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You know those useless wood pallets? (21 Photos)

October 5, 2011 | In: Design

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EasternCanuck

wow… some really great ideas in there.

Sea man

#3
Yea go home with a chiver and your bound to see a lot of this

http://goo.com Goo

Painting and screwing garbage together is great?

Frank

Looks like he has a lot of wood.
NoOne

Wow … some highly toxic furniture you should never touch. Ever wonder why those things never degrade?

Turner

What are you talking about??? I work in a warehouse and believe me, these things do 'degrade' if not protected correctly. Fire codes prevent a lot of pallets these days from being toxic as it is a huge fire hazard if they are. Please, don't spit out random facts without knowing about it first.

WUEARHOWS KAT

I M IN UR WUEARHOWS, EATIN ALL UR PALLETS

http://twitter.com/The_Scofield_ @The_Scofield_

I lol'd

NoOne

I am no expert here for sure, and haven't done the research but a quick web search brings all kinds of stuff up. A CBS report concerning unsanitary nature of wood pallets http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6520566n

Here's another on the dangers of mulch made from them in playgrounds. http://www.pallettruth.com/2010/07/playgrounds-fi…

These just fear mongering nut sites?

Pallets are not meant to be furniture and aren't manufactured with prolonged human contact in mind. I doubt the chemicals used to preserve them are regulated for the kind of contact furniture gets.

Here's my recommendation. Look it up before you decide this is a cool idea you want.

Yup

Everything the media reports and read on the internet is true,

NoOne

Therefore we should ignore everything we hear there and dismiss it as nonsense. Go do the research .. or don't I couldn't give a f###less.

Mess

dude, anyone can pull anything off the internet and state it as the evidence backing the opinion they have.

NoOne

What an insipid response. Try this …

Dude, anyone can write anything anywhere. Trusting the source of information is always a factor. You have to look at the body of evidence. I didn't offer the internet site references as definitive proof. I offered them as food for thought. I then invited the reader to question the accuracy. I followed it with a common sense consideration. Lastly, I suggested people do their own research.

How much more rational can one be?

H_something

Most food is shipped on these toxic pallets.

NoOne

Which is why they have E. Coli, Listeria, and all sorts of pesticides on them.

The food for the most part is in its own container on the pallet. As a result crap doesn't get leached from the pallet to the food. Crap from the food does however rot, drip and decay on the pallets.

Gotta love gravity.

its_forge

Yeah I'm totally sure they pick up those things from the fucking pallets. JFC already.

JFCsuckme

what an idiot! You've got it backwards. The pallets get the shit from the food not the other fucking way around. What a dumb ass.

poopshoot

your an idiot !!

Ifuckyourmom

you're all fucking idiots

lolz

I actually read into this subject to fact-find for you:

Wood pallets are commonly treated with chemicals that contain arsenic, formaldehyde and other toxic substances. Treated wood should not be used for firewood, home remodeling projects, landscaping or animal bedding because it may release the chemicals into the air or ground.

Surprised you didn't know this…you know…with that fancy warehouse education

xcv

Actually all of you have no idea what you are talking about. Yes pallets at one time or another were treated with chemicals….no good.

More recently they have begun to use a heat treated process, in which these pallets are placed in a kiln and heated to 123 degrees for 30 minutes. This will kill off an pests or mold that can produce on the pallets. Also these pallets are a higher grade of wood, not the bottom of the barrel grade most people think of when they think of pallets.

So if one would want to do this project they would have to find pallets with the IPSM-15 stamp on them to know that they are compliant with the heat treated method. Once that is found a nice sanding along with a polyurethane coat should do the trick.

NoOne

Good comment. Thanks.

Actually it's ISPM-15. This standard is for pest control not human health concerns from re-purposed pallets. This standard requires the heating you mention and/or treatment with methyl bromide … not good stuff to be in contact with.
See here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_bromide#Exces…

ISPM-15 appears to be a minimum requirement. Manufacturers could go beyond it and treat with all sorts of stuff to get the to last longer.

yup

Wikipedia has all the answers!

