What's the fascination with making things from old pallets?

[henton49er]

As a smallholder, I use pallets for everything from compost bins and hay racks to blocking holes in hedgerows until new plants take hold, storage bins for anything that rats and birds won't eat (e.g. firewood, plant pots), racks for drying out washed sheep fleeces, creep gates so that sheep cannot get at food intended for their lambs. This list is only limited by one's imagination and woodworking skills - mine are sadly deficient!

 

[Wildman]

I have salvaged a lot of iroko and mahogany type of wood from pallets. Save the planet and recycle everything burning should be a last resort. I have just salvaged 500ft od 3 x 2 planed fence rails plus numerous 4ft lengths of 6 x 4 used for posts. That will all resaw and plane to keep me in timber for a year or two. It will provide the timber needed to finish my new mower shed plus substantial racking for the timber store, a new tool cabinet or three, the list is endless. We cannot all justify the cost of bought in hardwood for hobby projects. Pallets also make excellent fencing and compost bins.

 

[ChrisR]

Many years ago, I worked for a company who imported machinery from Canada, it was all heavily crated with a very hard wood of high quality, no idea what species it was, and at that time I was not at all interested in woodwork. I do know the company had to make a rota for them that wanted it, in order that all had their fair share.

I don’t think the wood used for packing goods in Britain is to that standard or even close.

Chris.

 

[graduate_owner]

I suppose people with limited woodworking skills (like me for instance) could use pallet wood to build up their expertise by making garden stuff such as planters and raised beds, or garden furniture perhaps. I used some pallet wood to make picket fencing. Better than butchering quality timber I think, but there is obviously a limit to what you can expect to make.

K

 

[NazNomad]

I have more respect for someone that has taken a heap of pallets and transformed them into something else, be it useful, decorative, whatever.

I have little respect for someone who shows off a table that only took them 5 years to complete and the wood only cost 3 Grand. hashtag-boring.

 

[lanemaux]

Hello ChrisR, and I might just know the wood the Canadian pallets were using. You can't swing a pancake in our woods without smacking a maple of some sort. It's enough to bring a tear to a glass eye sometimes, maple in stacks next to farmhouses waiting to be brought in to be burnt. Not the highest quality stuff , yet adequate to my needs for scrolling. My mother-in-law thinks I'm malfunctioning when she sees me dig through the pile looking for something for playing at wood-butchery with. :lol:

 

[Alder]

Henton49er mentions using pallets on his small holding and I do not share his enthusiasm. We get delivers regularly on pallets and these are classed almost universally as single use. I too use pallets with pallet fork on a skid steer loader to handle materials but their useful life is limited. If unused they rot very quickly. Perhaps others are more fortunate than me as the only ones that I find With any useful material are charged for and must be returned to get a return charge..
Russell

 

[JakeS]

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've found this too. I recently built some storage shelves for the garage out of pallets and skirting board we took off the walls of our hall, and the pallet wood was straighter than the pine skirting boards!

I wouldn't bother putting much effort into pallets or projects made from pallets, but it's not much effort to pull off the boards that are easily pulled, cut off the ones that aren't, whiz what you get through the P/T just before the blades get changed and burn the corner blocks and other scraps. And for the sake of storing a small pile of waiting-to-be-processed boards in the corner of the garage, I've had a couple of little utility projects out of them and don't feel so bad about it as I would just cutting them up into tiny pieces and using them to light the barbecue.

I don’t think the wood used for packing goods in Britain is to that standard or even close.

For what it's worth, I've had several crappy softwood and one random really new-looking hardwood one that I still haven't used the wood from... And one - that came from a timber yard - that's made of 30mm-thick rough boards of some description nailed to 50mm-square bearers. I initially gave up on it and left it outside 'cause it had a couple of nails in random places and I didn't want to risk it, but it's been out in the rain for about nine months now without the faintest sign of rot setting in, so I'm starting to think I should take the time to de-nail it, dry it out and recover it properly after all!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I've found them excellent for providing a solid base upon which to stack goods for shipping with a special design feature that allows the forks of a fork lift truck to slide beneath the base.

 

[paulm]

I've found them excellent for providing a solid base upon which to stack goods for shipping with a special design feature that allows the forks of a fork lift truck to slide beneath the base.

Can't see that catching on Rob, they're much too useful for building compost bins and log stores and the like (hammer) :lol:

Cheers, Paul

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

You're probably right Paul Happy New Year by the way.

 

[Jelly]

Why all the hate for British pallets?

The yard at work collects them at a phenomenal rate, and when we started looking seriously at them to recover the value realised that something like 65% are good hardwood ones, the blue painted food industry ones are particularly good, but technically are on loan and remain the property of the producer.

As far as hardwoods being wasted on pallets, that's kinda missing the point as the pallet is crucial to load security on both wagons and forklifts, so if you're putting a ton or more of weight on one, low quality fast grown softwood wouldn't do.

 

[mickthetree]

What is it the buyer wants? A bespoke piece of furniture, preferably made from recycled wood to give that warm eco feeling and ideally at a reasonable price. Enter Pallet wood furniture.

I have been told by numerous people "you could make a fortune knocking out those from pallet wood". I have spent ages getting my machines and tools fettled and working just as I want them for quality work. Sticking something engrained with dirt, metal and goodness knows what else near my workshop just isn't an option for me.

If theres a demand, someone will supply it and good luck to them.

 

[Graham Orm]

What is it the buyer wants? A bespoke piece of furniture, preferably made from recycled wood to give that warm eco feeling and ideally at a reasonable price. Enter Pallet wood furniture.

I have been told by numerous people "you could make a fortune knocking out those from pallet wood". I have spent ages getting my machines and tools fettled and working just as I want them for quality work. Sticking something engrained with dirt, metal and goodness knows what else near my workshop just isn't an option for me.

If theres a demand, someone will supply it and good luck to them.

That pretty much covers it I think Mick. Maybe it's because we program ourselves to admire fine furniture and recognise the skill and hours that have gone into a piece that this type of furniture making seems odd. When I see a picture of something roughly knocked together and coated with varnish, being proudly shown off, that has sold and been admired I scratch my head and wonder did I miss something in the books and articles that I've read?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Maybe your opening question should have been "What's the fascination with buying things made from old pallets?

 

[NazNomad]

... but technically are on loan and remain the property of the producer

I love a bit of 'technically'. :wink:

 

[Graham Orm]

Maybe your opening question should have been "What's the fascination with buying things made from old pallets?

Yes!

 

[Graham Orm]

AHA! The root of it all. http://www.alwayshobbies.com/books-$4-d ... and-garden

 

[NazNomad]

Why would you pay 13 quid for a book and nothing for the wood? :-D

 

[Sean Hellman]

This is one reason that I use recycled pallet wood, if it is suitable for the task in hand. Fan bird made from a single piece of wood, spruce I think in this case

Making stuff from pallets does not mean it is a substandard piece of work. I have come across pallets of the most amazing tropical woods that are as hard as nails with beautiful colours