# Pallet wood for projects?



## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

While it may be a bit longer before my shop is up and running, I am still thinking about things to do in it once finished. In a recent topic on where to acquire wood for projects someone mentioned using wood from shipping pallets. I started to think this might be a good way to get wood for me to practice on while learning things like cutting dove tails and other joinery without wasting good wood. I have a place near work that puts them out for free. Anyone use these for certain projects or have any projects that might be good for such wood? Should I avoid this idea completely?


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## cellophane (Oct 6, 2009)

The wood itself is usually decent wood, although it will have a lot of knots in it. The nails they use are next to impossible to get out in my experience, so your 2x stock will be limited to areas without nails. The 1x pieces work fine with a little cleaning up as long as you don't mind nail holes. I've used the pieces I have for jigs and misc. framing around the garage when I need something quick. They pallets I have are pine so the wood is easy to work with, although depending on where I'm cutting it doesn't always cut cleanly with a chisel / plane.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Pallet wood can be good to practice on but sometimes it awfully hard wood.


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## lawrence (Nov 14, 2009)

I use alot of pallet wood for things like shadow boxes and small projects..this is completly pallet wood










and these drawer fronts are pallet wood


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## Warnock (Apr 4, 2011)

I too, have torn apart some pallets and used the wood for various things, from practice to the fireplace. Grab some and give it a go.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Make sure you get all the nails, staples, screws and other metal/stone things out before letting anything sharp get near it!


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## Joe Lyddon (Mar 13, 2007)

You're on the right track!

With a FREE source nearby, GO FOR IT! :yes:

It will take time to develop a technique using Dikes, etc. to *remove all of the nails.*.. After practicing on 2-3 pallets, taking them apart, *you will learn how to get the nails out of them without messing up the wood surfaces.*

Make sure you *get the wood clean of small sand, dirt, pebbles, etc. A good brushing with a strong wire brush works good for me... *... will mess up a planer really FAST! Saw blades can tolerate them a little but *they cause havoc on joiners & planers.*

As you have seen, good looking things can be made from them...

It beats paying good money for the wood...! :yes::yes::laughing::laughing:


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

If you want to get into pallet wood, I would suggest investing in something like this:
Amazon.com: Wizard Detectors 24902 Little Wizard II Metal Detector: Home Improvement

Cheaper than a router bit.:yes:


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## Manuka Jock (Jun 27, 2011)

Pallet wood and other recycled timber is often dented and scared .
With machining the these are often no longer visible , but when the finish is applied the dimples can swell out to become pimples.
Between planing and sanding I give the pieces a good wetting down and an overnight drying off to deal with the problem .


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## cellophane (Oct 6, 2009)

Joe Lyddon said:


> It will take time to develop a technique using Dikes, etc. to *remove all of the nails.*.. After practicing on 2-3 pallets, taking them apart, *you will learn how to get the nails out of them without messing up the wood surfaces.*


can you elaborate on that? I have a couple palletes in the garage that are still together and i'd rather keep the 2x's if I could.


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## Joe Lyddon (Mar 13, 2007)

I will try to elaborate on a way I get nails out...

Using a rubber mallet, lightly pound the wood strips away from the boards they're nailed to... to possibly loosen them so when you pound on the nail-Head side (not on the nail) wood, the nail heads end up sticking up a little. If you hit too hard, you may end up splitting the wood... so be careful & try to pound, balancing-out where you're hitting... to get the whole piece of wood breaking loose from the other board. If you can get all of the nails pulled from the nailed board, all you have to do is turn the wood over & pound-out the nails & removing them with a claw hammer with a piece of sheet metal placed to protect the wood...

If you can't get ALL of the nails out as above, but get the heads protruding a little... go on to next method...

I use a pair of Dikes and small sheet of stiff metal (scrap).
With the tips of the dikes, I wedge the tip just around the nail head...
Then, I place the metal sheet flat on the wood up fairly close to the nail and while maintaining a tight grip on the nail with the dikes, I first move the handles down forcing the tip to be tilted upward removing the nail... let-up on the grip & move the grip closer to the wood, gripping etc, until nail is out.

