Yup. I cut one up today. I noticed it was oak and thought it was too good to waste. I love it! Heat from my trash!
No, it wasn't treated with anything.
No, it wasn't treated with anything.
Hooked on Pallets!
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I had never burned a piece of pallet wood in my life until this year. Then when I was doing the three year rotation of the old pallets under the wood piles this summer the dump charged me six bucks to dump 11 pallets. When I got home I started taking the chainsaw to the rest of them. Stuff burns good. Burn, scoop out nails and ashes. Rinse, lather, repeat.
But a pain in the backside to cut up.
But a pain in the backside to cut up.
I heated a 6000 square foot welding shop with pallets for six years. Wore out a few skillsaws cutting them up.
Since I throw the ashes on the garden I find cutting up pallets more work than they are worth IMO. Sure they are usually good wood and dry but I can process way more firewood in the same amount of time and no nails to deal with. Now pallets that steel comes on is another story. They are typically 12' long with 4x4's running the whole length and 2x6's across. Those are worth the effort.
I hear ya Dune,
I've burned a few pallets over the years. I cut one up with a circular saw once and the wood pinched and kicked the circular saw out of my hand. Some scary stufft. I have the utmost respect for power tools, but the circular saw is not the tool for cutting them up. I use a sawz-all now with demo blade. Much safer. I've used a band saw once but a little awkward, quick though.
I've burned a few pallets over the years. I cut one up with a circular saw once and the wood pinched and kicked the circular saw out of my hand. Some scary stufft. I have the utmost respect for power tools, but the circular saw is not the tool for cutting them up. I use a sawz-all now with demo blade. Much safer. I've used a band saw once but a little awkward, quick though.
fishingpol said:
The slats can pinch a saw chain, too. I've observed some close calls, guys cutting up pallets with chainsaws. I do it, too, when a pallet comes my way, if it is an appropriate pallet. Gotta be real careful, then it's ok. Gotta think about what you are doing at all times. I burn the sectioned pieces in my fireplace, not the stove, as the nails, etc. are no problem scooping out with the ash in the fireplace. They, pallets, also burn furiously, or often do, and you wanna try one piece at a time in the fire til you know how they're gonna burn. I mean, rapid burn and scary if you put too much on simultaneously. I like to add one piece to my fire, when that is gone, add another, and so on. Same thing with a stove, don't stuff the stove to the gills with pallet material.
HotCoals said:
Ha! No, these pallets are from other deliveries we take. Though I have to say the pallets they ship BK's on burn well too!
I keep an eye out at work for oak pallets on their last legs. Great for warming up a cold stove. I use a jigsaw with a rough cut blade to slice the slats off the 2x4s, and buzz those down with a band saw.
I also keep an eye out for black walnut, mahogany, or other interesting pallet parts for wood working projects. You'd be surprised what you can do with a planer and a little sanding.
I also keep an eye out for black walnut, mahogany, or other interesting pallet parts for wood working projects. You'd be surprised what you can do with a planer and a little sanding.
I burn lots of pallets, works really well to get a stove going from a cold start.
The OPE store around the corner from me puts out these nice oak pallets frequently.
I break them apart with a hammer and pry bar and cut them up with a radial arm saw.
I always keep try to keep a good supply in the basement.
The OPE store around the corner from me puts out these nice oak pallets frequently.
I break them apart with a hammer and pry bar and cut them up with a radial arm saw.
I always keep try to keep a good supply in the basement.
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Method developed after cutting hundreds of pallets; cut the slats on both sides of the center runner. Pry the slats off the outside runners. Skillsaw is the fastest way to cut. Tried everything else.
When I was burning them I would nail the thinner bits together with a nail to create a pseudo-split...
madrone said:
No doubt - the box beam portion of this pic was all scrap lumber from crating from work. A planer does wonders on some of this wood. The wood has yet to be nailed into place, but as you can see, not too bad of a match to the knotty pine.
Note - this was during a renovation of my cabin. Those ugly walls will not survive. :vampire:
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I've noticed many of the oak pallets I scrounge are newer, and need a little seasoning. Just like scrounging dead trees, I have to separate what's good for near-term burning from what needs a year.
I cut them outside with one of my backup saws, or inside the barn with an old beater of an electric chainsaw. For time effectiveness and ease of cuttine, I prefer scrounging limb wood to pallet wood.
I cut them outside with one of my backup saws, or inside the barn with an old beater of an electric chainsaw. For time effectiveness and ease of cuttine, I prefer scrounging limb wood to pallet wood.
Burned a number of pallets in my first year . . . helped a lot to get the fire going (using as kindling) and to help my semi-seasoned wood take off and achieve secondary burns.
However, like WK I find hauling and processing pallets now to be a bit of a pain . . . now that I'm ahead and have plenty of good, seasoned wood and kindling . . . dealing with the nails was always a bit of a pain since I tend to spread a good bunch of my ashes in the garden and on the driveway.
That said . . . you can't beat free wood . . . and they do burn nicely.
However, like WK I find hauling and processing pallets now to be a bit of a pain . . . now that I'm ahead and have plenty of good, seasoned wood and kindling . . . dealing with the nails was always a bit of a pain since I tend to spread a good bunch of my ashes in the garden and on the driveway.
That said . . . you can't beat free wood . . . and they do burn nicely.
Hauling them is a pain.
There are places in NJ that have them stacked by the hundreds and it's all free wood.
I've often thought about bringing a generator and a skill saw to the site and cut them before loading. You could really fill up a truck bed fast that way, rather than just fitting about 8-10 in the bed and cutting them at home.
There are places in NJ that have them stacked by the hundreds and it's all free wood.
I've often thought about bringing a generator and a skill saw to the site and cut them before loading. You could really fill up a truck bed fast that way, rather than just fitting about 8-10 in the bed and cutting them at home.
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