LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Project Information

This is a prototype I built in 1999 for some simple boxes we gave away as gifts and sold at a craft store.

This particular box has been storing my pen hardware in the shop, and the sides have not received as much exposure to light, so the cherry is darker on top and for some reason, the bottom.

The darker material (seems like a type of mahogany) used for the handle, top, and corner posts was obtained by pulling pallets apart that contained auto parts from Japan.

You may see on one or two of the photos, there seems to be a shiny type of grit in the pallet material, and when it is polished it really sparkles.

The box is 9 3/8" long, 5" wide and 2 7/8" tall.

The top has two levels (pallet material is thicker) but is flush on the underside. I taped the two pieces together (one on top of the other) then ran them through the bandsaw.

You can see where I glued the pallet material to the cherry, I got a little glue on the darker wood, and it would not take stain. With this cutting method, you cannot sand out much without creating a gap along the whole edge, so I just glued it together.

The bottom is a solid cherry floating panel.

I bevelled the back edge, drilled holes and used the little push-in hinges for this one.

They were fun to do, and we did sell a number of them (gluing them a little more carefully).

Thanks for looking!

Gallery

Comments

· Registered
Joined
·
3 Posts
Very nice in deed amazing what you can get from pallets huh
 

· Registered
Joined
·
332 Posts
Thanks for the post, this is realy cool! I realy like the corner post effect. Beautiful design. Japaneese pallet wood. I like it.

I need to go home and do some woodworking…...

Photobucket
 

· Registered
Joined
·
6,114 Posts
More than just fine.
Really well made.
Best thoughts,
Mads
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,490 Posts
Super! I am going to have to pick up a few pallets. Great work Jusfine.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
6,840 Posts
Buried treasure for sure!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,241 Posts
That is a lot of work in that pretty little box! Beginning with tearing the pallets apart…. and then all the pieces and joinery. I wonder if people who don't build with wood, realize all the work that goes into producing something like this? It really is a lovely box. :)
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,424 Posts
Nice Reclamation !!!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
198 Posts
I have an old pallet out back I will have to go get and see what I can do with it
 

· Registered
Joined
·
2,088 Posts
Nice! I met a woodworker a while back that had a piece of teak that was used for a pallet from SE Asia.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
64 Posts
Nice! I love hearing stories of saving scrap timber.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,942 Posts
Someone who hasn't worked with wood can't relate to the cost (time and material) of even a small project like this, not to mention some of the amazing boxes I have seen posted here.

Thank you all for your comments!
Best of all the material was FREE!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
709 Posts
Great design and exacution, well done.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
411 Posts
You have some very classy pallets in your neck of the woods. Most of the ones we see here are made of Russian whitewood & chipboard or softwood corner blocks. Beautiful box!
 

· Registered
Joined
·
14 Posts
Very nice work! I am also working on some pallets and your beautiful box really inspired me to explore more of what I could be doing with the material.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
1,942 Posts
Thank you Joseff! Post some photos when you get your project finished.

This is a photo my wife found (probably spring 1999) of two of the boxes I made, as well as bandsaw boxes, and a few of the inlaid stall plaques (for the equine industry), plus a set of nesting tables made of oak with an inlaid edge of pallet material.

She had taken all of these items to a relative's place who had a "home craft sale"... all she brought back was the box I posted above as I didn't want to sell it.

 

· Registered
Joined
·
732 Posts
Hi Randy - Nice looking boxes. If you are looking for mahogany skids, try your local Kubota dealer. Some of their pallet suppliers use mahogany that's good for a lot of small projects.
 
Top