The metal sheet prevents the dikes from digging into the wood...

Sometimes, it works out better to Roll the dikes sideways 
... or to Lift the nail with the gripping point full into the dike's bite, and the metal sheet on the wood under the dike tip, then pulling the handle UP.

Key point is to keep the metal sheet between the dikes & the wood to stop big gouges from getting cut into the wood.

Sometimes a nail gets really stubborn and you to really have to dig in around it... messing-up the wood... but, that's the way mop flops.

I hope I have described it the way I do it so you can understand it... :yes:

For the most part, it beats a Claw Hammer doing it the old fashioned way. :laughing:


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

I've used pallet wood for a number of carving projects. Most of the pallets I've stripped are basswood. A few were cedar. But I've never really gotten any good, long pieces. The nail holes ruin it. But when carving you can often work around nail holes and no one is any the wiser. I carved a cool back scratcher for my son out of a basswood pallet rung.


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## cellophane (Oct 6, 2009)

Joe Lyddon said:


> I use a pair of Dikes and small sheet of stiff metal (scrap).
> With the tips of the dikes, I wedge the tip just around the nail head...
> 
> I hope I have described it the way I do it so you can understand it... :yes:


Almost - What are dikes? I'm guessing that is a terminology difference since I can't seem to find anything on the intertubes that relates to a tool other than pliers of various sorts.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

cellophane said:


> Almost - What are dikes? I'm guessing that is a terminology difference since I can't seem to find anything on the intertubes that relates to a tool other than pliers of various sorts.


 
Diagonal cutters. :smile:


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## lawrence (Nov 14, 2009)

reaming the nail holes out with a morticer and pounding in a square tapered peg will hide a hole in most softwoods fairly well


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

lawrence said:


> reaming the nail holes out with a morticer and pounding in a square tapered peg will hide a hole in most softwoods fairly well


Thank you for that; great idea.


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Ressurrecting an old thread, I picked up some pallets today at the place near my work that has them curbside. They must put out a hundred at a time. The pile was getting pretty picked through by the time I got to it. It has been about a week. Next time I will get oput there first thing. Anyway. I grabbed five. I was not really sure what I was looking for, just less damaged with bigger pieces. Anyone know what this wood looks to be? It is pretty thin on the tops and bottoms, but the pieces in the middle have some size. What are some things I could do with it?


































Thanks for looking


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## Joe Lyddon (Mar 13, 2007)

Looks like you got a pretty good haul!

Just guessing... some Fir & Pine... 

If a board is split a little, you can always put glue into the crack, work it in, & clamp it to get a good piece out of it.

A lot of what you're looking for has probably already been said...

Once cleaned & checked for metals, you can start cleaning them up on the jointer & planer. Cut clean & square ends.

Depending on what you want out of them...

You can fill nail holes... glue pieces together to get thicker pieces... 
if you want longer & thicker pieces, stagger the gluing, etc.

If you will be painting, you can do anything you want with them!!

Make your own custom lumber pieces... then play like you just came home from the lumber store... Have a BALL!  :laughing: :laughing:

Use your imagination...


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## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

I'd like to throw in a monkey wrench into this thread if I may, but 1st, let me say that in another woodworking group, I saw a whole kitchen full of beautiful cabinets made from pallet wood. Pallet wood can offer different wood patterns and shades that can look very attractive. When working with cherry wood, I don't cut off the sap wood because I like the shades and patterns in it.

But having spent a lifetime in the trucking business, I see pallet wood as being problematic. It is free and can be used to produce attractive projects, but pallet wood can be dangerous to your health. First, we now live in a global economy which means the pallet wood you are using may look and feel familiar, but it may be made of a foreign wood that may be hazardous to your health. It's a long shot, but some exotic woods are hazardous to our health if you breath in the sawdust.

