A nice find in Lowe's trash pile

TexasFireGuy asks:

>I just got back from picking up a piece of trim from Lowe's. I just =
>happened to go look through their pile of pallets in the back and cam =
>across two 4x8 pallets constructed of red oak (God only knows why) and =
>one that was, for some strange reason, made of red cedar slats with some =
>type of purple cross members. I've never seen purple heart, but I've =
>never seen any other purple wood either. Any idea what this may be?

Possibly purpleheart. You'll find that a lot of woods we buy as exotics are
used as construction lumber in their home ports. Purpleheart is one.


Charlie Self

"On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation
in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does."
Will Rogers

Also look for pallet behind a printer. Sheet paper must be kept perfectly
flat, and therefore come on skids that are solid boards or sheet stock.
Often they have a plywood or board cover over the paper so that they can
strap the load down without marking the paper. I used to work at a printer
that would receive a monthly shipment of 10 skids from one paper maker.
Their skids and cover were all made of dressed pine 7/8" thick. Lots of
knots, some stains and a bit of decay. I hauled dozens home and used the
best of the pine for many uses. The bad stuff became kindling. Still have
about 10 covers stashed away. I tear one down when I need some pieces of
pine.


"Digger" <DW> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> "Traves W. Coppock" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 18:04:38 GMT, "TexasFireGuy"
> > <[email protected]>Crawled out of the shop and said. .
> > .:
> >
> > snipage of HTML post
> >
> > red oak is not uncommon in pallets. as for PH, if the pallet came from
> > south america, not uncommon either. they build bridges out of the
> > stuff down there,
> >
> > see the article in PWW #135 "lusting for lumber"
> > some guy made a serious haul of pallets made of cherry, and another
> > load of walnut.
> >
> > Traves
>
> Look in your area for companies who install air conditioning and heating
> equipment on roofs of commercial buildings, or large sheet steel
suppliers.
> They will often have palets of about 5'-6' wide by 8'-12' long and often
are
> Oak or other hardwood. I have one keeping them for me right now that are
> 4x6x12' timbers with 5/4 oak slats. The stainless steel sheets that are
> shipped in from Holland and those area are shipped often on some beautiful
> wood.
>
> Digger
>
>
>
>
> -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
> -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

"TexasFireGuy" <[email protected]> writes:
>This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>
>------=_NextPart_000_0057_01C352AE.31ACA110
>Content-Type: text/plain;
> charset="iso-8859-1"
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
>I just got back from picking up a piece of trim from Lowe's. I just =
>happened to go look through their pile of pallets in the back and cam =
>across two 4x8 pallets constructed of red oak (God only knows why) and =
>one that was, for some strange reason, made of red cedar slats with some =
>type of purple cross members. I've never seen purple heart, but I've =
>never seen any other purple wood either. Any idea what this may be?

Please don't post in HTML.

Note that somewhere around 50% of the domestic hardwood harvest
goes to making pallets.

scott

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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If you are at all lucky (and it sounds like you are), it is pine
that has been painted or dyed purple ! If so, you have earned
the envy of me, and possibly many on the wreck. Strip down
that purple treasure and use it to make a cupboard...

--=20
The software said it ran under Windows 98/NT/2000, or better.
So I installed it on Linux...
"TexasFireGuy" <[email protected]> wrote in message =
news:[email protected]...
I just got back from picking up a piece of trim from Lowe's. I just =
happened to go look through their pile of pallets in the back and cam =
across two 4x8 pallets constructed of red oak (God only knows why) and =
one that was, for some strange reason, made of red cedar slats with some =
type of purple cross members. I've never seen purple heart, but I've =
never seen any other purple wood either. Any idea what this may be?
------=_NextPart_000_00D7_01C3542B.AB287C70
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1170" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>If you are at all lucky (and it sounds =
like you=20
are), it is pine</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>that has been painted or dyed purple =
!&nbsp; If so,=20
you have earned</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>the envy of me, and possibly many on =
the=20
wreck.&nbsp; Strip down</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>that purple treasure and use it to make =
a=20
cupboard</FONT><FONT face=3DArial><FONT=20
size=3D2><FONT>...</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>-- <BR>The software said it ran under Windows 98/NT/2000, or =
better.<BR>So=20
I installed it on Linux...</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV>"TexasFireGuy" &lt;<A=20
=
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">TexasFireGuySPAMFREE@hot=
mail.com</A>&gt;=20
wrote in message <A=20
=
href=3D"news:[email protected]">news:WieUa.989=
[email protected]</A>...</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I just got back from picking up a piece of trim =
from=20
Lowe's.&nbsp; I just happened to go look through their pile of pallets =
in the=20
back and cam across two 4x8 pallets constructed of red oak (God only =
knows=20
why) and one that was, for some strange reason, made of red cedar =
slats with=20
some type of purple cross members.&nbsp; I've never seen purple heart, =
but=20
I've never seen any other purple wood either.&nbsp; Any idea what this =
may=20
be?</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_00D7_01C3542B.AB287C70--

"Digger" <DW> wrote in news:[email protected]:

>
> "Traves W. Coppock" <[email protected]> wrote in
> message news:[email protected]...
>> On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 18:04:38 GMT, "TexasFireGuy"
>> <[email protected]>Crawled out of the shop and said. .
>> .:
>>
>> snipage of HTML post
>>
>> red oak is not uncommon in pallets. as for PH, if the pallet came
>> from south america, not uncommon either. they build bridges out of
>> the stuff down there,
>>
>> see the article in PWW #135 "lusting for lumber"
>> some guy made a serious haul of pallets made of cherry, and another
>> load of walnut.
>>
>> Traves
>
> Look in your area for companies who install air conditioning and
> heating equipment on roofs of commercial buildings, or large sheet
> steel suppliers. They will often have palets of about 5'-6' wide by
> 8'-12' long and often are Oak or other hardwood. I have one keeping
> them for me right now that are 4x6x12' timbers with 5/4 oak slats.
> The stainless steel sheets that are shipped in from Holland and those
> area are shipped often on some beautiful wood.
>
> Digger
>
>
>
>
> -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
> -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

Greetings....

