Anyone tried using wood from pallets?

osx-addict · Post by **osx-addict** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:45 pm

I've got about 5-6 pallets that are sitting in my front yard left over from things being delivered when we remodeled our home late last year.. I believe I've seen Norm (New Yankee Workshop Norm) make stuff out of them at least once after face planing them and jointing their sides.. Has anyone done that with their SS? Just curious..

I forgot to mention.. My understanding is that most Pallets are made from hard woods -- some even from Oak since they won't break like they wood if they were made w/ Doug Fir or pine (or Poplar I guess)

Len · Post by **Len** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:15 pm

I've taken pallets apart and you are right, many were made from oak. I'm skiddish about putting such wood to my SS, but I don't see why not. Of course there are a LOT of fasteners that hold those bad boys together, so make sure you get them ALL out. I've used part for shoring up outdoor projects. Seems the wood was always inferior, dried poorly, and not quite right. I've never dressed them down for something pretty that I would give SWMBO. But for outdoor stuff, like log holders for chainsawing and such, they're fine.
Also good luck on finding something over 20" that doesn't have a knot or warp in it.

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:42 pm

Best be getting a metal detector if you plan on using ANY used wood, but especially pallets. Otherwise, nothing wrong with them.

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:17 pm

Hi,

Just in case some of you missed my last discussion on this......

First pallets are not "free wood" in a lot of cases. They have a value and are very often reused many times over. People are arrested for stealing them. So make sure you know who owns the ones you are eyeing up and make sure it is you. If they are sitting out back of a store or somewhere you better ask! But after reading what is below maybe you will not be so interested.

Second, pallets are often used for many things, they sit on docks, on floors in plants, in back of trucks. So how lucky do you feel. Like to make things with high levels of PCB's, pesticides, hey maybe some heavy metals or worse?? Sure somethings you can see but a lot more can't be seen. Some things you can smell but not all of them. Do you know where your pallet has been the last couple of year, 5 years ago, 10 years ago... heck some might be 20 or more years old.

I attended a seminar on this some years ago. What was presented would scare your socks off. Every time I see a pallet now I see a toxic waste dump. So as for me it is not worth it.

Ed

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:55 pm

reible wrote:Hi,

Just in case some of you missed my last discussion on this......

First pallets are not "free wood" in a lot of cases. They have a value and are very often reused many times over. People are arrested for stealing them. So make sure you know who owns the ones you are eyeing up and make sure it is you. If they are sitting out back of a store or somewhere you better ask! But after reading what is below maybe you will not be so interested.

Second, pallets are often used for many things, they sit on docks, on floors in plants, in back of trucks. So how lucky do you feel. Like to make things with high levels of PCB's, pesticides, hey maybe some heavy metals or worse?? Sure somethings you can see but a lot more can't be seen. Some things you can smell but not all of them. Do you know where your pallet has been the last couple of year, 5 years ago, 10 years ago... heck some might be 20 or more years old.

I attended a seminar on this some years ago. What was presented would scare your socks off. Every time I see a pallet now I see a toxic waste dump. So as for me it is not worth it.

Ed

I stand corrected. Thank you Ed

for pointing out those dangers.

a1gutterman .................Otherwise, nothing wrong with them.

osx-addict · Post by **osx-addict** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:01 am

Ahh.. That's one angle I hadn't thought of.. Thanks for pointing out how they might be used before they came to me (or you)..

chip · Post by **chip** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:35 am

I actually made a light box for my wife out of the pallet my SS came on. After tearing it apart and checking with a metal dector I ran it through the thickness planer. Hadn't ever given any thought to what might have been on the pallet before the SS. Absolutely right about the stealing pallets too. Always courteous to ask before taking any wood products even from dumbsters. Usually if they don't have a sign "Free Wood" it's a good idea to ask. Most mill/cabinet shops don't mind.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:57 am

Another problem with pallets is they are handled rough and in many cases have stone and other organic compounds pounded into them that aren't detected with a metal detector but that can still cause havoc with your cutting edges. I have seen some that had more sand embedded in them than most sand paper has.
Add to that many pallets are made overseas they can contain woods that can be toxic. I had a friend get a splinter from one, I don't remember the exact wood I think it was from Brazil but let me tell you the reaction and resulting wound wasn't pretty. Drove the doctors crazy until he gave them a sample of the wood. They had been fighting an infection rather than an a toxic/allergic reaction.
Free wood? Not really, there is a pretty high cost when you consider all that could go wrong.
I have learned to call the place that delivered the pallets in the first place and tell them to come get their pallets. If it is a crating pallet I dispose of it. I figure if I want to cause myself problems I can always go to Home Depot and buy some of the china made ply, if that doesn't keep me in aggravation, pallet wood won't.

Ed

osx-addict · Post by **osx-addict** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:58 am

I guess to steer this thread in a slightly different direction.. About a year ago or so, I posted a few messages on my local Craigslist asking for people that had old (dead) or dying fruit trees that they were looking to get chopped up (and in this case sans any pesticides).. I was using them as a source of smoke for smoking meats -- fruit wood is good (as are many other species of wood) for that -- abeit mild compared to something like Hickory..

Anyway, I found someone that had a yard full of dead trees due to termites et-al.. Needless to say I cut down only one tree and filled up the back end of my pickup with cut Nectarine logs (w/ holes and bugs too).. Anyway, I quaranteened them into a 50G drum (and put the leftovers in garbage bags closed up tightly) with tight sealing lid to ensure no bugs got away and setup shop in my rafters.. Anyway, In cutting some of that wood, I was surprised to find out just how hard fruit wood actually is.. It (to me anyway) seems almost as hard a wood as Oak -- it's certainly not soft line pine or Fir from what I've seen.. A very dense wood from what I can tell..

So -- do any of you use fruit wood on the lathe or use it for making smaller projects? It would seem like another easy source for wood that can be had for very cheap (assuming you've got a chainsaw handy)..

Greenvilleguy · Post by **Greenvilleguy** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:55 pm

Rick,

To avoid hijacking this thread, I'm going to open up a new one called "Free Wood" with some comments.