Introduction: Simple Pallet Shelf

About: Just a man with a beard....and some cats

Hi everyone! Bongo here from thePoultryPeople and I thought Id take it back to basics and show you a really nice country/rustic shelf that looks good and is actually useful. You can also give them away as nice homemade presents or even make a few pounds at craft fairs and ebay.

This project once youve got the wood is going to take you about 2 hours maybe less, theres a drying time as well to let the glue set.

The tools I used in this project are

  • Argos Belt Sander with 80grit belts £30
  • Evolution circular saw £50
  • Makita 1/3 sheet sander £53
  • Makita Cordless £35 (2nd hand fb group)

Step 1: Lets Get Started - Working the Timber

Grab some pallets, broken ones are great for this and business have no problem in giving these away, you want the pieces at about 12 inches long, it doesnt matter if they are straight cut or not. Or maybe for yours it does? Bring your own creative style and tweaks to this project.

Start sanding, Ive got a cheap argos belt sander, its not bad and is ok for light home use. With the grain is ok but because its pallets I was just going with smooth so i was just ripping the top layer off as quick as possible. I only used a 80 grit.

I started with no sanders and i would spend hours sanding stuff like this by hand, wrapping sandpaper around blocks of wood is a good trick. Get a belt sander, it seriously cuts down the time to finish timber and gives good results after some practice ;)

Step 2: The Shelf Itself.

This is as long as you want it or can get a piece of wood in one piece. I chose a fairly nice thick piece around an inch thick.

Take off the blocks, take out the nails, cut the end with a quarter round curve, or leave plain, your choice. If youve got a router with a fancy bit you might want to run it around the edge?

More sanding :) Sandings great, it builds muscle!

Step 3: Screwing It All Together

Lay out the back of the shelf, make sure its all square.

Lay the shelf on top in the position you want. Mark out two holes with a little cross on each piece of backing.

Drill out each hole with a 4mm drill bit.

Run a bead of glue down the inside edge of your shelf.

Start attaching each board to the back of the shelf, check the first one to make sure its square and then screw and glue all the others together. Keeping them held tight against each other will help the back stay tight. I used screws that were 40mm long and these did the job really well.

Leave to dry on a flat surface.

Drill on each end a 4mm hole and then countersink with a 8mm bit to attach to the wall.

Note: to keep them all aligned if you were feeling picky either clamp them down while they are drying or use the kreg pocket screw jig or even a biscuit jointer, you can also get a biscuit bit for a router if you have one, i do recomend the kreg pocket jig at around £10 its a good investment and useful tool

Step 4: Waxing, Fitting and Its Done!

I used Briwax for the finish, lovely stuff and really puts the glow into timber. Apply with a brush, leave for 5 minutes and then buff with a soft cloth. More layers will mean more glow and shine, wonderful stuff.

Screw it in place, analyse your wall to see if you need rawlplugs or what not. A spirit level is useful to get it bob on.

And its done, looks good, cost is absolutely minimal.

Thank you for reading this, feel free to comment and Ill do my best to help if anyone needs any. Projects like this are great for getting to grips with the basics. Part of the basics is repetition in using the tools, the more you use them the better your work will get.

All the best

Bongo & Mr.Butters

Wood Contest 2016

Participated in the
Wood Contest 2016