Pallets. Old Wood Pallets. Whoodathunkit?
#1
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#2
The problem is that it is a soft poplar wood that rots easily. Indoors is another story , but outside ? The whole thing would need to be covered with exterior oil base paint or varathane as well as sealed joints. Its not worth the effort.
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#3
I thought some of the inside stuff was fabulous...I liked the bed and the tables.

Remember:

[Image: reduce-reuse-recycle-1.jpg]
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#4
Cottonwood grows fast , it was a main staple for pioneers and the NA. It has it's uses and fine stuff is even used for violins. However when it comes to salvaging lumber I would lean towards collecting Tree service stuff if they don't mill it themselves or simply home owners who cut down a tree themselves. So much usable hardwood is wasted and trust me , collecting and reusing lumber is messy unless you burn a lot of it..
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#5
I have about six thousand board feet drying, here and there. And, six cords waiting to go up in smoke. And a nice piece of ebony that's good for at least twenty fingerboards. But, for a small shelter, I'd go with the earth filled pastic bags.
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#6
It's pretty neat what those people made from pallets. Not so surprising though when you consider that it is in fact lumber and it's free. I think most people would rather buy lumber in longer lengths unless of course they don't mind spending all the extra time it takes to use such short pieces of wood.

As far as the reuse reduce recycle concept most of the pallets in this valley are burned to generate electricity so it's not like they are really going to waste.
But what bothers me is that Biomass is often a dumping place for much better lumber that these old pallets. They don't offer to sell it or anything so when you drive by it's sad to see so much good lumber being wasted.
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#7
(10-14-2011, 08:42 PM)Yeshuah Hamashiach Wrote: Cottonwood grows fast , it was a main staple for pioneers and the NA. It has it's uses and fine stuff is even used for violins. However when it comes to salvaging lumber I would lean towards collecting Tree service stuff if they don't mill it themselves or simply home owners who cut down a tree themselves. So much usable hardwood is wasted and trust me , collecting and reusing lumber is messy unless you burn a lot of it..

I don't think any of these pallets are cottonwood. What makes you think so? Cottonwood is a slang name for poplars. They are indeed a fast growing tree. I have at least 50 or more and I have planted almost all of them by sticking a branch in to the ground.

As far as I know they aren't so great for lumber and not the best firewood either.
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#8
Most standard pallets are made from hardwood slats, (usually oak), and Doug fir runners.
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#9
(10-15-2011, 10:25 AM)tvguy Wrote:
(10-14-2011, 08:42 PM)Yeshuah Hamashiach Wrote: Cottonwood grows fast , it was a main staple for pioneers and the NA. It has it's uses and fine stuff is even used for violins. However when it comes to salvaging lumber I would lean towards collecting Tree service stuff if they don't mill it themselves or simply home owners who cut down a tree themselves. So much usable hardwood is wasted and trust me , collecting and reusing lumber is messy unless you burn a lot of it..

I don't think any of these pallets are cottonwood. What makes you think so? Cottonwood is a slang name for poplars. They are indeed a fast growing tree. I have at least 50 or more and I have planted almost all of them by sticking a branch in to the ground.

As far as I know they aren't so great for lumber and not the best firewood either.
I read somewhere pallets where made from cottonwood. There are a number of poplars , one of them at least is very oily and smelly . Fremonts on the other hand are white wooded and stink and oil free. I skinned some branches and a few of them have molded quite quickly. Apparently they were used for all kinds of stuff including fixing wagon wheels as it is very strong stuff. Unlike cedar these branches I have drying are taking a long time to do so. I will let you know how they turn out .

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#10
(10-15-2011, 10:29 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote: Most standard pallets are made from hardwood slats, (usually oak), and Doug fir runners.

See, this is why I'm here. Sucking up knowledge wherever it may be. Laughing

[Image: Man-on-Hoover-Vacuum.jpg]
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#11
(10-15-2011, 10:25 AM)tvguy Wrote: Cottonwood is a slang name for poplars.

That's not really true. While Cottonwoods are a member of the Populus family, they are distinguished by the cottony fluff that surrounds their seeds. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populus_sect._Aegiros

(10-15-2011, 10:25 AM)tvguy Wrote: As far as I know they aren't so great for lumber and not the best firewood either.

Further from Wikipedia: "Cottonwoods are widely grown for timber production along wet river banks, where their exceptional growth rate provides a large crop of wood within just 10–30 years. The wood is coarse and of fairly low value, used for pallet boxes, shipping crates and similar purposes where a cheap but strong enough wood is suitable. They are also widely grown as screens and shelterbelts. Many of the cottonwoods grown commercially are the hybrid of eastern cottonwood and black poplar, Populus × canadensis (hybrid black poplar or Carolina poplar). In the West, a variant known as hybrid cottonwood is also grown.[1]

...Cottonwood is one of the poorest wood fuels; it does not dry well, and rots quickly. It splits poorly, because it is very fibrous. It produces a low level of BTUs per cord of wood.[2]"
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#12
You have top dig deeper than wiki for the whole story .
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#13
(10-15-2011, 10:49 AM)PonderThis Wrote:
(10-15-2011, 10:25 AM)tvguy Wrote: Cottonwood is a slang name for poplars.

That's not really true. While Cottonwoods are a member of the Populus family, they are distinguished by the cottony fluff that surrounds their seeds. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populus_sect._Aegiros

Yes you are right Ponder but a great many people I know call poplar trees cotton woods. It's very common in southern Oregon. And yes real cottonwoods put our zillions of the cottony fluff, my neighbor has them.
My point was and is that so many people call them BOTH cottonwoods




(10-15-2011, 10:25 AM)tvguy Wrote: As far as I know they aren't so great for lumber and not the best firewood either.