I find a lot of great stuff in the warehouse I work in, lots of mahogany
from overseas being used as dunnage in shipping containers, white and red
oak are common pallet wood, I have only seen one pallet in cherry...It
didn't stay a pallet long, and I see more pine than you can shake a stick
at...many warehousing outfits will give away there old pallets... I think
the best one I have found was one that was mostly curly maple...it was
the darker heartwood...but it was curly maple....:>

regards..

DCH

Snip
>
> There is a company in my area that makes really high quality pallets
> and they sort of lease them. If/when one breaks they replace it for
> free. The pallets are made of hardwood and all of the 4X4 members are
> made from the absolute center of the log. There is a bulls eye in the
> middle of almost every one.
>
> Greg

I built the frame for my workbench out of dunnage. There's some
spalting in a few of the timbers that really gives a nice effect,
although I've noticed that it, uh, changes shape a little with weather
(it's in the garage). I've got a nice rigid flat top on it, so if I
have to slip a shim under the one leg every once in a while, it's okay
with me. I got the material at the right price (g)!

-Phil Crow

Wonder if it could the heart of Eastern Red Cedar?

On 25 Jul 2003 18:26:43 GMT, [email protected] (Charlie Self)
wrote:

>TexasFireGuy asks:
>
>>I just got back from picking up a piece of trim from Lowe's. I just =
>>happened to go look through their pile of pallets in the back and cam =
>>across two 4x8 pallets constructed of red oak (God only knows why) and =
>>one that was, for some strange reason, made of red cedar slats with some =
>>type of purple cross members. I've never seen purple heart, but I've =
>>never seen any other purple wood either. Any idea what this may be?
>
>Possibly purpleheart. You'll find that a lot of woods we buy as exotics are
>used as construction lumber in their home ports. Purpleheart is one.
>
>
>Charlie Self
>
>"On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation
>in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does."
>Will Rogers
>
>
>
>
>
>

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 18:04:38 GMT, "TexasFireGuy"
<[email protected]>Crawled out of the shop and said. .
.:

snipage of HTML post

red oak is not uncommon in pallets. as for PH, if the pallet came from
south america, not uncommon either. they build bridges out of the
stuff down there,

see the article in PWW #135 "lusting for lumber"
some guy made a serious haul of pallets made of cherry, and another
load of walnut.

Traves

Mo' Sawdust wrote:

> That groove is for the metal strap used to secure the load to the pallets.
>
> Keeps the strap from touching the ground and breaking through abrasion.

Gotcha. Makes sense.

I never see the stuff coming in. These things just end up in my truck as a
chock for the pallet jack, so I find a different way to secure the pallet
jack and throw another piece of oak on my pile at home. ;)

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
Confirmed post number: 16791 Approximate word count: 503730
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

I don't know. It was considerably harder than the cedar slats.

"Lawrence A. Ramsey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Wonder if it could the heart of Eastern Red Cedar?
>
> On 25 Jul 2003 18:26:43 GMT, [email protected] (Charlie Self)
> wrote:
>
> >TexasFireGuy asks:
> >
> >>I just got back from picking up a piece of trim from Lowe's. I just =
> >>happened to go look through their pile of pallets in the back and cam =
> >>across two 4x8 pallets constructed of red oak (God only knows why) and =
> >>one that was, for some strange reason, made of red cedar slats with some
=
> >>type of purple cross members. I've never seen purple heart, but I've =
> >>never seen any other purple wood either. Any idea what this may be?
> >
> >Possibly purpleheart. You'll find that a lot of woods we buy as exotics
are
> >used as construction lumber in their home ports. Purpleheart is one.
> >
> >
> >Charlie Self
> >
> >"On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only
nation
> >in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it
does."
> >Will Rogers
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

Charlie Self wrote:

>>happened to go look through their pile of pallets in the back and cam =
>>across two 4x8 pallets constructed of red oak (God only knows why) and =

Red oak pallets are quite ubiquitous. Usually they're made of really bad
wood though.

My shed came on a red oak pallet that I just threw away because the wood
wasn't fit to use for anything. You should read my various comments about
saving every scrap in case I can use it... this thing was nothing more
than kindling, and I don't have a wood-burning fireplace.

I find that bad wood is the rule more often than not, and then there's the
question of bits of gravel and other contaminants. Stay away from dirty,
weathered pallets.

They're not all bad though. Another thing I can get lots of are some weird
pieces of dunnage. They're 4x4 squares of heartwood about 3' long, with a
groove routed down one side for some unknowable reason. The wood isn't
very good, but I can usualy saw a good board off all four sides of the
thing, and they're free. I've used them whole for various structural
purposes, where something short and stout is just the ticket.

My best source is that futon factory though. I hope I get dispatched down
that way again soon. I'm almost out of wood. :) "We throw away more wood
than most people ever see. Take all the scraps you want."

So I back my tractor trailer up to the door and..... :) :) :) :) :)

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
Confirmed post number: 16781 Approximate word count: 503430
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/