Bonsai shelf out of pallets

[mwar15]

I enjoy reusing pallets for furniture. I have made a couple shelves for my bonsai trees out of pallets. This one I like the best so far. it is 36" and 32" tall the lower shelf is about 20" to the top. I live in an apt and only keep a few trees here. This will utilize the space a little better.

 

[fredman]

Very cool I love pallets to. Got stacks of them around. Used them on the ground for many years. Also contemplated building stands from them, but wanted to go bigger. Built this simple bench I use in the garden from a pallet a while ago. Got some nice ideas for other stuff to. I'll do it in winter when the plant things are sloooow

 

[Kodama16]

Looks good!

 

[Ironbeaver]

Are these the the same crappy spruce pallets we get around here? It looks like something different, or did you use some sort of stain or surface treatment?

 

[Cypress187]

Very cool and creative, and cheap! I like it

 

[mwar15]

Are these the the same crappy spruce pallets we get around here? It looks like something different, or did you use some sort of stain or surface treatment?

I burnt the wood with a propane torch. No stain. I don't think it was spruce

 

[Lazylightningny]

Nice job!

 

[sorce]

burnt the wood

Nice!

Sorce

 

[Cadillactaste]

I burnt the wood with a propane torch. No stain. I don't think it was spruce

We (my husband) burnt the floor in the greenhouse. I thought that may have been the process. Looks great!

 

[GrimLore]

I burnt the wood with a propane torch. No stain. I don't think it was spruce

There are many made of Oak out there and MANY decent items can be made from them. Looks cool!

Grimmy

 

[Mike MoMo]

My Tree Kids need this! Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[Eric Group]

I enjoy reusing pallets for furniture. I have made a couple shelves for my bonsai trees out of pallets. This one I like the best so far. it is 36" and 32" tall the lower shelf is about 20" to the top. I live in an apt and only keep a few trees here. This will utilize the space a little better.

Just got a swing set for my daughter, it came on two pallets... I am contemplating a few options for them. Most revolve around uses for refurbishing my compost bin, but this is very interesting! You did a great job!

 

[mwar15]

Thanks for all the compliments. I wish shipping wouldn't be so expensive I think I could sell a few of these.
Anyways here is the first one I made a few months ago.

I took a full size pallet cut it in half and then cut a little less than a foot off each end. Routed it and threw some legs on it.

 

[SU2]

I burnt the wood with a propane torch. No stain. I don't think it was spruce

I love what you did with that!!

I've built a couple tables/benches and am about to build yet another, I have a bucket of paint that I intend to tint darker to put on as a charcoal-ish color *but* I heard about this idea of burning to protect it (haven't verified if it actually protects, though it certainly looks cool!), a friend mentioned it and after going online I found it's 'shou sugi ban', am very interested in anything anyone knows about how well this preserves wood! I'm about to build my largest, nicest bench and, instead of painting everything a uniform color, I'd *much* prefer the look of it if I power-washed and then burned it (I've done a trial-section with my generic propane torch, it came out awesome the wood just takes to this treatment real well!), I'm just unsure how well it protects/preserves/'weatherizes' the wood relative to paints...

 

[Giga]

Just seal it with something and pallet wood does not last long. I use it for flats for bonsai to grow out and it last 1-2 years before rotting away.

 

[mwar15]

I sprayed it with a cheap rattle can clear coat and it's held up well so far

 

[SU2]

I sprayed it with a cheap rattle can clear coat and it's held up well so far

Yknow I didn't even consider that, wow I'm definitely over-loading myself to miss something so obvious!! Honestly, with how good I think the burnishing can come out, even if it's not as durable a finish I'd still prefer it aesthetically, now I'm in a pickle because I've already got the paint to my 3 tables/benches with but would prefer to burnish, my worry is just how much propane you needed to use? Like for your first picture in the thread, how much propane did you need to burnish that whole thing? I did a small support beam to test it out, I loved how it came out, but the tip of the torch is so small that it doesn't cover much area so I can only imagine how many cans of propane I'd need to burnish >20' of benching! FWIW I'd been using (and would continue to if it's not unwise) the generic blue-bottle propane, the type that comes with a flow nozzle (I don't know if that's something that you can get refilled or if it's disposable, disposable is how I've always treated them ;P )

I enjoy reusing pallets for furniture. I have made a couple shelves for my bonsai trees out of pallets. This one I like the best so far. it is 36" and 32" tall the lower shelf is about 20" to the top. I live in an apt and only keep a few trees here. This will utilize the space a little better.

Such an incredible transformation of a pallet, great job!!!

 

[Vance Wood]

Using the torch is a very good method of adding years to the life of your stands. The Japanese have a technique to finish exterior wood. They do this but go quite a bit farther. I'm not saying you should do that but I thought you might get something out of the information. I wish I could remember the name of the technique. I'm glad you posted this because it reminds me of something I should try on something.

 

[ralf]

The Japanese have a technique to finish exterior wood.

yakisugi

 

[Vance Wood]

yakisugi

Thank you I appreciate you finding this term.