Further from Wikipedia: "Cottonwoods are widely grown for timber production along wet river banks, where their exceptional growth rate provides a large crop of wood within just 10–30 years. The wood is coarse and of fairly low value, used for pallet boxes, shipping crates and similar purposes where a cheap but strong enough wood is suitable. They are also widely grown as screens and shelterbelts. Many of the cottonwoods grown commercially are the hybrid of eastern cottonwood and black poplar, Populus × canadensis (hybrid black poplar or Carolina poplar). In the West, a variant known as hybrid cottonwood is also grown.[1]

...Cottonwood is one of the poorest wood fuels; it does not dry well, and rots quickly. It splits poorly, because it is very fibrous. It produces a low level of BTUs per cord of wood.[2]"

The rest you posted is pretty much what i said isn't it?
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#14
Well, nonetheless, I love the concept of taking old wood pallets and making something usuable and aesthetically pleasing. Big Grin

Can you imagine if we were all stranded on an island someplace?
Our shelter would be built by the wimmens, 'cause the menfolk would be standing around arguing over the best ways and best materials to use! Laughing
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#15
(10-15-2011, 10:29 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote: Most standard pallets are made from hardwood slats, (usually oak), and Doug fir runners.

Exactly sometimes red oak, it just depends. many years ago you could go to a timber products place where they gave away long pallets. It was off Sage road near the railroad tracks.
This is where a lot of us firewood cutters would get pallets to make truck racks. The wood was teak wood from south America. or so i was told. It was very tough and durable and too hard to even drive a nail in to.
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#16
(10-15-2011, 11:33 AM)Crone Wrote: Well, nonetheless, I love the concept of taking old wood pallets and making something usuable and aesthetically pleasing. Big Grin

Me too CroneBig Grin
Can you imagine if we were all stranded on an island someplace?
Our shelter would be built by the wimmens, 'cause the menfolk would be standing around arguing over the best ways and best materials to use! Laughing

I used to watch the show survivor. What you described didn't happen. It seemed to me most of the wimmins laid around whiningLaughing Actually the younger ones. There was a couple energetic and motivated older ones.





Did you know that most likely what ever deserted island you found yourself on would be littered with trash? tons and tons of it.
Very ugly but quite nice to utilize for cordage or plastic containers. Or even metal ones to boil water or to cook with.
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#17
Whatever...

I thought the really interesting thing here was what some very inventive folks did with materials otherwise burned or left to rot.
What kind of wood is used sounds like fodder for another time.
I think this is an example that will prove more valuable as our economy continues to suffer.
I'm thinking of chopping up some of the wife's furniture to see what clever thinks I can make.
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#18
Just a little FYI... there is a huge marketplace for old pallets and stuff like that. It's called biomass and business is soaring in that industry. The company that I work for has purchased 14 trucks in the last 8 months just for the purpose of hauling that stuff.

P.S. (P.S. stands for Personal Stab... at Wonk) Of course, if we were unionized... we would never be able to compete with the other companies hauling that product and the owners would not have invested in that equipment or hired those extra drivers... but that's for another topic Wink In fact, if the entire biomass industry was unionized from the woods to the mill... the industry would have a lot less chance of being viable.
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#19
(10-16-2011, 08:33 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote: Just a little FYI... there is a huge marketplace for old pallets and stuff like that. It's called biomass and business is soaring in that industry. The company that I work for has purchased 14 trucks in the last 8 months just for the purpose of hauling that stuff.

P.S. (P.S. stands for Personal Stab... at Wonk) Of course, if we were unionized... we would never be able to compete with the other companies hauling that product and the owners would not have invested in that equipment or hired those extra drivers... but that's for another topic Wink In fact, if the entire biomass industry was unionized from the woods to the mill... the industry would have a lot less chance of being viable.

I already spoke of Biomass in the 6th post of this thread. Like it said it is indeed recycling but a marketplace? They charge ME if I bring them a load of wood:wacko:



As far as not being able to compete if you were union why has my electrical contracting company been able to successfully compete with non union companies for the past 25 years?

Maybe what you are saying is that a company that pays well, treats their employees fairly and has the proper and safe equipment can't compete with your companyLaughingLaughing

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#20
(10-16-2011, 02:11 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(10-16-2011, 08:33 AM)GoCometsGo Wrote: Just a little FYI... there is a huge marketplace for old pallets and stuff like that. It's called biomass and business is soaring in that industry. The company that I work for has purchased 14 trucks in the last 8 months just for the purpose of hauling that stuff.

P.S. (P.S. stands for Personal Stab... at Wonk) Of course, if we were unionized... we would never be able to compete with the other companies hauling that product and the owners would not have invested in that equipment or hired those extra drivers... but that's for another topic Wink In fact, if the entire biomass industry was unionized from the woods to the mill... the industry would have a lot less chance of being viable.

I already spoke of Biomass in the 6th post of this thread. Like it said it is indeed recycling but a marketplace? They charge ME if I bring them a load of wood:wacko:



As far as not being able to compete if you were union why has my electrical contracting company been able to successfully compete with non union companies for the past 25 years?

Maybe what you are saying is that a company that pays well, treats their employees fairly and has the proper and safe equipment can't compete with your companyLaughingLaughing

We seem to be doing fine.

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