burning Wooden Pallets

[MapleME]

I have stumbled upon literally and endless free supply of wooden pallets. They are such nice hard wood.

When I first started looking at the Trader years ago, I recall some discussion about how people got creative to break them up or cut them so they would fit in the firebox. jigs, etc. These things are tough to break up in my experience so I can't imagine there is not a solution.

Anyone got some decent ideas? Im going to start hauling them home.

[1badsapper]

The only way I've found that works is using a skill saw & sawzall. Takes a long time, but it's free.

[Father & Son]

Check with Sugarmaker. He feeds a 3 x 10 with pallets only. I think he has a set-up for a chain saw.

Jim

[Dennis H.]

And just think of all those nails that you can recycle and get $$ for with out having to pull them out by hand!!!

[TimJ]

We cut them with a circular saw. I stack pallets to about a little over waist high so that I don't kill my back. You'll get into a pattern to cut them. it takes time, but the wood is good. We thought about using a chainsaw, but that has got to be too loud and too heavy to last too long.

As with any tools and stuff, be safe, drink lots of water and stop before you get tired or sloppy. Slow and steady wins the race

[Bruce L]

We use to do pallets,very hot fire!!!!!!We would cut them up with a chainsaw,cutting inside of the framework,makes for a lot of short wood sometimes,but you won't have to fight the nails pulling them apart

[MapleME]

Hey thanks for the replies, this is exactly what I was after. I see some of the big guys are able to fit 1/2 or even full pallets. That is amazing. BUT, alas...I think I will have to get the skill saw out. Its such great hardwood to waste IMO. TimJ, any idea how many pallets you go through TO syrup ratio? Just wondering if I need 50 or 250. I will start stacking them this week :)

[Sugarmaker]

Not sure of the number of pallets per gallon. Would depend on the pallets and the evaporator. I know we made almost 200 gallons of syrup last year with about 8-1/2 cord of fully compressed pallets. I use a chainsaw only to cut them. There should be some pictures on here somewhere. They do burn very hot. We added AOF and a our version of a steamaway for the 2011 season, which helped conserve pallet consumption.
Regards,
Chris

[MapleME]

Thanks Chris. So do you just cut them in 1/2 or something to get them in the evap? I see you do honey as well- as do I. Has been a nice hobby on the off season. Winters in Maine are tough on bees though. Had good luck last year but I have 6 hives going in to this winter, hope they all survive!

[TimJ]

We just started boiling last year and on an inefficient home made 2x5 with two flat pans.

We mixed cedar and pallets and we started late in the game so I am not sure how many we went through since we cut as we went. This year we are ahead of the game by being able to cut prior to the season.

I am going to guess we went through about 30-40 pallets to make 8 gallons of syrup. (as I said we also mixed in soft woods and this was an inefficient evaporator)

We added a lot of insulation and will go with a hood and preheater this year and we hope to reduce the wood use a lot.

I do get sick sometimes cutting up some of the really nice hardwood. It is a shame to waste it, but they are going to get burned by someone else anyway for bonfires - making syrup out of them is better than some alternatives. In the future I will scavenge some of the better wood for projects.

[Sugarmaker]

mapleme,
Sorry for the delay in response. Working on other hobbies. I cut the pallets completely down to fit the most I can in the wood shed. Will be moving to small slab wood for 2014 season.
Regards,
Chris

[shane hickey]

I used to use pallets to as you all know a very
Hot fire i was able to put 4 pallets in at a time
And would last 5 to 6 minutes. Old barns burn very
Hot to if you can get through the nails.

[Big_Eddy]

I made a pallet breaker. The kids pull the boards off and stack them for me in my cross rails (with the nails aligned) and I whip through them together with the chainsaw. Leaves me with 12-16" pieces that are easy to handle.

The pallet breaker is 4' of 1" sq tubing with a 5" bit of 3" angle welded at 90 degrees at one end. I cut 2" out of the middle of one leg of the angle to leave 2 toes that fit on either side of the pallet stringer - slide the toes under a board, lean back and the board pops off.

I burn pallets when they're available but I find them more work than other wood.

[DanE.]

I also have a source to unlimited free pallets. I have been think of building some kind of a shredder that would make large splinters out of the pallets - maybe 1 to 2 inch diameter. Has anyone made something like this or seen a commercial unit? Or made have some ideas? I'm thing something PTO driven off the tractor and 2 drum with fingers welded on to do the shredding. Maybe it is just a crazy thought....... :confused:


Dane.