CEC_Pallet_Cutting_Station

[Sugarmaker]

Several folks asked about pictures of the frame I use to cut pallets.
Here are some shots. No magic here! Not very pretty but functional. This just helps position the pallet at a reasonable height and location to use a chain saw to slice it into smaller chunks.
I do have a small wood pallet that I stand on to reduce fatigue and get up a few inches higher for taller pallets. (Sorry the sawdust is covering some of the frame base.)
Always be careful! Watch for nails!

I cut 10-12 cord of pallets a year. I just had to rebuild the frame and add some structure to keep it together for another season.

Regards,
Chris

[Dennis H.]

Very simple set up if you have access to alot of pallets.

BTW, pics are looking good.

[parsissn]

Where do you get your pallets? Seems like a good source of wood. Slab wood is fairly cheap but you still have to cut it. Pallets are (hopefully) cheaper or better yet free. Let us know.

Mark

[royalmaple]

You will never have to pay for junk pallets. Just drive around most any industrial park and the business will either have them out or ask and they will load you up daily if you want.

[Sugarmaker]

I get mine at several locations. Most warehouse, factories, and building supply places may have them. Be sure to ask first. I have had many places say no or they were already spoken for or they did not want any one coming on the property after hours. I am a little picky and try to cut mostly pallets that are not refurbished. But, I do bring home all the crap too, I just use the really junk stuff for bonfires in the back yard. Any pallet that looks to have been reconstructed is trouble. Since it may be harder to detect where nails are at. The pallet quality leaves a lot to be desired. Mostly hard wood oak and cherry rails and soft wood slats. They do burn hot and fast! A full cord of these cut and stacked only make about 10 gallons of syrup but they are free.:) I currently have about 12 cord ready for 2008.

Chris

[MR Electrician]

ok here goes my 2 cents worth

buy 4 cheap circular saws bolt them to the bottom of a piece if 3/4 inch plywood. space the saws the same distance apart as to cut the palet in the right spot.
add 4 legs to make into a table and a few guides along the sides so you can feed the pallet in one after the other.
you will cut yr 10 cords on less than a day
and no need to fire up the chainsaw.

[VA maple guy]

Not a bad idea, but you may run into two little problems. you will have
to cut one side flip it over then cut the other side. A 7 1/4 saw will cut
about 2 1/2" deep. take away 3/4" for the plywood and youre down to
1 3/4" x 2 = 3 1/2" that's not enough to cut all the way through most
pallets. Gerry

[MR Electrician]

if your just cutting the slats then its eneough as for the tops well flip them over and run them through again.

now heres the better idea
go to a local wood working shop or sawmill and ask them to deliver a bin full of off cuts to you .
they will usually do this for free .
and if your close eneough they will pay you to dump the bin .
free wood and no cutting just toss it in the fire .

we get paid $100 a bin to dispose of these off cuts.
it shure adds to the profit margine when you dont have to do all that work .

[MapleME]

I got 2 questions- do you remove nails, or just collect them at the end of the boil in your ash pan. Secondly, are pallets pine? Are they good to burn?

I got lots of pallets . I should start collecting!

[Haynes Forest Products]

Leave the nails in just dont use the ashes in the driveway for traction you will end up with poor mans studed snow tires. Pallets are Oak,Ash,fir and there the best wood you can get on the cheap.

[peacemaker]

i went through at least 250 to 300 palletts this year and if your picky you can almost get all hardwood there is alot of poplar on them .. but nails u wouldnt believe the pile .. i do have a friend who will by the nails from me ... but one thing i find is half way through your boil day you have to rake the nails out and a one time i couldnt get a good draft so i let it die down and stated to laugh referbished pallets sometimes have trust plates on them well ten of them plates layed down evr so neatly and blocked off my grates ...

[peacemaker]

what i usaully do is lay a nice pallet down take the chain saw and cut all the deck boards off then heap the 2x2 material then i threw up and old chop saw with one of those dewalt yellow blades cuts nails and all and stays sharp ...

[MaplePancakeMan]

What does the guy who buys your nails do with them? I have 2 5 gallon pails full of nails leftover....gotta toss them at some point.


My dad owns a beer distributor and i can get all the junk pallets i want. The pallets really dull the chain on a saw quick though, kind of upsetting wish i had a table saw.

[peacemaker]

he sraps them ... i dont hit nails with the chain saw to often just sometimes with the chop saw ...

[Sugarmaker]

Maple Me and all,
I always tell folks, that a by product of syrup making, is the nails.

I clean the grates each day and shovel out the nails from the ash pit each day too. I get a small old sap pail full of nails for every 10 gallons of syrup I make. The ratio held true again this year; about 14 sap buckets of nails and 138 gallons of syrup.
A lot of the pallets are getting very cheap and contain more junk wood.


I don't cut them as fine as I used to. Just too much work handling all those small chunks of wood. So my cord of pallets has a lot of air gap. They take up a lot of space. I estimate that in a cord of pallet wood I get 10 gallons of syrup.

They really make a hot fire and make syrup like crazy!

Good luck with the pallets! Be careful cutting these!

I am currently cutting a pile of scrap lumber, logs, and slabs mostly pine. I should have about 3-4 full cord of wood from that in another week.
2 cord in front of the evaporator and about 2 cord to split. I traded the owner a half gallon of syrup. Good deal for me and he gets the mess cleaned up.

Regards,
Chris

[MaplePancakeMan]

interesting, never thought of scrapping nails. If you pop open craigslist and search for firewood, there are a lot of people with areas that need cleaning up and let you take as much wood as you want for free.


Pallets are great, but i'm not so sure about only burning them. i found a mix about 1 fire of hard wood to every two fires with pallet wood was really good for my evaporation rate.


Tomorrow i'm going out to the sugar bush to do some cleaning up and to grab some oak from the neighboring lot that was logged all crooked and limb wood.

[SeanD]

[QUOTE=MaplePancakeMan;The pallets really dull the chain on a saw quick though, kind of upsetting wish i had a table saw.[/QUOTE]

I used a chainsaw last year and hooked the palettes onto a sawbuck. It worked out pretty well, though the idea of a rogue nail wasn't far from my mind. I hadn't thought of using the table saw. Might be smarter to slide the wood rather than swinging the widow maker around - especially as I get tired. Either way I'll have to flip the wood, I guess. I've got a pile to get through so I'll let you know how it goes.

Sean

[jrthe3]

a sawsall wood work good blades are cheep and cuting wood last a long time no gas or oil and no noise

[brookledge]

I have burned pallets for many years, usually when I run out of slab wood and cord wood. My 3X12 burns about 6-7 pallets per hour. As for the circular saw blade I tried a blade that was designed to cut an occasional nail but in general I find that circular saws are too slow for cutting up pallets. I can cut them up alot faster with a chain saw than with a circular saw. I burned about 1,000 this year. I have a gut that brings me about 100 per load to my sugarhouse and I pay him $10.00 to help cover his fuel and he is happy.
Keith

[Justin Turco]

It is great sugarwood. But cutting them up can be hazardous. I always end up getting wacked with some stray flying piece of debri. I definately use my safety glasses when cutting these buggers up. Don't let your kids or your favorite new truck sit too close to this operation! Little pieces have a way of "taking off" bigtime. Our local building supply usually has a big pile they are throwing out. EXCEPT JUST PRIOR TO SUGARING!!!

[Sugarmaker]

Justin,
Good luck with the R.O. Should save some time and wood.
Just love the details you put into your sugarhouse!

Yes I wear full face shield, helmet, ear muffs, and goggles when cutting pallets.

Chris