NoOne

And you have none.

You have to start somewhere. This is where your dumb ass gets to pull another source to counter the point.

Boobman

It's true manufacturers could go beyond the minimum requirements towards treating pallets. But, it comes down to the bottom dollar and I doubt they would really go that far.

Also, I read up there somewhere that they are made out of quality wood, I think not. I work in an industry that deals with lumber all the time. Throughout my years of work, I've never seen any of these high quality pallets mentioned above.

Finally, I'm not personally worried about the toxic chemicals these things produce, I'm sure I get more of my share with all the traffic that buzzes by my own workplace.

fuzzybeard2016

They *are* decent pallets; but at the warehouse I used to work at, we received freight from around the world on pallets that varied in quality, construction and overall condition from high-grade pine IPSM-15 compliant pallets that the company paid big $$$ for, to pallets (and freight) that looked like they had been dragged underneath the truck from Nuevo Laredo to our warehouse in Illinois.

These particular pallets were often treated (soaked) with pesticides in such a quantity that they would trigger asthma attacks in some of my co-workers. There are so many other stories about nightmare pallets that I could share, but I don't want to bore the reader any more than they already are.
chivealive

even if the pallet is heat treated, the commidity shipped on it could be fumigated with all types of toxic chemicals.
nocancer4kids

polyurethane is a known carcinogen are you suggesting we should all give our children cancer by painting their pallet beds with cancer paint you bastard

Rod

Wood (period)
Amber

Dear God people.. seriously freak out over this! Oh my god toxic shit!!!! O.o. I would think that painting the wood helps to seal it a bit and maybe the chemicals wouldn't have an adverse effect. (Not sure, just a thought) I also think that it would be fine for outdoors furniture where all kinds of crap will get on it anyway.

That being said I prefer just to buy wood and put stuff together. This was interesting, showing that something that is generally thought of as crap can be used for purposes other than it's intended purpose.
chivealive

Fumigated. Even if the pallets are heat treated, if they are reused the commodity could be treated with Methyl bromide, phosphine or sulfuralflouride{sic}. Poisonous stuff. I wouldn't even burn them!

CaptainInsano

It would be extremely irresponsible for the shipper to package something that would leak out of the packaging. Equally irresponsible would be if the recipient did not destroy the pallet if chemical had leaked onto them.

But I would not assume anything with these. They are in constant contact with dirty truck beds and container floors.

LiLo

I work in a warehouse, pallets always degrade. We literally make them to from scrapwood. Then we makes huts. haaaa.
Les138

I work at a mill and we make pallets from scrap wood. period. they don't degrade because they're kept inside most of the time, outta the rain and weather. the ones you see "not degrading" that are outside, are in fact degrading, just not at a speed that would make you happy, I assure you that no one would waste their expensive chemically treated wood on a pallet.

Hi Highness

#21 i wonder if they sell these that looks like its comfy

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1533703077 James E Lawrence

Yeah if you want a pressure treated highly toxic splinter up your ass then go for it

aaron blunt

yeah. cause they pressure treat pallets.

Zedhere

#9 Now they are tacky and useless.

Jay Costanza

This pic hurts me, seriously who would store shoes like this?

wanker

one who really hates shoes…
3-4 times like shown and they are unwearable

antrid

Its perfect if you don't have somewhere to put them like a floor.

Bob

Oh come on guys, it's so ingenious, admit it!

Iam_Dave

#20
I can use.
Lia

Oh how I wish I had even a smudge of creativity. I would never thought of any of this. Some places will give the things away if someone just asks…like those huge spools wires come on that make good tables. I’m exceedingly furniture impaired at the moment. I might try to make one of these…. Would make a nice weekend (or 2) project.
chez18788

And here all along I thought my wood was useless… I think ill go home now, play with my wood and see what I can make out of it.

varlotto

All I can make is semen.