But closer to home - I'm a retired truck driver with all kinds of endorsements on my license, one being the "HM" (hazardous material). To get the "HM", I have to take a written test every time my license comes up for renewal. To pass the test, I need to know all kinds rules and regulations concerning hazardous materials. I know to look for UN #'s and what they can tell me. I know the classes for #'s 1 through 6 + and what threat they can pose. I'm familiar with all kinds of rules and regulations concerning spills and what to do in case of emergencies. There are even regulations concerning the proper handling of used containers "last said to contain". But no rules exist to instruct folks what to do with the pallets that had chemicals spilt on them. They are thrown into a pile for future use.

The purpose of my comments is to raise awareness. If you see a pallet with stains on it, be careful with it, If you don't know, use a facial mask to protect your lungs. Pallet wood needs to be approached with caution!


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Interesting. 
Good points.


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Bernie, thanks for the words of wisdom. I saw your similar comment on another thread and it definitely got me thinking. Between worrying about the metal and dirt on the pallets messing up my tools and the possibility of hazardous materials on the wood or hazardous wood itself, I will proceed with caution, if at all with the pallets. I will pull them apart and see if they are worth my effort and look safe.


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## Joe Lyddon (Mar 13, 2007)

*Good points...* :thumbsup:

*I just ordered and received TODAY:*










After watching The Wood Whisperer talk about them & other friends & people talking about them, I decided it was worth every penny to wear protection.... especially when I will be doing a lot of work with Walnut coming up.


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## jharris (Jan 8, 2011)

I got a bunch of free oak pallets and netted about 150 L' of 1/2" x 3" boards. 

I'm in the process of building a wall hung display case for my sister and used this material for the adjustable shelving. 

My advise? Buy a metal detector, locate and remove nails before doing any planing. I bought mine for under $30 from Rockler and I'm glad I did because I found nails that I might have missed otherwise.

Jeff


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## EagleTa2 (Jan 2, 2012)

I am so cheap I can squeeze a quarter till the eagle poops! Therefore, I am always looking for free wood to build my stockpile with. I picked up some brand new sheet metal skids today and took them apart - I learned a few things I thought I would share

First - watch out for "colored" nails. One of the pallets from today was 4ft wide and 10ft long and had lots of nice looking pine boards. The nails were purple...they ended up being glue coated spiral shank screw nails. It made them about 10 times harder to pull than regular nails. I ended up cutting the skid apart instead of pulling the nails. 

So - I have some nice pine boards to use for simple projects... but heres a question. Maybe I am just uneducated about species, I have no idea how to tell what species I am looking at. Is it hardwood, softwood? Of course I know what White and Red Oak looks like... but any tricks to figuring it out before I load it in the truck?

Thanks!
Geo


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## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

jharris said:


> I got a bunch of free oak pallets and netted about 150 L' of 1/2" x 3" boards.
> 
> I'm in the process of building a wall hung display case for my sister and used this material for the adjustable shelving.
> 
> ...


I could not agree more about getting a metal detector. I use a lot of second hand timber and if the pellet wood looks ok I can usually find a use for it. Anything free sees me heading to the front of the line at least to have a look.

Once, you learn to sharpen or buy some planers and jointers the last thing you want is any metal any where near them. The sharper the blades the more easilly damaged is the edge. I always use my metal Detector and it finds things that I would surely have missed.

If they are only $30 then that is a good buy because it will save you that even if you are only using old beaters of chisels. You will find that the sharper your tools and blades are the easier the woodwork becomes.

Pete


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## sailorman (Aug 9, 2010)

I had a summer job working at a lumber yard at the Jersey shore in the mid 70's. I grabbed some mahogany planks from a pallet and put it in the garage, then forgot about them. I rediscovered them this past summer, when emptying the garage before it was torn down. The planks had been under salt water during several storms over the years and was pretty punky looking. But I cleaned them up and made a lamp out of them. Pretty pleased with the results. Doubt you'll find much mahogany being used in pallets these days:no:


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## jharris (Jan 8, 2011)

Nice work sailor. 

Jeff


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Way to turn trash into treasure, Sailorman. That lamp is really nice. I'd love to find some pallets like that. Maybe a zebrawood pallet. Or purple heart or walnut. Hey, I'm allow to dream...


