Any use for pallet wood?

[dennis thompson]

I drove by a facility today that had a sign outside saying "free pallets". Anyone ever use any pallet wood?
Thanks

[lowell holmes]

It's good wood for some things that don't require new s4s wood. I would pick up 3 or 4 and take them apart and throw away the bad stuff and nails.
I've used pallets before.

[David Powell]

I've also used pallet wood in the past. They do take some work to take apart and you'll need to work around the nail holes, but you can sometimes find some exotic woods.

[Bill Jobe]

Much of the are Oak. A relative of my son-in-law planes them down and makes doll houses/furiture.

[dennis thompson]

Thanks for the information. I make a lot of toys, maybe I'll be able to use them.

[Larry Frank]

I would only use them if I knew exactly the history and what was on them or how they were treated.

Personally, I would never use them for toys.

[Andrew Hughes]

Pallets are good for moving heavy stuff with a fork lift. Pallets are very low grade poorly dried wood that's sometimes treated with insecticide. The worst part is all the dirt and rocks that they collect. :(

[Jim Becker]

They can be a good source for craft wood as long as you are willing to deal with the nails, dirt, etc., that is part of the package. Some folks have found pallets that originated in other parts of the world to sometimes be made of what "we" consider exotics. What you want to use the wood for is of consideration...size comes into play as does whether or not nail holes will work or not. Some folks use them as inexpensive wood to make and sell rustic signs, for example, and the end result is pretty nice.

[David Bassett]

... Anyone ever use any pallet wood? ...

Bob Taylor is another guy who has: Pallet Guitar (http://www.guitaradventures.com/taylor-pallet-guitar-story)

I guess it depends on how motivated you are! :) (Make a bet recently?)

[Doug Garson]

Pallets and other shipping wood for international shipments must be treated to avoid importing insects. They can be treated either chemically or heat treated. Look for the letters HT on the wood to indicate it has been heat treated, then it should be safe for use.

[Marshall Harrison]

Pallets and other shipping wood for international shipments must be treated to avoid importing insects. They can be treated either chemically or heat treated. Look for the letters HT on the wood to indicate it has been heat treated, then it should be safe for use.

Good first step. But I would also be concerned with what was transported on them. Leaking chemicals transported on a pallet would make the wood bad for toys and some other usages. Make sure they are not used for anything toxic. But there in lies the problem; you never know their full history. About all you can do is eyeball them.

[dennis thompson]

Good first step. But I would also be concerned with what was transported on them. Leaking chemicals transported on a pallet would make the wood bad for toys and some other usages. Make sure they are not used for anything toxic. But there in lies the problem; you never know their full history. About all you can do is eyeball them.

Marshall
Good information, I guess I'll pass on them
Thanks

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I've seen some photos of small furniture made of wood from pallets. They were end tables and coffee tables. With a little creativity, they were pretty.

[Mel Fulks]

One good thing you can depend on: you know it has not been judged "unpalatable ".

[Robin Dobbie]

The potential for creating dust even more hazardous than usual when cutting or machining pallet wood is enough of a deterrent for me. But even if you're pretty sure the wood is safe, just getting them apart with minimal destruction is a real hassle if the nails have rusted even a little.

As many laws about hazardous waste as there are, it's surprising that there isn't a law about marking any chemically treated pallets as they're created with clear indicators.

[Dick Brown]

Made a few urns out of them. No complaints so far.
Dick

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Where have you been? Try Googleing Upcycling. Using pallet wood has been an interesting endeavor. You can, IF you find the right market, charge MORE for furniture that you make with FREE wood.....
You NEED a drum sander, or expect to lose several planer blades. A metal detector, or lose a few table/miter saw blades. Or, I use a 10 buck blade from the Depot. A recip saw with a metal blade makes quick work of a pallet.

[Doug Garson]

Good first step. But I would also be concerned with what was transported on them. Leaking chemicals transported on a pallet would make the wood bad for toys and some other usages. Make sure they are not used for anything toxic. But there in lies the problem; you never know their full history. About all you can do is eyeball them.
Agreed, I have used some dunnage, marked HT for some shop projects, I doubt I would ever use it for children's toys or anything that would come into contact with food.

[Marshall Harrison]

To be clear. All the points listed are good ones.

But I have used pallets anyway to make a couple of end tables. A foyer bench and some table center pieces. They are a real pain to disassemble and they can really muck up your blades. But as someone pointed out they are good for "rustic" projects and lots of people want that type of stuff. Just not for projects that may be used around food or chewed on by kids. And make sure you have protection when sanding as you don't know how toxic the wood can be.

Lots of books and Youtube videos on the subject.

[Stan Calow]

I'd grab a few, to use for storing things off the floor in the shop & garage, maybe for storing wood.

[Mike Henderson]

My experience with pallet wood is that it's pretty lame wood. The stuff I tried was warped. By the time I got through straightening it out, not much was left. And the wood, itself, was not very good.

Mike

[Carlos Alvarez]

Made a few urns out of them. No complaints so far.
Dick

I've been dying to try that.

I just gave away a few pallets to a woman who plans to make a patio of some sort from them. Real redneck trash, so I assume either she will die trying because she's nuts or make a beautiful deck because she's the clever breed of redneck. The pallets had held manure and concrete blocks. The concrete blocks left a lot of silica dust (dangerous to you) and embedded concrete pieces (danger to your tools).

[Carlos Alvarez]

I'd grab a few, to use for storing things off the floor in the shop & garage, maybe for storing wood.

Oh yeah, I used mini-pallets as a base for my air compressor and drill press. We used to have the lathe on a cut-down full pallet. Those are OK tasks for them.

[Joe Spear]

It depends on the pallet. Most of the ones I have seen are made of complete junk wood. However, I found one about 7 feet long about 12 years ago in a Lowes parking lot and made an under-extension-table cabinet out of it for my tablesaw. A while back--longer than 12 years ago--somebody on one of the forums said that lawn tractor companies in Asia often exported their products on pallets made out of really fine exotic woods. I don't know if they still do.

[greg bulman]

I have probably 50 stocked up outside my shop. They are more trouble than worth to take apart in my opinion.

[Bill Jobe]

Great advice on the hazards. I had not given that thought.
Tearing pallet boxes apart was nearly a full time job at the shop years ago. Paid some dues at it myself as a young man.