Anyone have a good technique for breaking down pallets?

[Jfigliuolo]

I've been cutting off the slats then pulling nails w/a hammer.

Makes NICE kindling, but a PIA Any one got a faster method?

 

[HalJason]

circular saw to cut slats, chopsaw to cut the heavier pieces. With my non-cat stove, and no coal grates to worry about,
nails go in with the wood, and out with the ashes (just don't use the ashes to help with traction on the driveway!).

 

[coldinnj]

Cut with circular saw also.
with my coal furnace, I don't worry about the nails in the ash. They melt and lose their point.
Hmmm... don't know about the biodegradability though

 

[wg_bent]

Pallet burning out door furnace?

Nails are degradable...they rust. Maybe not Bio-degradable though. But then again, most of the earths core is iron...the nails will find their way home...eventually.

 

[babalu87]

Yup
I just cut off the slats for kindling and mix in the pieces with nails, especially when I want to get it up to temp in a hurry

I bought a hi-strength magnet from McMaster-Carr to take the nails out so I can still use the ashes in the compost/garden.

 

[Hogwildz]

I cut mine with chainsaw, first slats, then legs into 3rds, great for starting a good fire.
Burn as is nails & all, nails come out with ash. Watch for nails while cutting, makes for need of sharpening chain if ya hit em.

 

[Gibbonboy]

See the attached pic, sorry for the sloppy drawing. I cut through the slats as close to the rails as I can- on the yellow lines. Then you can rock the slats back and forth to work the slats loose from the center rail. Most pallet shops use rosin-coated air nails, so they are very hard to remove. You could even cut down both sides of the center rail if you wanted short pieces of slat without nails in it.

 

[tundraSQ]

I use my cordless sawzall...works great and no kickback like with my chainsaw. I burn them in my firepit...GREAT hardwood.

 

[Homefire]

See the attached pic, sorry for the sloppy drawing. I cut through the slats as close to the rails as I can- on the yellow lines. Then you can rock the slats back and forth to work the slats loose from the center rail. Most pallet shops use rosin-coated air nails, so they are very hard to remove. You could even cut down both sides of the center rail if you wanted short pieces of slat without nails in it.

Worm Drive Skil Saw with a carbide blade that rips nails like butter.

I use the ash in compost nails and all as the steel/iron adds needed minerals
to the garden.

 

[coldinnj]

I might think twice about using the circular saw for cutting those nails...
1) small pieces of sharp metal (formerly nails) flying toward me at unknown speeds (here we go with formulas again)
2) cost of and wear and tear on expensive blades. If cheap blade used danger of parts of blade flying
3) friction of blade, wood, metal nails produces much heat hence small pieces of very hot metal flying around everywhere
If this is done in a basement or anywhere that combustibles are present thsi could cure the heating problem for the home --- permanently

 

[coldinnj]

Solution for pallet demolition:
Go to local Martial arts acadamy...
Volunteer to allow students to practice on your pallets.
Return with new pallets weekly.
You may even collect funds from such Martial arts acadamy for the privilage of allowing them to damage your nice pallets

 

[Corey]

Back in the day when I got free pallets, the most efficient method I could find was to saw once through the middle, along one side or the other of the center rib. You will have one side with the slats only attached to one runner - you can pull those slats off by hand and cut the runner once for length or twice if you need to.

As for the other side, my pallets were loose enough that after throwing it down on the point a couple of times, it could be collapsed and those slats could be pulled off as well. Then cut the other two legs to length. This only required one cut down the center and usually one cut on each runner. I never worried about the nails beyond trying not to step on them.

Corey

 

[citizanken]

I work for a company that imports some product from Japan. I have been seeing shipments come in with the plastic pallets. I guess it has to do with the lack of wood in Japan as to why they use plastic. While you cannot break them down to use as kindling, I have found that they are great for stacking wood on to season. They are lighter than the wood pallets, and are very tough and will hold up in the elements indefinitely. I just started using them this year as we have just recently been receiving merchandise on them. The one thing that is nice is that they don't deteriorate. It seems that all the wood pallets I used always seem to get busted up after some use. The down side is that you cant burn them for kindling.