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## jharris (Jan 8, 2011)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Way to turn trash into treasure, Sailorman. That lamp is really nice. I'd love to find some pallets like that. Maybe a zebrawood pallet. Or purple heart or walnut. Hey, I'm allow to dream...


 Steve, 

I got my oak pallets from a local furniture store whom I've done display work for.

I'm sure you can introduce yourself to the manager of any establishment and get permission to remove what you want. 
Jeff


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## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

Reclaimed from pallets:


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## Murphy's Law (Dec 15, 2011)

BernieL said:


> If you see a pallet with stains on it, be careful with it, If you don't know, use a facial mask to protect your lungs. Pallet wood needs to be approached with caution!


Excellent post, Bernie. Pallets can be exposed to some very harmful chemicals and we can't know just what it is all the time. Many years ago I did some contract work at the Fernald Nuclear materials plant over in Ohio. There were hundreds of pallets that were exposed to high levels of radiation polluted oil, contaminated salts, exotic (and dangerous) chemicals. I know for a fact that hundreds of these pallets went home with workers for firewood, and woodworking projects.

We use pallet wood a lot here on the farm for all sorts of projects. Sometimes I get into some hard wood that is almost impossible to work with. It is like concrete. I often joke that the wood will dull drill bits. I think it must be some type of very hard ash - but it makes some great barn repairs, doors, gates, etc. I have a few beautiful wood boxes, small tables, and small chairs that I made from pallet lumber.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

jharris said:


> Steve,
> 
> I got my oak pallets from a local furniture store whom I've done display work for.
> 
> ...


Most of the pallets I've seen near me are basswood, pine or some other "lower-grade" wood. I'll definitely start keeping my peepers peeled for oak and so on. I had no idea some of these nicer woods were ever used for pallets.

Streamwinner, NICE!!!


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## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Most of the pallets I've seen near me are basswood, pine or some other "lower-grade" wood. I'll definitely start keeping my peepers peeled for oak and so on. I had no idea some of these nicer woods were ever used for pallets.
> 
> Streamwinner, NICE!!!


I wonder if the " lower - grade wood " eg. Basswood you are referring to is the same high grade much sought after Basswood used in Woodcarving.

Only, the grades change for marketing purposes only.

Pete


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

STAR said:


> I wonder if the " lower - grade wood " eg. Basswood you are referring to is the same high grade much sought after Basswood used in Woodcarving.
> 
> Only, the grades change for marketing purposes only.
> 
> Pete


Yes, basswood is a carvers' favorite because of its consistent grain and ease of workability. But it's lack of interesting color and character make it less than ideal for unpainted furniture.

I meant "lower grade" only in the context of "fine woodworking".


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

Don't limit yourself to just pallets. There are numerous sources for wood that has become someone elses disposal problem.

Gerry


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Well, Gerry, do you care to elaborate? I would love to hear some of the other spots for finding free lumber.

Thanks
Paul


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## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

Paul W Gillespie said:


> Well, Gerry, do you care to elaborate? I would love to hear some of the other spots for finding free lumber.
> 
> Thanks
> Paul


A source I am always on the look out for is old unwanted damaged furniture. Not the cheap ones with MDF, Core board or Custom Wood although I have used them also to make some shop furniture.

Sometimes you are lucky and can find some nice wood in some of that old discarded furniture. Certain suburbs seem to have a higher quality discarded furniture. People in the Suburbs generally have to get rid of something to get something new.

I like to recycle as much as I can. However, over a period of time you get faced with the problem I am working through now that your inputs are far in advance of your outputs and then you have to decide what to keep or throw.

I suppose the good thing when you reach this stage you can be a bit more discerning and lift your standards somewhat and make that decission to accept, keep or throw.

Sometimes you might find you have a group of friends who will keep offering you old furniture because they have no interst in woodwork. Then I think it might be in your best interst to think seriously about accepting it, using what you can and the dumping the rubbish part. if you keep knocking the offers back you find that you might not get any more as they will think it is too much trouble for you.

