Suggestions on flattening out Pallet wood

[durango dude]

I work on a budget - so one of my primary sources of wood, right now - is wooden pallets.

Pallets usually contain 2-3 2x4s --- along with a bunch of 1x6 boards.

I own a BT3000 as well as a recovered Delta/Rockwell 4" jointer.

I have no problem cleaning up the 2x4s on the jointer. I straighten them out, then re-saw them into 2x2s - and use them for legs (I like making tables). The only challenge I face with the 2x4s is nails. I spend a lot of time making sure I remove all the nails, so I don't mess up the jointer blades.

My bigger problem is the 1x6 boards. They're usually not flat! I just figured this out when I ran a bunch of boards through the jointer - and came up with square edges - but not square against the curve of the board --- not square with a resting surface. The boards are too big for my jointer.

Any suggestions for a good method of working with these boards?

They're only an inch thick - and they're curved (arc running along the 6" length). Suspect I'd lose about 1/2" if I ran them through a friend's planer.

[JimD]

The planer will not flatten them but it would clean them up. A jointer is the "right" way to flatten a face and joint an edge. For some things, you can leave them unflat and either make them less wide to eliminate or reduce the lack of flatness or glue them to another board so that the resultant piece is at least closer to flat.

Jim

[10sCoachRick]

Hah! I spent a few weeks as a fifteen year old 'sorting' stock in a pallet shop. I couldn't believe some of the junk boards we used for pallets(depending on the grade of pallet ordered, of course). The only thing keeping some of the 1x3,4, 6 boards 'flat' was nailing them in place!

Ah, the good old days! Bought my first real tennis racket with the money I earned one week. Back then, K Mart had an 'out vendor' sporting goods dept and I bought the same racket Pancho Gonzales used. I thought I was SOMEthing!

At that time, K Mart and Sears were fighting for #1 retailer position, with JC Penny in third place. What a difference 4 decades can make!!

[pelligrini]

You could carefully rip on your saw to fit on your jointer. You won't loose as much thickness that way, but you'll end up with narrower boards.

My jointer is fairly short and only 6" wide. I'll flatten wider boards with my handplanes.

[dbhost]

You can flatten a board with a planer using a planer sled. (Search Youtube for "The Jointer's Jumpin". It's The Wood Whisperer #6, unfortunately many of Marc's old videos don't display on his site after his major overhaul a few months ago, but the stuff he posted to Youtube comes up...

I have a 6" bench top jointer, and that is the process I have used previously...

[scmhogg]

I'm afraid the only real solution to your wild boards, is to cut them into shorter lengths. You will have to plane away 1/2 the thickness you would lose on the full length, if you cut it in half.

Steve

[LCHIEN]

there's just so much you can do with junk wood - GIGO you know.
There's been some ways to get better wood at little or no cost.
Craigs list , keep scanning for bargains until you find someone parting with wood for near nothing to make room in his garage.

Or try freecycle.com (Was there another similar site that lists stuff people want to give away?)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Lumber/

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...ight=freecycle

Go to cabinet shops and ask for cutoffs.

search google for free lumber

Lumber liquidators used to sell a pallet of pallet pieces, offcuts and ends of hardwood for $50 or 99. At least the scrapped pallets were made of hardwoods, because hardwood flooring companies used scrap wood from floor making to make pallets, their scrap is a lot better than the pallets you get from run of the mill shippers.

Also firms importing a lot of foreign items often have better pallets (made from better woods) than those used domestically.

Dumpster dive in demolition projects

[JimD]

You do not mention where you live but you should try to find local sources of wood. You might be surprised at the prices. Especially if you can buy green and wait for it to dry. NC woodworder is a website open to people who live within one state of NC (or in NC). I've repeatedly purchased wood at about half the price of the local dealer. Their group buys are an even better deal but I have very limited storage space so I haven't participated. I've purchased #1 cherry for $2.50/bd ft. I've seen prices around $1/bd ft. Worth looking to see if there is something like this in your area.

Jim

[eezlock]

pallet wood?

You might want to check local cabinet shops, or other woodworking shops in your area. Ask them if they have any scraps they don't need or are willing to
throw out....you may be surprised at what you will get. These shops usually have to pay for a large dumpster to haul off the throw aways, and the less they
haul away the more money they make.

Another source of good pieces of what I call this material is "small project material". Let these people know that you are only interested in odd pieces
of material for your own use...hobby and craft stuff...they will probably give you
more than you can haul away. I pick up all kinds and types of lumber...doesn't matter what kind....it all can be used somewhere! Check with new building sites,
demolition areas, people who build crates for international shipping of parts and machines....sometimes some good material there for free! Hope this helps...it is what I do every chance I get. If it is free...it is for me!

[jackellis]

I second Craigslist. I've got more lumber than I could ever use and paid well below the prevailing retail prices out here for most of it.