Monday, November 4, 2013

DIY: My Pallet Potting Bench - Day 1

                                                    How hard can it be?
That's always been my "mantra" when it comes to
DIY projects I see on the internet.
Besides, there are so many YouTube Videos online
that show you the steps -
 I'm guessing that with the right tools, I can do it too.

DAY 1:
The 1st step is to find some pallets - preferably ones
that are stamped on the side with the letters "HT" meaning "heat treated".
This, I learned means that they aren't imbedded with chemicals
that are harmful for your garden plants or yourself
when working with the pallets.
Fortunately, I found a few pallets for free from a local business
(who even helped load them into my car!)
and home I came to start my project...

Well, it turns out that taking the boards off is harder than it looks ....
using a rubber mallet, a "Superbar" (short version of a crowbar),
and a hammer, I pounded and pried, and after about an hour,
I had managed to remove only one board from the 1st pallet.
 The nails are actually partly screws and they are imbedded tight
into the pallet wood. At this rate, I could tell
 it was going to take me longer than I imagined to disassemble these things!

 
So, I went back to the internet,
watched a few more YouTube Videos, read more "how-to" articles,
and discovered that some people use a saw
to actually cut through the nails ...
hmmm - this seemed like a GREAT idea!

In Sunday's newspaper, Harbor Freight had a sale flyer with a
"reciprocating saw" on sale for only $19.95!
I'm not even sure what "reciprocating" means when it comes to saws
but the ad said it would cut through pallet wood AND the screws,
so it sounded like the perfect tool
to help me with my potting bench project.

Armed with my "early Christmas present to myself"
and a pair of safety goggles,
I headed home to begin again.

HOW HARD CAN IT BE NOW?



 

No comments:

Post a Comment