major pallet score!

chewie · #1 05/31/12, 10:31 PM

have no money, so thought I'd start collecting pallets to build like this...

but wow, even for a small fenceline, that is a lot of pallets. thought i'd have to use some posts. but nope, my fav feed store (the one who worked hard to get my goat's feed) saved 50 of them for me this month alone!!! many are even oak!

so now I can enlarge my goats' pen for nothing more than work and a few boxes of screws.

so, now that I have them, a couple questions....some are super heavy, oak and/or better built in general. some are a bit lighter and cheaper wood. as the vid shows, some go long ways, some are braces. does it matter which pallets for which direction?

and suggestion of type of screws? I have a cordless drill thankfully!

CesumPec · #2 06/01/12, 02:36 AM

I've seen that vid before and love the idea. Just realize that you're going to be replacing those pallets every 5 - 7 years or so. The oak might last longer than the sycamore, gum, and other junk wood pallets.

You'll do better in Dakota than I would in Florida. I probably wouldn't get but 3 years use from them. Based on the limited life, the only suggestion I can make on joining them is to use something cheap.

willow_girl · #3 06/01/12, 06:47 AM

Yeah, you may need to take out a second mortgage to buy those screws! Last time I picked up a box, I nearly had a heart attack.

foxtrapper · #4 06/01/12, 07:27 AM

I'd suggest wiring them together instead of using screws.

ronbre · #5 06/01/12, 08:14 AM

i framed in a 12 x 16 shed in our back yard with 7 1/2 foot long oak pallets, screwed together as nails wouldn't go in, wood was too hard..covered with t 1 11 siding, and it is perfect..been up for a very long time..solid as a rock. It is by the apple tree in our photos on the blog below

ronbre · #6 06/01/12, 08:19 AM

duplicate

Glacialtill · #7 06/01/12, 08:36 AM

Cool video.

I'd use some sort of coated self-tapping decking screw. Ceramic or galvanized. These would be good for the life of the pallet at least and could probably be reused in the future. Kinda pricey, yes, but you get what you pay for.

fishhead · #8 06/01/12, 08:48 AM

Nails are much cheaper and if you don't plan on moving the fence it shouldn't matter. Maybe use your cordless to drill pilot holes.

meanwhile · #9 06/01/12, 09:34 AM

We used wire and string to hook pallets together to make a compost bin once and also a play house in the woods. To make the pallets last longer, set another piece of wood under the "feet" area. We had old short pieces of treated wood but any wood under it will help it last longer. Or if you have pieces of flat rock or broken cement block pieces. Anything to help keep the pallet off the ground.

Good luck!

SquashNut · #10 06/01/12, 05:17 PM

plastic bailing twine?

ronbre · #11 06/02/12, 09:31 AM

http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden...years-ago.html

here is a link to two photos of our shed that we made with pallets..We tried nails but they wouldn't work as the oak was toooooo hard..so we used coated deck screws, and it has stood the test of time..We use it regularly, 1/2 stores a lot of our outdoor equipment and tools, the other half other stuff.

chewie · #12 06/02/12, 09:58 AM

gotcha, will look for those coated ones. nails are out, that part I was pretty sure. and yeah, it might need replaced in 5 years, but in that time maybe I can afford 'real' fencing! in the meantime, i'll have my does out on browse that I can't use right now, paying for hay on top of it. blah.

frankva · #13 06/02/12, 10:17 AM

The kind that have a "star" bit in the box are much better than phillips head. imo

shdybrady · #14 06/02/12, 10:52 AM

I would suggest painting the wood with motor oil or at least take a piece of board and put it under the pallet. That way it minimalizes the contact to the ground

ronbre · #15 06/02/12, 03:41 PM

i disagree about the star bits, I hate them, I always try to find the good deckmate phillips style ones rather than star bits..they tend to strip out with removing ..and we use screw so they can be removed for repairs..etc.

Belfrybat · #16 06/02/12, 03:59 PM

I saw this video when it was first posted and thought "wow" -- when I lived in the country I could have used an idea like that. If I were to make this fence, I'd use the heavy/ sturdier ones for the linear fence and the lighter ones for the cross pieces (bracing). I might also try to hook two of the linear pallets together (maybe 1' wide scrap pieces of plywood on the face side) to minimize the number of cross bracing pieces. That would cut your pallet needs by about a fourth. And for smaller animals it should still be sturdy enough.

Good job on your score of free pallets. They are getting harder to find.

barnyardgal · #17 06/02/12, 08:45 PM

I got some free pallets at the lumber company & used part of it to make a rabbit hutch & others to make another compost pile....LOVE my free pallets....and i used screws-although pricey,it can always be taken apart in the future if needed~~

JohnP · #18 06/02/12, 08:55 PM

Square head screws AKA robertson head like used in mobile homes and campers/RVs etc. Definitely need to drill pilot holes. Just barely smaller than the thread size. Not the same as the shank size like you would with softer wood.

Riverdale · #19 06/03/12, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxtrapper

I'd suggest wiring them together instead of using screws.

And by using wire to secure them together, you can do other than square/ right angle pens. And you don't need a cordless or extension cords, just a pair of wire cutters

Wozzy · #20 06/03/12, 08:46 AM

Ha! I was just on a webpage of pallet projects and saw your post. Take a peek:
Pallet Projects...