How to Take Apart a Pallet
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Projects involving pallets seem to be everywhere these days. And why not? Pallets are free, have a great rustic look, and can be used in many different ways. Well, the first time we fished a pallet out of the trash, we realized we had no idea how to take it apart. After some research, we found that a sawzall, or reciprocating saw would do the trick! We bought one and found out it is the perfect tool for this task! We made a video to show you how this process works.
Watch the video
Materials:
- Pallet (these can be found behind businesses, by dumpsters. Craigslist is a great way to find them)
- DeWalt Sawzall
- 12" Blade
- Gloves, eye & ear & feet protection
Make sure you read the manufacture's instructions before you get started. Once you have all your safety gear on, hold the tool steady and let it do the work.
The long blade really helps when getting into the middle sections.
Once you're done, a steel bristle brush works well to clean any dirt off the pallet slats.
Pallets are a neat material to work with, but just note, that most pallet wood is not straight and level. There are tools that will help take care of that but they are pricey and kind of defeat the purpose of free wood. When we use pallet wood in a project, we embrace the imperfections!
Comments
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Great tutorial. I also have a hand held metal detector to locate nails and any embedded metal. Use a bear claw nail remover to get at the nails.
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Love the work. Have been thinking about using pallet wood to cover an accent wall in my basement TV room. How can you be sure the pallet hasn't been contaminated with harmful chemicals?
- See 2 previous
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It means Heat Treated rather than chemical treated. We only use HT marked pallets.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
So, does the saw just cut through the nails?