Just my thoughts. Besides, what I cannot use, it most likely will end up in the fireplace unless it is treated or MDF.

Pete


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

Paul W Gillespie said:


> Well, Gerry, do you care to elaborate? I would love to hear some of the other spots for finding free lumber.
> 
> Thanks
> Paul


Some of the places I have found wood are:
Beaches in my area, both lake beaches and ocean beaches[might not work for everyone] 
River banks
Furniture import stores or warehouses
Glass importers
Motorcycle importers
Construction sites
Demolition sites 
Disposal sites
Old furniture[as mentioned above]
Garage sales
Want ads

I am sure there are many other sources that others can come up with, where wood is avalable cheap or free, that I haven't thought of.

Gerry


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Pulled apart one of the pallets I picked up today for a project for a coworker. He wants a old school wooden coffen type pine box for an Oscar like award he gives out to someone in his Civil War re-enacting group. It was harder than I hoped it would be to keep the boards from cracking. I wound up cutting along the two sides and pulling the boards up in the middle. I got a few usuable boards but I really like the colors and character in the six to the left of the image. I am going to plane and joint them a bit to hopefully get them flatter. Right now they are about 7/16th of an inch.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

I stripped a bed box spring a few months ago and ended up with a nice stack of useable boards.


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## cellophane (Oct 6, 2009)

Gerry KIERNAN said:


> I am sure there are many other sources that others can come up with, where wood is avalable cheap or free, that I haven't thought of.


Cabinet & Furniture makers have tons of cut-offs that they can't use and would otherwise get tossed. I got a big pile of mahogany, poplar and oak the other day - all really nice pieces, just smaller dimensions. 2"x3"x4' or so. It helps that I know the shop owner


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## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

Paul W Gillespie said:


> Well, Gerry, do you care to elaborate? I would love to hear some of the other spots for finding free lumber.
> 
> Thanks
> Paul


Also:

I made friends with a local guy who does hardwood flooring. He is always happy to give me cutoffs and leftovers. Since most of the stuff I do are small projects (toys, boxes, puzzles, inlays, etc.), these small pieces are sometimes perfect. Plus, he works in a very wide variety of wood species, so there's always something interesting when I go to pick it up.


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## andrewscevich (Dec 17, 2011)

*Attn: Chaircarver Steve*

Reading Chaircarver steve's earlier post on this topic (about zebrawood and purple heart) got me to thinking... and here's something for the rest of you. Purple heart wood is actually around, in plenty, and can be found for free in large quantities!!! A while ago flat-deck semi trailers were decked with purple heart. It is strong, dense, and wasn't really being used for anything. The boards are often 6/4 and 8/4, and are usually completely black, having been exposed to the elements and countless spills... however, if resawn, the unsightly part can be removed and the purple-wood exposed.

so... if you check any trucking companies who have old trailers or wrecked trailers they use for parts, check the decking...


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## phaelax (Dec 24, 2018)

The cost of specific pallet tools I found to be ridiculously overpriced for what they are and can be easily created yourself (if you can weld). Also, this thread is 8 years old!


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Pallet wood = Toxic wood.

The problem is that people cannot differentiate between clean wood and wood that has had chemical spills. They bring "pallet wood" into their homes because it is currently in vogue. Not everyone will be careful about where they source their pallet wood. In a few decades, the fatal illnesses that appear will never be traced to the long gone pallet wood furniture in the landfill.

Even if YOUR pallet wood is known to be safe, other pallet wood is not. Encouraging others to bring "pallet wood" into their homes is inviting a slow-motion disaster. 

How do I know? We have a survivor in our family. It was a truly terrifying experience that lasted for years of unimaginable stress and agony, including many surgeries and recoveries. Do we know what caused it? No. Could it have been pallet wood? Truthfully, probably not, but only because pallet wood had not achieved its current popularity, and we never used it. Will future illnesses come from today's pallet wood craze? Absolutely yes. Will they trace them to pallet wood? Probably not.

Pallet wood = Toxic wood

-> If you are using known clean wood, call it anything but "pallet wood."


