Significant supply of pallet wood boxes

[AJB Temple]

I am in a bit of a quandary about this as my hoarder instincts have kicked in.

My wife has recently started a new role back in her original area of expertise which is international logistics. She's managing a team that import food service equipment from all over the place (a lot comes from Italy for example) and is palleted. Most are ordinary pallets but each week they get one or two boxes such as those in the picture. They get burnt. This is because they are custom fit to suit machines or parts and so cannot economically be re-used.

(247.85 KiB)

I brought three home despite having no actual idea what to do with them. Being food service industry they are free of chemicals and pristine. The wood is almost an inch thick. Nailed with stainless steel nails.

Just posted here for interest really. I am thinking I could make them into planters or something? Ideas? If necessary I will cut them up and they will go on the log burner pile.

[Phil Pascoe]

Probably annular ring nails, so a pig to pull apart.

[AJB Temple]

Nope. Smooth nails. The feet knocked off dead easy.

[novocaine]

find a charity that "upcycles" and donate, donate, donate. with a bit of paint and some EST. 1904 stencils they could be on to an absolute winner.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1186299 ... 1186299368

[Andyp]

They look like storage for bulkhead lights to me

[droogs]

Raised planting bed either veg, herbariums or potted fruit trees.

[9fingers]

Adrian, when you have exhausted your applications for these then maybe consider donations to men's shed.
Some of these groups seem to be social talking shops but other seem to make things for local schools or to sell for charity fund raising etc.

Bob

[AJB Temple]

Andy, andy, andy....I knew you would comment. Get that V&A table finished man!

The donation ideas are good. However, there is no men's shed near me. They are all down by Folkstone and Dover for some reason. I've asked before and the local charity shops have zero interest in big stuff - they just want clothes and knick knacks, although we do have totally brilliant Oxfam book shops in both sevenoaks and tunbridge wells.

I do need to make a couple of large bonsai growing on beds that replicate ground planting but moveable. So the big box will become the first one I think.

I have also decided that if I can get enough of these, I will make an outdoor composting lavatory. This is because when we open the garden for charity there is always someone who has ignored the extensive signage saying that there are no visitor loos. It drives me potty (see what I did there). I want to spend near zero money as this is a charitable thing we do, and so I am now on the hunt for the best way to do it and make it look good in the Japanese garden environment. Maybe tea then pee house?

[thetyreman]

that's quite nice for pallet wood, a lot of boards look relatively knot free.

[Woodbloke]

that's quite nice for pallet wood, a lot of boards look relatively knot free.

I was about to make the same comment. Were it me, I'd knock them apart and hoard them somewhere (Adrian's good at that ) in the 'shop, ready for a suitable project. They look to me to be too good to burn...might make good kitchen door cupboards - Rob

[AJB Temple]

I am NOT a hoarder!!! How dare you say that.

To digress slightly my brother was the family hoarder. When he was a kid he used to visit the local tip regularly and bring stuff back. When he got older and was earning, he would go to car boot sales almost addictively and buy tools for pence. We also have a barn literally full of wood, half of which is his and he refuses to sell. He has two double garages literally full to the brim with tools and VW campervan parts, which he will not allow his wife or me to sell. (He is badly disabled after a stroke and will never have use for this stuff).

My dad was much the same. I have ever such a lot of spanners and stuff that belonged to him - he was an engineer but no one could possibly need so many spanners. Most of them are useless as they are whitworth and such like, not metric. In my mother's side garage are 4 big Record engineering vices. Seriously big and heavy. I will have to get rid of them at some point.

[Andyp]

Andy, andy, andy....I knew you would comment. Get that V&A table finished man!

I may give the impression of always being online but I am rarely near the workshop.
Last time I was on this boat storm Eunice was blowing 100mph winds around the IoW. Today it is as calm as a calm thing so I ventured out of the cabin. I am beginning to regret that over confidence.

As for the table, the bobbin sander ordered and should be there by the time I get back. But I have some end of term presents to make for the teaching assistant that has guided my daughter through school the past 3 years, and the garden, and putting some slop on the gates, window frames, shutters etc.
I will finish by the deadline…….probably.



As may just call round and see how much of your barn you have painted.

[AJB Temple]

Feel free mate! You have long arms which is always good. I am picking up the paint tomorrow as it happens.

