Pallet Wood Revisited

[WarmGuy]

I want to give some of my firewood a little longer to dry, so I decided to burn pallets for a few weeks.

In the past I've decided that it's not quite worth the bother of cutting them up, but I recently discovered a new demolishing technique from this video:

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I find it helps to pry out the slats a bit (makes it easier to cut just the nails).

PS. I'm aware of the wood treatment issues.

 

[jeffesonm]

I had mixed success with that technique... sometimes they are nailed together so tightly you can't even get the blade in. Also the middle sections are just a pain.

Fastest way I've found is to just use your chainsaw and run it down parallel to the runners, cutting through the all slats. You leave little slat stubs attached to the runners but who cares. Cut the runners in thirds and you're done.

 

[jb6l6gc]

This is how I do it so I can use the slats for bordering in under my decks

 

[Omaha419]

Way too time consuming.

What Jeff said.

 

[Grimlock13]

I use lithium battery circular saw and just cut the main boards out 4 cuts on each side takes 5 minutes. Is great mixed with a super cedar to start a fire , or to mix 2 or 3 in when reloading. Really not time consuming at all and well worth it for me at least.

 

[WarmGuy]

The problem I've had with a circular saw is that in between slats, the blade guard flips down, and the saw sometimes gets stuck. Do you have that problem?

You're right, Jeff, that sometimes the slats are nailed too tightly. I've tried separating the slats a bit from the stringers with a chisel or wonderbar, and that makes the nails-only cutting easier.

 

[2broke2ride]

I've done it with a circular saw with the guard wired open (dangerous, do not recommend). Now I have an 8" craftsman electric chainsaw that someone gave me that I really could give a damn about that I use.

 

[Flynhigh]

Cutting through nails, you'll trash the Sawzall blades pretty quick, and they aren't cheap. It'd be a good way to do just a couple pallets, but anymore than that, I'd go with circular or chainsaw.

 

[weatherguy]

I bought a pallet buster for $60, takes 2-3 minutes to break them apart then I just have to pull the nails and cut. Best $60 I ever spent.

 

[crater22]

I had to turn it off, before I seen that guy cut an arm or leg off. Good idea to a point, but make some kind of stand and clamp to hold it tight. Worked to many years around saws and wood to know better than that.

 

[Omaha419]

I had to turn it off, before I seen that guy cut an arm or leg off. Good idea to a point, but make some kind of stand and clamp to hold it tight. Worked to many years around saws and wood to know better than that.

With a sawzall? Really?

 

[mass_burner]

Pallets are too much of a wildcard. Too many variables, nails, brads, oil/chemical stains, splinters, etc. Too many ways to hurt yourself. There's enough of that with tree processing, no need as I see it to add more risk. Besides, the reward is very limited in BTUs.

 

[fespo]

Cash them in and buy some kind of wood with your payback. I bring pallets to the pallet recycle, I get paid $ 2-3 per pallet and then they fill me up with a truck load of there cut offs/ waste wood.

 

[mass_burner]

Cash them in and buy some kind of wood with your payback. I bring pallets to the pallet recycle, I get paid $ 2-3 per pallet and then they fill me up with a truck load of there cut offs/ waste wood.

Pallet recycle? Really? Huh, what do ya know.

 

[AmbDrvr253]

I just break em apart any old way. Ones I get are mostly oak 2X4 and 4X4. No two are ever the same it seams. Come from a cabinet maker. Even had a 6X6 one once!

 

[Dobish]

do you pull the nails, or throw them in the fire?

 

[Omaha419]

Throw them in. Too much trouble taking that many nails out.

 

[xman23]

That was fast but way to much work for me

 

[WarmGuy]

I've since found a better way: I cut down along the center stringer on one side, and then pry out the boards with a 2x4. Same idea as a pallet buster.

 

[WES999]

I take them apart with a pallet fork, mine is home made but you can buy them.
Then cut them up with a chop saw, goes quite fast, inexpensive HF blade will go through nails no problem.
If you can find the 4x4 oak pallets, they burn almost as good as cord wood.
Works for me.

I don't always burn pallets, but when I do, I prefer oak.
Stay warm my friends.

 

[jb6l6gc]

Cutting through nails, you'll trash the Sawzall blades pretty quick, and they aren't cheap. It'd be a good way to do just a couple pallets, but anymore than that, I'd go with circular or chainsaw.

Not if you use the good combo blades that are made for metal and wood, I took apart many a skids this summer and only went through two diablo blades!

 

[jb6l6gc]

and believe me I cut apart allot of pallets for various things, a few are listed in a previous thread I did. With the quality of the pallets I get from work I cant stand to burn them when I can build so many things from them

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/what-do-you-do-with-pallets.151756/#post-2036636

 

[kevreh]

I usually just cut them up with my circular saw. Two cuts on one side and two on the other. Only thing is sometimes the blade gets pinched a bit. Lot faster than using the sawzall like the guy did in that video.