It was Gerrit Reitvild who first deconstructed a transport crate to reassemble it into furniture that was both affordable and could be easily constructed from the individual pieces. In that sprit this booklet is made to reveal a method to dismantle this wooden beast of burden, the pallet.
Like a donkey it has to be broken-in and for the task you will need
a lump mallet,
a claw hammer,
and a prybar.
You will also need a scrap piece of wood, MDF or ply to use as a cushion to avoided damaging the wood when knocking pieces apart.
Bare in mind that pallets come in various sizes, shapes and conditions, so you may find this manual to be more of a rough guideline then accurate instructions when applying them to your pallet.
Like a donkey it has to be broken-in and for the task you will need
a lump mallet,
a claw hammer,
and a prybar.
You will also need a scrap piece of wood, MDF or ply to use as a cushion to avoided damaging the wood when knocking pieces apart.
Bare in mind that pallets come in various sizes, shapes and conditions, so you may find this manual to be more of a rough guideline then accurate instructions when applying them to your pallet.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1: Steps
1) Begin by turning the pallet upside down and knocking the chocks (wooden supporting blocks) out.
2) The technique here is to distribute your blows with the lump mallet between the three blocks (a, b and c) and gradually knock the sections apart.
3) Once you have done this to all three supporting sections place these pieces underneath the main body of the pallet.
2) The technique here is to distribute your blows with the lump mallet between the three blocks (a, b and c) and gradually knock the sections apart.
3) Once you have done this to all three supporting sections place these pieces underneath the main body of the pallet.
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
Generally speaking pallets are labeled by country of origin and if you see "HT" it means they are heat treated and may be a bit safer.
The country of origin is critical > if its not local to you then very likely it has been treated with some type of pesticide after its been packaged. So avoid imports.
Just sayin'
MJR
Why you ask? Preservatives! There are some pallet makers/mfg dip their pallets in a anti-insect and anti-rot solutions and are very poison if handled w/o gloves very long. Do not burn inside as a wood fuel source for the fireplace or stoves, very toxic.
Many pallet buyers will specify what the dip should be because their customer has an idea where it's destinations are.
Do not breath the dust if you are running the pallet wood threw the power saws.
Paint the wood and it should be safe if it receives a solid coating.
I am not 100% sure that there are not pallets out there that are chemically and heat treated but I do know that if they use chemicals they have to stamp the pallets CT.
I like the systematic approach and the idea of using a jack is something I will try next time.
what are the dimensions of the channel iron pry tool very interesting. I like "shop made tools"
The pallet done in this video is all soft wood. The one in my pictures in my comment further down is all oak, with the break away nail heads.
Actually there's another thing I'd add too. Those transport pallets are expensive for the businesses that use them (at least, in the UK they are) - make sure you have permission before taking any pallets!
OK, third thing. Those pallet nails are really good, and worth straightening out and saving!
Someday I'll put up an article about how to really break a pallet down. Until then a few pictures will have to do.
that is some clean wood left behind.
wish me luck, i doubt im as lucky.
They seem to be violating the license you've selected by not crediting you or attributing what they've posted to you.
Thanks!
Am off to get me a lump hammer in the morning and go round up some pallets x I am sure that it is not going to be as easy as it looked though.