Pallets dining table ideas?

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Does anyone have an idea for building your own dining room table, I've got about 20 pallets here waiting for a project.
 
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Hi and welcome.

I wouldn't have thought that the wood used for making pallets would be the right material for making a dining room table.
I think that would be taking "Shabby Chic" to extremes.
But the slats are ideal to use as shuttering if you're making a concrete path.
 
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Hi,

Welcome to the forum. :)


It's amazing what can be made from pallets or even offcuts of timber; first job will be to pull the pallets apart and there are YouTube videos showing how to go about it; bear in mind pallets are usually assembled using ring shank nails which are designed not to come out without a fight.

Here in the UK a word of warning concerning blue pallets that are often seen; if these are CHEP pallets then its illegal to use them for personal projects they are entirely owned by CHEP; I was in charge of the timber department at work and we made all kinds of pallets; crates and packing cases. Here's a CHEP example;

http://warehousenews.co.uk/2008/06/prison-sentences-handed-out-for-illegal-trading-in-chep-pallets/

Pallets come in many sizes and in assorted timbers; I've had hardwood pallets in fact we've got a bookcase I made from an hardwood pallet.

Nails are the real pain because many snap rather than be pulled out meaning tool damage if they are missed; the standard pallet timber is rather thin to allow planing so a random orbital sander with a coarse grit makes short work of smoothing.

If the pallets are wet or damp just strip them and store the timber under cover allowing air to circulate before use.

Please keep us informed because such projects are highly interesting.

Kind regards, Colin.
 
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Each to their own, but to me they don't look attractive. I wouldn't give one house room. I guess they're a talking point, but the novelty could wear off quite quickly. I'd rather buy a good solid wood table from e-Bay or a second-hand furniture store and spend a few quid renovating it.
 
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Hi,

As you say Doghouse each to their own. Tastes and circumstances come into it; how many actually love IKEA furniture; I wouldn't have such furniture in our bungalow.

We generally take it for granted that we can pick up all kinds of furniture very cheaply here in the UK including even free furniture but perhaps this isn't the case all around the world and I'd rather have a table made of pallet timber than no table. I would never have a table made of pallets but I don't need to.

Good luck Ms Do it her self; if this is what you want to do; it's better than watching TV and hopefully leads you onto more projects. :)

Below is a picture of a bookcase I made many years ago when we had very little money indeed; it's made of Meranti offcuts but the shelves are pallet timber from a heavy duty pallet these being lightly planed; sanded then the entire bookcase stained and finished in matt polyurethane varnish; who would know part of it was rough pallet timber.

If the location is South Africa then hardwood is used there for things like pallets?

Kind regards, Colin.

Pallet timber_0001.JPG
 
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I think pallet furniture is great. What you can do depends on your carpentry skills though. You can always cover the top with safety glass or perspex to provide a secure top. I have seen a few examples in bars where a central channel is used as an ice bucket or filled with gravel and cactus plants or used for salt and pepper etc. You can also create nice effects by applying logo rand type finishes to the wood or colouring each plank with a different coloured wood stain. Just make sure to give the wood a really good sand first as pallets are usually very rough. You should also seal the finished table with varnish or similar to prevent stains.
 
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I'd be interested to know if anyone has found any pallets where the wood is actually usable.
In industry non-returnable pallets are only made strong enough to support the goods they carry and survive being loaded and unloaded.
They are constructed of wood from "sustainable sources." i.e. fast growing low density soft wood.
In my experience the only pallets that were usable were "sugar pallets." Those on which a ton of sugar was delivered to stores.
I used some of them to support my home made koi pool filter, which was made from four 40 gallon water tanks.
 

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