Pallets

[RORY12553]

Saw some pallets on the side of the road yesterday so I decided to break them up and bring them home for kindling. There were alot of staples and nails in it and i'm sure i got most of them. Question is what damage will a staple or nail cause if i missed it?

The pallets are bone dry and will consider using it as a supplement for the days i'm home all day to watch the stove temps.

 

[firefighterjake]

Well if you spread the ash down on your driveway like I do, Murphy's Law will kick in and that one nail will find its way into that brand new tire or tires you just put on your truck.

Otherwise, most folks running stoves without cats say there should be no issues.

 

[RORY12553]

Well if you spread the ash down on your driveway like I do, Murphy's Law will kick in and that one nail will find its way into that brand new tire or tires you just put on your truck.

Otherwise, most folks running stoves without cats say there should be no issues.

What is the issue if you are running a cat?

 

[firefighterjake]

What is the issue if you are running a cat?

From what I remember some folks have voiced concern that the metals may react to the cat.

 

[WellSeasoned]

Non cat here, I use them all the time and never bother to take the nails out. I run a strong magnet around my ash pail (galvanized) and it picks them all out. Be well

 

[barn burner]

Same here, non cat burner and I burnt quite a bit last year. I even took some of the slats and power nailed them together to make a "pallet brick". That worked really well. Don't load your stove up with them cause they burn fierce!

 

[bogydave]

Catalytic's can be damaged by certain metals & spilled chemicals that may be in the wood.
Non cats can burn about anything but you can release some hazardous chemicals in the air from some pallets.
Most pallet nails are treated, not just steel .

 

[fossil]

...Question is what damage will a staple or nail cause if i missed it?

I'd say the biggest potential for damage from them would depend on just how you process/dispose of the ashes from your stove. Rick

 

[NordicSplitter]

Pallet wood is awesome. That's all I burned last Fall was pallets.

 

[ScotO]

Like BogyDave said, the main concern for someone who intends to burn pallet or scrap wood in a CAT stove is the chemicals in the wood, along with the coating on the nails. Most commercial gun staples are zinc coated, as are the nails. Zinc can wreak havoc on the CAT. Not to mention if that skid had some kind of chemical spilled on it (or if it is treated with some kind of chemical or sealer) that can be bad for your CAT also.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Just one more reason I really don't like pallets. There are a few exceptions (I got a few from Pallet Pete) but mostly they are an eyesore and I don't want the stuff in my stove for sure.

 

[NYLife]

Why

Well if you spread the ash down on your driveway like I do, Murphy's Law will kick in and that one nail will find its way into that brand new tire or tires you just put on your truck.

Otherwise, most folks running stoves without cats say there should be no issues.

why do u put it on your driveway

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I'll beat Jake to the punch. He puts it in his driveway because wood ashes make for some good traction plus they help to melt the snow and ice. Many carry some in the trunk of their car in case they get stuck in winter. I prefer sand though. If nothing else, remember that dirty snow melts faster than clean snow.

 

[bogydave]

He puts it in his driveway because wood ashes make for some good traction plus they help to melt the snow and ice.

+1

remember that dirty snow melts faster than clean snow.

So does 'Yellow snow"

 

[WellSeasoned]

+1



So does 'Yellow snow"

When you eat it?

 

[firefighterjake]

I'll beat Jake to the punch. He puts it in his driveway because wood ashes make for some good traction plus they help to melt the snow and ice. Many carry some in the trunk of their car in case they get stuck in winter. I prefer sand though. If nothing else, remember that dirty snow melts faster than clean snow.

Yup . . . what he said. Melting the snow and ice as I do have a slight grade to my driveway and my Honda Accord sometimes has "issues" on the "hill" (and it really isn't even much of a hill) . . . the traction also helps a lot . . . plus I figure it's as good a place as any to dump my ash rather than have a large pile in the woods or putting too much on the garden. Since our boots come off in the mudroom tracking in ash has never been an issue.