If you’ve been caught up in the pallet furniture craze, and have even collected a few pallets to build that rustic entertainment center, raised bed garden, or chicken coop, then you know how it goes. “I’ve got all these pallets… now what?”
You’ve probably taken after at least one of your prized pallets with a hammer or a crowbar and found yourself sitting in a pile of splintered wood with a gleam of death in your eye as you scream obscenities and pummel what’s left of your project into pulp.
Now, after a tetanus shot and a crash course in meditation, you’re probably sitting full-lotus on a little satin cushion tuning your chakra and chanting, “There’s got to be a better way!” Well, thanks to the fine people over at Old World Garden Farms the path from raw pallet to finished project has gotten a whole lot easier.
Old World Garden Farms
Old World Garden Farms starts off with a couple of tips:
1st Tip – Invest in a reciprocating saw (sawzall).
They are the key to quickly destructing a pallet – and without damaging or splintering the wood. Yes, it’s an expense – but the inexpensive ones will work just fine with pallets.
2nd Tip – Forget about the little 5″ blade that comes with your sawzall.
That will only frustrate you. Buy a couple of 12″ construction blades (trust me – the few bucks are worth it – and they last forever).2nd Tip – Forget about the little 5″ blade that comes with your sawzall.
Okay, so you need to buy a tool. Did you really think you were going to get away with putting together fine re-used pallet furniture with a paper clip and a couple coconuts? That may have made the Professor a vegan ham radio, but you’ve already tried the low tech approach to this and have the scars to prove it. Think of this as an investment in all your future projects and a handy tool in your off-grid toolkit.
Assuming you’ve got a Sawzall handy or are returning from an impulsive trip to the hardware store (welcome back!), let’s see how to carve up that pallet like a Holiday Ham.
You can follow below with the pictorial below on how we do it – but in a nutshell – set it on its side and simply slice through the nails on each end. Then – head down the middle row doing the same thing and in no time you have a lot of great pallet wood for all of your crafts! We have made everything from our custom mailbox, to a wine rack, raised bed stand and more – all for virtually free with pallets. (See: Our Project Pallets)
Okay, well that sounds a little too easy. How about we take a look at that pictorial below just so we don’t end up with any 9-fingered readers.
“First Step – take your sawzall and cut down through one side of the smaller boards all the way to the bottom”
“Next cut down the opposite side – followed by the middle if there is one – the boards simply fall off”
“Once you have the front side finished – repeat for the back side – which are usually the largest of the boards”
And viola! You’ve got wood!
Old World Garden Farms
Source: Old World Garden Farms
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