Pallet to plant stand adventure

[STB]

This misadventure Begin with the infamous words "Honey could you build me". After hearing "The Phrase" for more than half a lifetime a person would think I would be smart enough to head for cover and hide. But no, I decided to view it as a challenge (big Mistake!!).

SWMBO asked me to build a plant stand out of barn boards. Sounds simple enough right. But wait we live in the Las Vegas area of southern Nevada surrounded by Mojave desert. No old barns. No old barn boards to be had and the boards that are for sale are right up there next to gold prices.

Now the adventure begins.

I thought that pallets would work for barn boards they are rustic. So off to the local industrial park I go riding in my trusty Ford Pickup. I spot several pallets back buy an old dumpster. I ask a man at the loading dock if I could have 3 of them he said "sure they cost us $5 bucks each to dispose of them". Moving right along I back the trusty Ford up to the pallets get out and about the time the first pallet is loaded an raggety old pickup pulling a derelict old trailer pules up. To men jump out they are as raggety as their old truck and covered with neck tattoos. The proceeded to explain to me in a combination of English and Spanish using words that would make a sailor blush that I was stealing from them and this was there territory. I was just standing there dazed and confused. That is when they started to get aggressive and things were about to get serious.

About this time a black & White pulled up pulled up and one of Boulder City's finest got out and wanted to know what was going on. After a short time and a few words in Spanish that I didn't understand a second cop car shows up and two more get out. After a brief conversation the police were giving the pallet pickers vehicle a courtesy inspection. About this time I thought it prudent that I finish loading the pallets and leave with haste. On the way out I talked to the dock Foreman along with others that had gathered to see the show. The Foreman had anticipated what was about to happen when he saw the pickers pull up and called the cops. Lucky for me.

Apparently there is a thriving enterprise ( in the Vegas area) where the pallet pickers go around charging to pickup pallets then selling the pallets to company's that need pallets.

Any way so much for the Pallet adventure The pictures show the finished project.

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[wa2crk]

Addict
What type of grass is in front of the finished stand? Nice project !!
Do you think that that gras will survive in Florida?
Bill V

[idcook]

That's some tale. Pallet adventure indeed.

Those plant stands look great.

All's well that ends well.

[danr]

Nice use of pilfered pallets:rolleyes:
Dan

[charlese]

Nice project, well done! Also interesting story! Whew!

Is the grass a type of Astro turf?

[STB]

Addict
What type of grass is in front of the finished stand?
Do you think that that grass will survive in Florida?
Bill V

The grass should work just fine in Florida. Its made out of some kind of plastic. Did you notice the dandelions growing in the crack the only thing that grows without watering.

[skou]

Glenn, I've got 4 brothers, (and their families) in Las Vegas. 2 of them have ERs. (Wonder who they got that infection from?)

Here in Phoenix, pallets are a prized possession, and stores SELL them for about $5. We don't keep them outside where I work, they're locked up inside.

steve

[benush26]

Location, location, location! Here one place places ads in the local paper to please come and get the pallets and another just stacks them outside their fence (where they often stay for weeks!!) Most are constructed of very rough sawn white pine.