Danny Darke - Wood Pallet Workshop: 20 DIY Projects that Turn Forgotten Wood into Stylish Home Furnishings

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. Cover design by Jane Sheppard Cover photo credit: Danny Darke Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-0527-2 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-0528-9 Printed in China Dedication To my parents, who gave me a sense of humor; my sisters, who are so jealous right now; my extended family (I cant name everyone, just Joey); Hannah, whose mistakes I learned from; Monica, for letting me write a book; and finally to Chris and Frankie, who mean so much to me that I cannot express it here. CONTENTS Introduction Part of the charm in working with pallets is that they are imperfect. After being used and reused, all boards are not necessarily created equal, thereby giving you, the designer, freedom to create outside the bounds of perfection.

Pallet projects usually have a personalized, non-conforming look to them, in a word: unique. Wood pallets give people of any skill level the opportunity to transform unused and unwanted materials into something of value, artistic or practical. Reinventing an old pallet is a great way to recycle unwanted material that would otherwise be thrown away or go to waste, so youre helping the environment while also being savvy by not spending too much (or any) money. I have been creating projects from pallets for years, and when people walk into my home and ask, Where did that come from? theyre shocked to find out that I made it! Before you get started, there are a couple of things you should know that will make your life easier. In this book, you will learn simple ways to use pallets to create a variety of items, from basic shelves and serving trays to larger furniture, such as an industrial-style coffee table and a rustic headboard. With upcycling old furniture, one would usually have to scavenge weekly garbage routes hoping to find the right item or pay for it at a yard sale or online, but pallets are free, consistently available, and come in different shapes and sizes, allowing anyone to pick one out and imagine it as something else, regardless of skill level.

I always try to create in the simplest, least expensive way possible while still making quality pieces that will last. All of the projects shown can be made with common tools that you likely have or can easily access. PALLET BACKGROUND Variations of Pallets Pallets come in a variety of forms. Since I mostly gather pallets wherever I can get them, I never know which ones Ill find. The first thing I look for in a pallet is one that isnt warped and has lots of deck boards or slats. The more boards that match from a single pallet, the better they are for making furniture.

The two most common types that I come across are stringer and block pallets. Stringer Pallets A stringer design is a pallet that has stringers, or long pieces of wood, that run the length of the pallet and sit in between the top deck boards and the bottom deck boards. Stringers are often preferable over block pallets because they are lighter and easier to dismantle. Cutting a deck board off a block is not my favorite part of my day. That being said, they definitely have their place: block pallets are generally stronger and the boards are less likely to be damaged. Block Pallets A block design is a pallet that has a thick rectangular or square block that creates space between the top and bottom deck boards.

There are usually four blocks, one in each corner as well as one spaced between each corner for a total of eight. I say usually because I have seen all kinds of shapes and sizes in pallets. This is because there are also recycled pallets that have been either repaired for further use or manufactured out of recycled materials so you never know what kind of monstrosities you could find with one of those. Wing Pallets Another type of pallet you may come across fairly often is a wing pallet. They are similar to a stringer with the most noticeable difference being that the deck boards extend longer past the stringer board giving it a winged look. They are delightful and I use them all the time.

Boarded Pallets The close-boarded pallet can have stringer boards or blocks between deck boards. They can be extremely heavy but make the best coffee tables, benches, and desks because they are smooth, sturdy, and usually even, giving you a leg up when building a piece of furniture that you need to be flush. Other pallets that make appearances are plywood pallets, skids, hybrids, and a form of stringer pallets. These stringer pallets have boards placed right next to each other with no space between, and I will refer to them as close-boarded pallets. Plywood pallets haveyou guessed ita piece of plywood in place of deck boards either on one or both sides. I find these pallets to be weird and they are usually terribly warped or moldy by the time they get to me, so I rarely grab them.

A skid is a mix between a close-boarded pallet and a wing pallet but with no bottom deck boards. This is the type my business is named after yet I rarely come across them. Hybrids are pallets that subscribe to no particular form or shape and are created out of necessity or possibly by missing pieces into odd shapes or wood combinations. The term hybrid is used in a range of ways in connection to pallets, but I am using it to describe a pallet that does not easily fit into previously mentioned categories. These pallets are extremely useful although unreliable to find as you never know what to expect. Many times I have designed an item around a hybrid pallet that I found and inspired me to think in a new direction.

As an example, the pallet I found for the coffee table is similar to a block or close-boarded pallet, but it only has four blocks and no bottom deck boards, so I would call it a hybrid. When I saw it, I instantly pictured a stout table. Another gem I found was the top of the pallet bar included in this book. It could have previously looked much different but as it was found, was perfect for my project. It may be a good idea to look for pallets first from time to time before settling on a design because you never know what you might find. Hopefully this information will help steer you in the right direction when picking which pallets to take home.

On a bad day, I find myself dismantling four different pallets just to get enough good pieces to build one shelf. It is so much easier to pick the right pallets to begin with! Treated Pallets vs. Untreated Pallets Realistically, there is no sure way to be certain that the pallet you are working with is safe outside of going directly to the manufacturer and getting one fresh out of the oven. Any one who is picking up used pallets will not know exactly where and what such a pallet has been exposed to. Even if the person who provides you their leftover materials tells you where they come from and what they are used foryou are still just taking their word for it. However do not let this news discourage you.