 

[babalu87]

Some countries (especially Asia) will not approve of a shipment and wont ship on wood pallets due to certain beetles/bugs etc.

Wood has to go through a process to certify it has been fumigated in order to use wood for palatalizing so some are going with plastic.

 

[coldinnj]

Based on the report of fumigation...
perhaps we should be concerned about burning the wood?
DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! ... Will Robinson

 

[tradergordo]

I cut mine with chainsaw, first slats, then legs into 3rds, great for starting a good fire.
Burn as is nails & all, nails come out with ash. Watch for nails while cutting, makes for need of sharpening chain if ya hit em.

That's what I do also. I remove the nails from the ash using a strong retrieving magnet like this one:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=36903

 

[Homefire]

I might think twice about using the circular saw for cutting those nails...
1) small pieces of sharp metal (formerly nails) flying toward me at unknown speeds (here we go with formulas again)
2) cost of and wear and tear on expensive blades. If cheap blade used danger of parts of blade flying
3) friction of blade, wood, metal nails produces much heat hence small pieces of very hot metal flying around everywhere
If this is done in a basement or anywhere that combustibles are present thsi could cure the heating problem for the home --- permanently

You just keep on thinking. Mean-while Iwill be warn burning my old pallets.
By the way a good quality carbide is rated to cut nails and a good worm drive saw
deflects the discharge away from the operator.
Maybe you should convert to electric for safety reason but remember not in the tub

 

[Hogwildz]

I cut mine with chainsaw, first slats, then legs into 3rds, great for starting a good fire.
Burn as is nails & all, nails come out with ash. Watch for nails while cutting, makes for need of sharpening chain if ya hit em.

That's what I do also. I remove the nails from the ash using a strong retrieving magnet like this one:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=36903

I will most likely do the same once I get the new insert. The Feugo Flame I have has no fire brick, its all steel all around, so its fairly easy to scoop the nails up with the ash. When the box is cool for a day or so, I scoop as much as I can out, then I shop vac the rest, and any nails I may have missed from the scooper are easily visible and usually not many. I pluck them out by hand. Now when the new insert is in and it has the bricks on bootm & sides, I will prolly magnet them out, easier with the smaller opening & the gaps between the bricks which will make draggin them up front difficult, when a magnet just sucks em up. I like your idea and will use it, thanks.

 

[keyman512us]

I've been cutting and burning pallets for years. Pallets are a great source of heat. As far as the "chemical" question...don't get your pallets from a chemical plant, paint factory etc. Chemically treated pallets are slowly being "phased out of the inventory" for ones that are "heat treated" easy to spot they are stamped as such (usually of 'block' construction also). 40% of all pallets in the US are used in the "Grocery/Wholesale" business the most common size is 42" x 40".
The easiest way to cut them I have found is by using a worm drive, carbide tipped circular saw On a "special table". Cheapest/best blades are (unfortunately) a B&D 3-pack for $13+change at Walmart.
Terminology: The "slat boards" are called "deck boards or just boards"...the "beams" are called "stringers" (notched or solid).
I find it is easiest to cut the outside top edge, then the top center...move to the other side and do the same. Flip it over and cut the stringers loose. I then cut the stringers twice with a 12" chopsaw...after I get a good pile of them.
The "special table" is a "Euro block" pallet stripped down to it's basic frame...placed on top of a grocers' box commonly referred to as a 'gaylord' or 'watermellon box'...which itself is placed on a pallet. Always at a "comfortable working height". The one 'drawback' you might say is having to 'pull the pallet' from the stack to cut it...but all the pieces and sawdust end up in the box which makes up for handling the pallet...
If you can get your hands on these 'watermellon boxes' they come in handy. While maybe not everybodys' "cup of tea" whether they are filled with pallet wood or "cord wood" they hold enough wood to make it 'worthwhile' and still be easy enough to handle...the "less handling" the better.