. 

If you can still get it. 
Try abebooks.co.uk.

HTH 
John


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## johnjin (3 Jan 2010)

It seems that they have it on Amazon for about £16

John


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## Benchwayze (4 Jan 2010)

Well there you go... 
I thought it would have been out of print. 
Mine was £2.12 shillings! Well thumbed now of course, but it still 'works' and the samples are all there! 

Good book. 

Regards
John


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## MikeJ (10 Jan 2010)

Hello, my 1st post here too, been lurking for a while! Found much of interest.

I've been using pallets for a few years to make odds and ends - bird boxes, planters, letter trays. I'm amazed at the types of wood that can be found and have been unable to identify many of them. (Well ok, practically all of the hardwoods!)

Just got this book from fleabay for £8.99, including P&P. It looks to be a book full of information and excellent value. It must be a popular book judging by the number of times it had been reprinted. Still can't match the latest couple of interesting bits though!


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