How to Cut Up a Particle Board Shipping Pallet
Particle board, also known as press board, is a composite material made from wood chips and various chemicals and resins. These additives bind the particle board together and add a range of desired characteristics, such as flame-retardant properties or moisture resistance. Due to its durability and low manufacturing cost, particle board is often used to construct shipping pallets. In volume, shipping pallets are cumbersome, often requiring costly professional disposal. Cutting them is easily accomplished using the proper tools and safety procedures, making them easier to dispose of or recycle. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pry bar or clawed hammer
- Sawhorses
- Power saw
- Safety glasses
- Dust mask
- Pencil
Instructions
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Dismantle the pallet using a pry bar or clawed hammer. Wedge the pry bar between the particle board at the point where any nails hold the pallet together and pry the particle board loose. When all nails are removed, the pallet separates. Be sure to pick up any loose nails to prevent injury.
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2
Set up two sawhorses to accommodate the particle board sheet or slats. Some particle board pallets have a solid, flat particle board sheet covering the entire pallet, while others have individual slats crossing the pallet.
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Lay the slats, or sheet, across the sawhorses, don a dust mask and safety glasses, then start the saw. Determine how small you want the particle board pieces and draw a line on the particle board to roughly guide you during the cutting process.
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4
Pick up the pieces after every cut and reset the particle board on the sawhorses. As the particle board gets smaller with every saw pass, pieces fall. Reduce the distance between the sawhorses accordingly, place the particle board back on the sawhorses and cut the particle board until the desired pieces are small enough.
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Recycle the particle board pieces at your local recycling center or town waste management center. Particle board's recycling uses are sometimes limited, depending on the chemicals used in its manufacture. However, if disposing of particle board pallets in quantity, investing in a mechanical grinder to break down the particle board can save money in the long run, as opposed to disposal costs.
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Tips & Warnings
When cutting a full sheet of particle board, you may want to cut the sheet down into equal-sized strips by sawing in one direction, then cut again with the strips placed horizontally on the sawhorse.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Ablestock.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