[Malc2098]

Adrian, when you have exhausted your applications for these then maybe consider donations to men's shed.
Some of these groups seem to be social talking shops but other seem to make things for local schools or to sell for charity fund raising etc.

Bob

Indeed, the Exeter one not only restores and sells tools, it also make all sorts from wood and appreciates supplies of good timber.

[Cabinetman]

Looks much better pine than I can get here! And Free! I would definitely dismantle and store. Ian

[9fingers]

Adrian, when you have exhausted your applications for these then maybe consider donations to men's shed.
Some of these groups seem to be social talking shops but other seem to make things for local schools or to sell for charity fund raising etc.

Bob

Indeed, the Exeter one not only restores and sells tools, it also make all sorts from wood and appreciates supplies of good timber.

We have a local one with a similar MO as that but then again we have another a few miles away that only seem to post photos of walking trips and pub lunches on farcebook seemingly more of a social /mental health/ combat loneliness type of set up which is of course equally valuable to society but less of a men’s shed more of a men’s support group
Bit like here sometimes (?)

Bob

[Woodbloke]

Adrian, when you have exhausted your applications for these then maybe consider donations to men's shed.
Some of these groups seem to be social talking shops but other seem to make things for local schools or to sell for charity fund raising etc.

Bob

Indeed, the Exeter one not only restores and sells tools, it also make all sorts from wood and appreciates supplies of good timber.

We have a local one with a similar MO as that but then again we have another a few miles away that only seem to post photos of walking trips and pub lunches on farcebook seemingly more of a social /mental health/ combat loneliness type of set up which is of course equally valuable to society but less of a men’s shed more of a men’s support group
Bit like here sometimes (?)

Bob

Popped into my local MS here in Wilton a couple of weeks ago; nice collection of 'used'/donated gear much of which appeared to need a lot of work to make it remotely serviceable. I explained that I was a long standing woodmangler and had a fully equipped 'shop at home whereupon the two incumbent shedders interest was immediately piqued.
"Did I know how to turn'' was the next question when I mentioned I had a lathe and all the gear when one of them pointed out a very forlorn looking lathe against a wall, festooned with all sorts of odds n'sods of detritus.
After a brew (no biscuits ) and a lengthy chat I bade my farewells and have no intention of darkening their portal again - Rob

[9fingers]

With a decent sized, reasonably equipped woodshop and another workshop dedicated to metal machining, I've steered clear of visiting such outfits expecting similar reaction to those you had Rob but kept a distant watching brief just out of interest.

Bob

[Malc2098]

I think some of our members may forget how fortunate they are and how unfortunate other men of our age are. Neither are some men as IT savvy as we are to actually get online.

I saw the work the Exeter group are doing with men in this position, and while I am not in a position to donate time to them, I have been able to donate serviceable but older tools and machines to them for their use or for selling on.

I also note that the sawmill from which I bought my verandah and balustrade timber from also freely donates hardwood to them for their use.

I am also aware that maybe every Shed has a different way of going about it's business of providing support to men of a certain age. And Bob is right, they provide a service for men at geographical locations similar to the virtual service this forum provides online.

[Lons]

I think some of our members may forget how fortunate they are and how unfortunate other men of our age are. Neither are some men as IT savvy as we are to actually get online.

I saw the work the Exeter group are doing with men in this position, and while I am not in a position to donate time to them, I have been able to donate serviceable but older tools and machines to them for their use or for selling on.

I also note that the sawmill from which I bought my verandah and balustrade timber from also freely donates hardwood to them for their use.

I am also aware that maybe every Shed has a different way of going about it's business of providing support to men of a certain age. And Bob is right, they provide a service for men at geographical locations similar to the virtual service this forum provides online.

[AJB Temple]

This thread is not really about that. We do charity fund raising for nursing charities and we sell teas and coffees and cakes for a specific homeless charity. I don't want to be much more focussed on charities than we already are. I was really looking for woodworking ideas as I have never been a pallet user.

[Doug]

Personally I’d knock the bigger box apart, check it for metal & run it through the planer if it finishes ok then build up a stock pile & flog it, could be a nice little earner particularly the price of timber these days.

Bit like here sometimes (?)

Bob

You’d noticed that as well