I want to work with pallets, what tools do I need to get started?
The bare minimum to get started working with pallets is a nice short list.
- Hammer
Can be used to disassemble pallets by hitting the boards till they come loose, and used to attach boards with nails<\li>
- Saw
You need a saw to cut the boards to the length you need for your projects.
A hand saw will do, but for bigger projects you'll want to consider some electric saws. A table saw and a miter saw are what I recommend.
Of course there are more recommended starting tools..
- Nail punch
For many projects leaving the nail heads in is ok, but it's good to have the ability to take them out incase they'r ein your way
Also, if you decide to flatten the wood with a hand plane, or thickness planer, nails will destroy your cutting edge quickly!
- Pry bar
For the first several months I worked with pallets, I used a simple 14" pry bar that I picked up at a local flea market for $3,
As I started making more projects, I found it worthwhile to buy a 'Pallet Buster' for about $40 to save TONS of time!
- Smoothing tool
You can hand sand with some sandpaper wrapped around a block of scrap wood to start.
I regularly use a handheld belt sander or a hand plane (depending how bad my back hurts that day) to get to the smoothness I want, then
a random orbital sander to get a clean finish and clean up the edges
- Drill
A cordless drill opens up tons of options beyond just a hammer and nails.
Drilling pilot holes and using screws and glue insures a long lasting tight joint.
As you decide to make more complicated projects, you may consider more tools...
I've invested in these and use them regularly...
Pocket hole jig
The one most people hear about is by Kreg, it's nice... but EXPENSIVE
I found one at Home Depot for under $20 that does the job just fine.
Benchtop Thickness planer
Guess what... Pallet boards aren't usually flat.. or straight, you can make uniform flat lunber from your pallets with a thickness planer.
I don't use a jointer, I use a jig with my table saw to cut one straigt edge, then flip the boards around to make the second paralell side.