We're talking about our wieners right?
the other Jen

can i play with your wood too? maybe make it all smooth and paint and put stuff on it?

AssClown

#12 Must be uncomfortable as hell!!

Master_Rahl

I was thinking the same. Add a sunburn on top of that and you have hell on a makeshift folding chair.
Stan_Dalone

as a retired truck driver I can tell you that most are not treated with anything and usually in an over-abundance. thy are uncomfortable as hell. Unless they are all sanded to a smooth finish you will walk away with splinters
Ivy

I have done this from the DIY channel… wood palates to adirondack chairs… They are about as comfortable as any wooden chair can be… Its not supposed to feel like a lazy-boy…

Verbal_Kint

The only thing I'd use a palette for is shipping, or a bonfire. I'll pass on the dagger like splinters.
Frank

I bet not. The fabric for the cushions was probably $50 alone. I don't know exactly what kind of foam those cushions are, but I bet there's at least $200 there. And have you ever been pillow shopping with a woman? That ain't cheap.
Horatio

These so called useless pallets cost shipping companies like eighty bucks a pop… just saying.

Flicka

Try five.

Flicka

..delivered…

Nesbit Faulkner

They fetch a whopping $1.25 per unit where i am.

Sea man

I pay $297.57 per pallet. We use only the classiest, hand crafted pallets at Jackie's Mule Barn!

hassssss

depends on the quality of the pallet. some are shit, others are good. and since when are pallets useless? clearly the douche bag who posted this has never had a job that didn't involve sitting around bitching about apple while still only buying their products.

wkdfrog

#19 Is pretty cool actually
wkdfrog

#11 Fuck you pillow, telling me what to do!

chicago

I took it worse: look-Monkey-read
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000641061254 Drew Malkin

If you know what the pillow wants you to do, you've already done it.

Blumpkin

I'm good,. I'm happy buying my crappy furniture from Ikea

Boobman

Which is probably made from used pallets…
how imaginative

of course you are

Mark

I like
JLHess

I’m guessing quite a few of those pallets were made with furniture use in mind. As they are a lot cleaner, straighter and sturdier than any shipping pallet I’ve ever seen.

Eddy

I've tried my hand at making pallet furniture before. We scored a heap of ones deemed to damaged to be reused (eg broken or twisted), and sort-of merged 2 or 3 together to make one good one. In the process you generally square everything up, i'm pretty sure that's what would have happened with most of these at any rate.

iluv3somes

#3 Somebody made some bad life choices! LOL
Zoey

Aren't pallets the reason we have non-native insects like Stink Bugs in 'merica now?

Master_Rahl

not to worry, each pallet comes with it's own built-in pets. Ahh the 'Merican dream!
Brett

Don't worry Zoe, these were made from eucalyptus…oh my bad, they're not native to 'Merica as well.
ha ha ha

lol white people are the worst non native 'merican pests

Septderrick

I had pet rabbits in a cage made from pallets…they died…quick.
HardCoreMike

Good ideas here but WHY the fuck would you add one of these to the decor of a house you obviously spent a lot of time and money on? Does this some how tell your guests that while you have plenty of dough you are "green' enough to use a piece of warehouse trash as art/furniture? Maybe in my shop or garage but…. these interior design photos MUST be staged by tree huggers! LOL

16inchzipper

Wow, Mike. That's Hard Core.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=674657959 Robert Morgan

they're probably the same people who would pay an aqualogger thousands of dollars for a fireplace mantle swan from a tree they found underwater and cost $50 to produce. Or the people with reclaimed barnwood furniture that also costs thousands, but people buy it due to trendyness

Auz_E

#3 The novelty would wear off after the TV remote falls through the gaps a couple of times.
Dan

#3 I hope he cleaned out the spiders and other bugs before dragging them into the house.
Coldzilla

#14 Oh yeah THAT looks sturdy

JOE

LMAO!!!

http://www.facebook.com/FlibseyEmma Emma Oliver

#8 craftster FTW.

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