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## Onefreetexan (May 3, 2018)

I’ve probably said it before, many times. We have a pallet manufacturer just a few miles away,, and he STRONGLY said. “Do not use my wood for any type of wood project!... It is not ‘good wood’, please just because it is cheap, that is what it is. CHEAP!!. And that does not mean good or safe to used.. He told me he has no idea where his wood comes from and doesn’t care,,,,,,,so take a clue from that,,,


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Tool Agnostic said:


> Pallet wood = Toxic wood.
> 
> The problem is that people cannot differentiate between clean wood and wood that has had chemical spills. They bring "pallet wood" into their homes because it is currently in vogue. Not everyone will be careful about where they source their pallet wood. In a few decades, the fatal illnesses that appear will never be traced to the long gone pallet wood furniture in the landfill.
> 
> ...





FrankC in a different thread said:


> Congratulations you have stooped about as low as one can possibly go to prove a point using nothing but FUD,(Fear Uncertainty and Doubt).
> 
> You ask, "How do I know" and then use this:
> 
> ...


I seem to upset FrankC fairly often, and for that, I am sorry. It is not my intent. I hope that he understands that.

With respect, FrankC has no clue what our family has been through. If we can save one other family from sharing our experience, we will have done genuine good in the world. If Frank understood that, he might not be so quick to judge me or others. Again with respect, I note that FrankC did not address any of my salient points. All he did was call me out for citing our family's experience, which might explain my motivations. I have apologized for upsetting Frank, but I am not sure why I should apologize for explaining why this issue is deeply personal to me.

Some pallet wood is contaminated. Some chemicals that contaminate pallet wood have long term health effects that are not immediately apparent, but will result in cancers many years from now. A small number of people will never know that they have dangerous pallet wood, and will pay the ultimate price. With so many possible factors, it is impossible to trace those few deaths to pallet wood, but they will happen, and they might have been prevented.

We are being irresponsible by encouraging people to bring pallet wood into their homes, and the solution is to keep the toxic and non-toxic wood streams separate. It adds to the challenge when people call both streams "pallet wood." Not everyone is as knowledgeable as Frank and other people here.

I am not saying that everyone who handles or has pallet wood furniture is gonna' die. That's FUD. I am not saying that large numbers of people who handle or have pallet wood furniture are gonna' die. That's FUD, too. 

I am saying a small number of people will die, and the root cause will be their exposure to toxic pallet wood. They will never know it. Encouraging the pallet wood fad will only increase the numbers. The numbers will be small, but anything above zero is very sad. I would not wish it on anyone. 

Summary:
* I acknowledge that we are talking about small numbers. 
* The problem is preventable by encouraging people to keep the streams separate. 
* We keep the streams separate by treating "pallet wood" as part of the toxic stream. That prevents mistakes and accidentally mixing toxic pallet wood into the "clean" stream.
* If the wood from pallets is known to be clean, then rename it so that everyone downstream will know. With a different name, they can keep it separate from "pallet wood", who provenance is not known and could be potentially toxic. Call it "clean wood" or "clean pallet wood" or whatever, but don't make it the same as "pallet wood."

Does that explain it any better? Is it really that hard to understand?


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I understand that you have an agenda, and for what ever reason you will you use anything, relative or not to make a point, I don't know you so nothing personal.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

FrankC said:


> I understand that you have an agenda, and for what ever reason you will you use anything, relative or not to make a point, I don't know you so nothing personal.


Thank you for the reply. 

Sorry, but when you post statements like "Congratulations you stooped about as low as one can possibly go to prove a point using nothing but FUD, ..." it feels personal.

I am not sure what you mean by "agenda", but if you mean that I feel strongly about restricting the use of the term "pallet wood" to mean ONLY the untrusted stream, you are right. Guilty as charged.

I assume you meant "relevant", not "relative", but I am not entirely sure. We should agree to disagree on whether the paragraph I wrote was appropriate and carry on. Again, thank you for your input. I hope we understand each other's points and can move on from here. I have nothing further to add.


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