Make a pallet chest

Tools required

• Skill saw, earmuffs and eye protection (or a handsaw)
• Drill
• 2mm drill bit for wood
• Hammer
• Chisel
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Crow bar
• 2 x clamps
• Paint brush

You’ll need

• 2-3 pallets with same sized palings – free from many stores, just ask at the counter
• 200 x 38mm square-head wood screws – $13
• Double-headed square drive bit – $5
• 3 x 75mm standard butt hinges – $7
• Total cost: $25

Optional extras

• Chest handles – $17 (or use rope)
• 4 x castors – $12
• 1 litre raw linseed oil – $14
• 1 litre mineral turps – $4
• Total cost with all extras: $72

Step-by-step guide

Step 1

Find your pallets. I went straight to Bunnings and as luck would have it they had huge stacks of broken pallets out the back. Always ask before taking. I used 24 palings, so be sure to count the usable palings so you have enough.

Step 2

Remove the palings by cutting along each side with the skill saw. Then use the hammer and/or crow bar to wrench the wood off the cross bars that hold the pallet together. Hitting each side of the paling one side at a time will help stop the nails from bending. Once you have cleared the paling from the pallet take out the nails.

Step 3

Make the bottom piece by lining four palings up on a flat surface against each other. Make sure they form an even rectangle. Place another paling on top at a right angle flush at the end of your pile and mark the edge underneath the paling where it overhangs. Cut this to make a cross bar. You will need three the same size so clamp them together and cut multiple pieces at once. Always wear safety glasses and ear protection when using a skill saw. Lay the cross bar on top and fasten with two screws into each paling. Put another cross bar on the other end and a third one in the middle.

Step 4

Make the two longer sides in the same way that you made the bottom piece, by screwing cross bars into four flat palings. However there is one important difference: in order for all the parts to fit together (as in the picture for step 5) the cross bars on the sides won’t come all the way down. The gap you need to leave will be the same as the thickness of the bottom piece – ie. twice the thickness of a paling. So to work out the length of your shorter cross bars, place a paling at right angles to the bottom piece, mark it with a pencil, then assemble your sides using cross bars cut so that they reach this pencil line.

Step 5

Attach a side to the bottom piece by lining it up so that it sits neatly – the cross bars should sit snugly on top. Attach with screws into the palings and cross bars and every 5cm or so along the line where there is a paling behind. Once this is on take care as the side will be fragile until you attach the ends. Repeat on other side so you have a U-shape.

Step 6

Attach the ends. Carefully place one end of the U-shape on the floor. Wedge an off-cut into the top of the U if necessary so that the base and top are the same width. Mark palings so that they will be flush with the base of the box then cut four palings the same size and attach with screws. Repeat at the other end.

Step 7

To make the lid piece, build another rectangle out of four palings and cross bars like the bottom, but when you assemble it, place the two outer cross bars 5cm in from the ends so that they miss the side pieces when placed on the top. Additionally, as pictured, all three cross bars should be cut and screwed into place so that they only reach halfway across the palings at the edge.

Step 8

Next, you’ll need to attach a fixed hinge-paling. Put your lid piece loose on top of the box, then push it to the front so that the cross bars hit the front edge, leaving an overhang for opening the box. On the other side mark both edges of the box as pictured. Take the lid off and put it aside for the moment.

Now, attach a fixed paling on your mark at the back, using screws at each end and all along the line of the side. Once in place there should be an overhang, which will be handy for picking up the box.

Step 9

Now you can secure the lid. To attach your hinges, carefully chisel out a 2-3mm gap in front of each of the three cross bars on your lid piece. Mark where they sit on the fixed paling and chisel out spaces on that too. Place the hinges on to the fixed paling, pre-drill 2mm holes to suit the hinges and then attach with screws. Line up the lid piece and do the same.

Now all you have to do is attach handles on to the sides and castors on to the cross bars underneath (if you want them) and give it a couple of coats of linseed oil mixed 50/50 with mineral turpentine with any additional decoration – and you have yourself an upcycled toy chest.