What's the fascination with making things from old pallets?
- Thread starter Graham Orm
- Start date
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finneyb
Established Member
I assume it satisfies their creative side.
Brian
Brian
John15
Established Member
Is it because of the better quality of wood compared with the inferior stuff our pallets are made from? I can recall when working in The Middle East that much of the machinery from the far east came on hardwood pallets - sadly they were either burnt or dumped in the desert.
John
John
porker
Established Member
I think its probably because it's free. I got a truck load delivered for 99p (15 mile delivery) and intend making a log store out of it. I was lucky in that there are several pallets used for car wind screens so some large lengths in handy sizes. Means I can build my logstore for nearly free. I priced up the timber to do this locally and I was looking at £200 worth, so I'm happy to use it. Bit of work breaking the pallets down and removing some of the nails but I don't mind that. Won't be as good as Steve's log store on the other thread but it will do me and look OK.
I will say one thing, once planed up the timber is straighter than the softwood rubbish I just bought from Wickes to do some framing!
I will say one thing, once planed up the timber is straighter than the softwood rubbish I just bought from Wickes to do some framing!
It satisfies my creative side.
I'm no high-end Bespoke Craftsman Carpenter, I'm a humble Joiner by trade, and although I consider myself talented enough in that respect, I bow my head in reverence to some of the truly gifted individuals pursuing their trades. I mean, I DO make decent projects from time to time, but lack of money means a Jay Bates workshop, and hardwoods in particular, are not on the agenda. I make what I can, with materials I can source cheaply, and machinery/tooling that I consider worth the investment, with the little disposable income I have.
So, pallet wood = creative satisfaction.
Plus. It's free :wink:
Woody2Shoes
Impressive Member
1) I think a lot of people get satisfaction out the idea they're getting something for nothing - the pleasures of getting "free stuff".
2) Sad as it may seem, in the far east and in the US they often seem to use perfectly nice-looking hardwood for making pallets.
Cheers, W2S
2) Sad as it may seem, in the far east and in the US they often seem to use perfectly nice-looking hardwood for making pallets.
Cheers, W2S
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
Heat. That's what I make from pallets. And soon, hot water. 
I make our compost bins out of them. You do get lucky sometimes and come across some made of cedar. But its 1 in 1000
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davin
Established Member
People like it and buy it.
Brighton is full of the stuff. Went there over Christmas, had a meal in a Mexican style café/ restaurant. The whole place was made of pallets or scaffold boards.
Not to my taste but I wouldn't have minded getting the contract to fit the place out.
Brighton is full of the stuff. Went there over Christmas, had a meal in a Mexican style café/ restaurant. The whole place was made of pallets or scaffold boards.
Not to my taste but I wouldn't have minded getting the contract to fit the place out.
AJB Temple
Finely figured
I have made the following from pallets:
12 foot bench and shelves for wife's potting shed
outdoor prep bench (not quite sure what she calls it but it is used for putting soil in trays and pots)
about 5 cubic metres of compost bins
2 raised beds (though they rotted quickly) at our old house
storage boxes for the ginormous number of plant pots she has
All free apart from the labour. My labour force (aka wife and offspring) did most of the tearing down. You lose about 25% in wastage from nail splits.
12 foot bench and shelves for wife's potting shed
outdoor prep bench (not quite sure what she calls it but it is used for putting soil in trays and pots)
about 5 cubic metres of compost bins
2 raised beds (though they rotted quickly) at our old house
storage boxes for the ginormous number of plant pots she has
All free apart from the labour. My labour force (aka wife and offspring) did most of the tearing down. You lose about 25% in wastage from nail splits.
No skills
Established Member
Well I thought it was funny.
rafezetter
Troll Hunter
I'm guessing Graham has not googled 1001 things to do with pallets and seen some of the quite remarkable things done with otherwise discarded wood, and I've made my feelings quite clear about this before, but to reiterate; I echo all the positive sentiments made already and I'd counter with "what's the fascination with mocking those who make things from anything other than premium AAA grade super special, grain so amazing you'll weep, wood?" because that has happened more than a few times, in just the few years I've been a member of the forum, and I'll say bluntly it's not exactly "new to the hobby" friendly.
Whether you "get it" or not is irrelevant, the only fact that is relevant is that someone made (or had a go at making) something, and had that chance because the wood was free so it really didn't matter a jot if they borked it once or twice or a dozen times. Whatever they did, however they did it and whatever the level of finished result, the person got something from basically nothing, learned a few things about themselves, and got with that a free side helping of satisfaction and happiness thrown in to boot.
Maybe the dissenters should speak to the forum members who have talked about spending time in their shed with their unskilled children banging scraps of wood together with nails; because age aside, the results are the same.
Whether you "get it" or not is irrelevant, the only fact that is relevant is that someone made (or had a go at making) something, and had that chance because the wood was free so it really didn't matter a jot if they borked it once or twice or a dozen times. Whatever they did, however they did it and whatever the level of finished result, the person got something from basically nothing, learned a few things about themselves, and got with that a free side helping of satisfaction and happiness thrown in to boot.
Maybe the dissenters should speak to the forum members who have talked about spending time in their shed with their unskilled children banging scraps of wood together with nails; because age aside, the results are the same.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
I understand why people make things from pallets ... I don't understand why people buy things made from pallets ... :?
mind_the_goat
Established Member
Cheap, or free is a good reason but more importantly reusing material is likely to be far more efficient than growing and processing a new tree, same goes for many raw materials. I would ask the question a different way: Why process new stuff when something that already exists would do the job perfectly well?
Don't get me wrong, I don't expect makers of fine furniture to start raiding the local tip but many projects could use old wood instead of new.
My dog has a pallet based kennel, roofed with larch from my old fence, I did however build my new fence with new wood (tempted to try a few pallet based panels though). I also have a chest of drawers in a built-in wardrobe made with building ply offcuts, not something I'd want on display but it does the job it was designed for just as well as if I'd used quality birch ply or new solid wood.
Don't get me wrong, I don't expect makers of fine furniture to start raiding the local tip but many projects could use old wood instead of new.
My dog has a pallet based kennel, roofed with larch from my old fence, I did however build my new fence with new wood (tempted to try a few pallet based panels though). I also have a chest of drawers in a built-in wardrobe made with building ply offcuts, not something I'd want on display but it does the job it was designed for just as well as if I'd used quality birch ply or new solid wood.
