Wood pallets for evaporator fuel

[mspina14]

I have about 20 or so wood pallets stacked behind my shack. They came with wood pellets that I have had delivered in the last 2-3 years that I use for a pellet stove to help heat my house .

Today, I tried to pull apart the pallets so I could cut them up for firewood for the evaporator (I have a 2X4 Mason).

The nails are all rusted and it was a pain to pry them out. So I just cut up the pallets with a chain saw.

But the long, thick pieces that provide the structural support for the pallets have many nails still in them. Should I remove the nails before burning the wood? Or can I just throw the pieces in the evaporator to burn and clean out the nails after the fire in the evaporator has gone out?

Thanks

Mark

[BAP]

I burn them with the nails. Then before firing up the next time, I use a magnet on a stick to get the nails out of the ashes.

[Wanabe1972]

I use pallet wood every year. My grates are a series of angle iron and the nails fall right through and come out with the ashes.

[mspina14]

Thanks guys.

I wasn't sure if the nails would somehow damage the evaporator.

But if I don't have to pry the nails out of the wood, it makes using pallets for fuel a lot easier.

Mark

[Michael Greer]

Just be careful about where you dump the ashes. Some of these newer fasteners remain dangerous to tires for decades.

[1arch]

We burn lots of pallet wood and call our evaporator the nail puller.
After each cook we use a magnet to collect the nails and end up with a 5 gallon bucket full by the end of the season.

[3GoatHill]

I burn it with the nails and use a magnet to get the nails out too. My local scrapyard will take the buckets of nails.

[BAP]

I take my ashes after running the magnet threw, and run them through an old window screen that I put over another bucket to make sure that the nails are all out.