How to Use Wooden Pallets for Building

For the do-it-yourself consumer, pallets can mean free wood to build a number of different items for use in the home. With the wood from two pallets that measure 24 inches by 30 inches, you can build a nice coffee table. This requires dismantling the pallets first, but with a good claw hammer or pry bar dismantling a pallet only takes a short time. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

Dismantle and Glue the Top

1

Dismantle the pallets with the hammer or pry bar and dispose of the nails in a safe place. Each pallet should have three pieces that measure 4 inches by 4 inches by 30 inches and nine or 10 pieces that measure 1 inch by 4 inches by 30 inches.

2

Place one of the 1-by-4-by-30 boards in a bench vise so one of the 1-by-30-inch edges is facing up. Plane that edge with the hand plane to create a straight edge. Turn the piece over and plane the other edge as well. Repeat this with all of the 1-by-4s to give you pieces that can be glued together for the tabletop.

3

Choose five or six of the planed pieces for the tabletop. The goal is to glue enough pieces together to create a width of 16 or more inches. Lay the pieces together with the better side facing down. Apply glue to the 30-inch edges and clamp the pieces together with the bar clamps. Keep the ends as even as possible.

4




The fence on a table saw helps keep the cut straight.

Cut the legs from one of the 4-by-4-by-30 pieces. Set the fence of the table saw so there are 1 1/2 inches between it and the blade. The fence is a long, straight piece that is parallel to the saw that ensures straight cuts. To adjust it, move the handle along the scale to the measurement you want and then lock it in place.

5

Set the height of the blade at 1 3/4 inches. The height of the blade is adjusted by either a knob or a hand crank. Set one of the 30-inch sides against the fence and cut the 4-by-4 lengthwise. Because the blade cannot be raised high enough to cut through the thickness of the 4-by-4, turn it over and place the same 30-inch side against the fence and cut it again to complete the cut. This gives you one piece measuring 1 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches by 30 inches.

6

Lower the height of the blade to 1 3/4 inches and keep the fence at 1 1/2 inches. Cut the piece lengthwise. The resulting two pieces should measure 1 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches by 30 inches. From these two pieces, cut four pieces that measure 14 inches long.

7

Set the fence of the table saw so there are 2 inches between it and the blade. Set the height of the blade to 1 inch. Cut three of the remaining 1-by-4s lengthwise. These are for the apron of the table.

Cut and Assemble the Parts

8

Remove the bar clamps from Section 1, Step 3, and turn the wood over. Measure from one corner of the tabletop and make a mark at 1 inch on one of the 30-inch sides. Place the framing square on the mark and draw a line across the tabletop.

9

Cut the line with a circular saw. Measure from the end just cut, make a mark at 28 inches and draw a line across the wood as before. Cut it with the circular saw. Set the fence of the table saw so there are 14-inches between it and the blade. Put one 28-inch side against the fence and cut the tabletop lengthwise. This results in a tabletop 28 inches long and 14 inches wide.

10

Take two of the four pieces that were cut in Section 1, Step 6, and cut them with an electric miter saw so they measure 10 1/2 inches long. Cut the other two pieces so they measure 26 inches long. Stand the four pieces on their long edges with the 10 1/2-inch pieces between the 26-inch pieces to form a rectangle. Apply glue to the ends of the 10 1/2-inch pieces and secure them between the 26-inch pieces with the finish nails to create a rectangular frame measuring 12 inches by 26 inches. This is the apron for the table.

11

Drill two holes with the 3/16-inch drill bit all the way through the 2-inch width of the apron. Place the holes 2 inches from the corners and in the center of the 3/4-inch edges of the two 26-inch apron pieces. Set the apron on the bottom of the tabletop so there is 1 inch from the apron to the tabletop's edges. Secure the apron to the top with the 2 1/2-inch drywall screws.

12

Stand the legs in the corners of the apron and mark the center of the legs on all four pieces of the apron. Drill a pilot hole through the apron on the marks with the 3/16-inch drill bit. A pilot hole is a smaller hole than the size of the screw to be used; its purpose is to keep the wood from splitting when the screw is put in. Apply glue to the area of the leg that meets the apron and secure the legs to the apron with the 1 1/4-inch drywall screws.