Pallet wood

[S.A. Boggs]

Much of this wood is hard wood with nice graining and could have been used to make nice furniture. The ceilings are left as is for the affect and thickness is immaterial. The walls and floor have to be the same thickness so will get planned to size. Ends are squared as well as the sides for uniformity. Really wide pieces are set aside and I will use them in either my arms room or in the wood shop flooring. We have found an affective way to take the pallets apart with minimal labor as compared before, but still a lot of work. Being "retired" I have ample time to build my home the way we want it. Will also be stripping the paint off some hanging lamps that I bought at our local reuse store.
Sam

[bruce]

Lots of interesting things you can do w/ pallets. This Old House had a segment on pallet wood furniture. Nice. Sincerely. bruce.

[Johnny P]

Most of the pallets around here are gum wood. Not good for anything else, but makes a tough pallet.

[Allen]

Most of the pallets around here are gum wood.

Some of the early Winchester's had gum stocks.

[JB White]

Some of the early Winchester's had gum stocks.

And some early Winchesters had genuine gun stocks, **drum roll......Bronx cheer....send out the hook**

Need to ask, Sam. I have broken down pallets in the past to make some rustic looking things. I was never able to find an easy way to disassemble them. (Spiral nails?) I'd like to hear your easier way.
I can sure bust 'em up for firewood though! Wrecking bar, sledge hammer, or Skilsaw. any will suffice so long as you have a broom on hand to sweep up the kindling bits.

[Johnny P]

Some of the early Winchester's had gum stocks.

Actually it was the later production in the lever actions in an attempt to save costs. Normally it is found on late Model 1892/94 carbines, and not sure I have ever seen a Model 1906 .22 with anything but gum wood.

[Allen]

Actually it was the later production in the lever actions in an attempt to save costs. Normally it is found on late Model 1892/94 carbines, and not sure I have ever seen a Model 1906 .22 with anything but gum wood.

Agree with the 1906's. I have a Model 94 SRC made in 1907. This is what I call earlier. All appears to be original. It has a gum stock and forearm. I remember in the early 70's Win made the 94's with birch. Cheap looking guns that sold for $68 in the Shotgun News. In comparison I paid $105 for my 1970 Marlin 336 SRC Texan (straight stock).

[Allen]

And some early Winchesters had genuine gun stocks, **drum roll......Bronx cheer....send out the hook**

OK. Took me a while to "get it". I guess gum stocks wouldn't be much worse than plastic stocks and if you got bored during a hunting trip you could always cut a part of it off and chew it. I have an M1 Carbine with a cherry stock. The others have genuine stocks.

[S.A. Boggs]

And some early Winchesters had genuine gun stocks, **drum roll......Bronx cheer....send out the hook**

Need to ask, Sam. I have broken down pallets in the past to make some rustic looking things. I was never able to find an easy way to disassemble them. (Spiral nails?) I'd like to hear your easier way.
I can sure bust 'em up for firewood though! Wrecking bar, sledge hammer, or Skilsaw. any will suffice so long as you have a broom on hand to sweep up the kindling bits.

My daughter bought a "pallet buster" on Amazon along with a pneumatic tool that punches out the nails. We lay the pallet down and then just pull out the slats from the center stringer. I have found that the end sections often split when we tried to pull them apart. I then stand the pallet vertical and using my reciprocating saw cut the end of the slats off. Can do a pallet in about 3 minutes or about 20 an hour. The air tool is put over the sharp end of the nail and the nail is punched out to a collection box for later recycling, much easier then using a claw hammer or pry bar.
Sam

[JB White]

I once picked this one up at an estate sale. '92 of 1911 vintage in 32-20. Like you I also regarded it as an 'earlier' Winchester. The owner had his rather large initials pressed into the buttstock as if he was tracing with a screwdriver. It was the easiest steam-out I had ever done considering the extent of things. Didn't lose any patina and one swipe with linseed oil blended the area immediately.
Not a Win collector, but I've heard it said that gum wood was only used on some carbines? If so, then I still don't know what vintage.



Pay no mind to the Spanish revolver. Bought it dirt cheap as a junk piece to practice more timing and trigger work. Discovered it had been reamed to 32-20 as well. So it went out for a test firing on the same day. All went well, but I wasn't overly impressed with it in the first place. Traded it off for more practice junk a few months later.

[JB White]

My daughter bought a "pallet buster" on Amazon along with a pneumatic tool that punches out the nails. We lay the pallet down and then just pull out the slats from the center stringer. I have found that the end sections often split when we tried to pull them apart. I then stand the pallet vertical and using my reciprocating saw cut the end of the slats off. Can do a pallet in about 3 minutes or about 20 an hour. The air tool is put over the sharp end of the nail and the nail is punched out to a collection box for later recycling, much easier then using a claw hammer or pry bar.
Sam

Thanks for that Sam. If I were still making things the way I used to I might have considered such a tool. Once I retired I stopped buying cool tools to find a good reason to use them. I'm sure we've all done similar. So, I stopped buying tools unless the need is really there.....and I threw away my wrist watch. No more clock watching either.

[Sunray]

Some skids are hard wood. You can tell by the weight. Spent 5 years doing an hands-on study. snicker. Usually maple, I think. Although gum wood is also used. Take a lot of sanding to make furniture.

[S.A. Boggs]

Thanks for that Sam. If I were still making things the way I used to I might have considered such a tool. Once I retired I stopped buying cool tools to find a good reason to use them. I'm sure we've all done similar. So, I stopped buying tools unless the need is really there.....and I threw away my wrist watch. No more clock watching either.

delocker.jpg
This is what I am using now and I have a bunch of pallets to take apart. When my rich uncle sends me my alliance this month I am looking into buying a portable table saw as well.
Sam