I had hoped to have this post completed by Earth Day, but I suppose the first part prepared for Arbor Day is just as good. (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Replenish & Restore)
My family and I have undertaken the task of creating a coffee table, for my sister’s new house, from an old wooden pallet.
Due to the crazy Texas weather and my recent travel schedule, this project is still a work in progress…
Here is what we have completed so far.
THE BASICS
You will need some basic tools for the first portion of this project: a hammer(s), pry bar(s), a saw (we used a circular saw, but and hand saw or table saw will do the trick too), a pencil, measuring tape, scrap wood pieces, a drill, eye protection/safety goggles, sandpaper, saw horses make this project easier on your back but are not a necessity, and of course you need a reclaimed wooden pallet (which you can sometimes find, literally, on the side of the road or you can purchase them from The Home Depot.
START by pulling off all of the pallet boards from the side you designate at the underside of your table. Make sure to keep these.
Measure and mark the desired dimensions of your table top.
We quickly created a jig to better drive the circular saw along the lines we marked for the width of the table top; if you are confident you have a steady hand you can simply saw along your markings without a jig.
After cutting along your marks, carefully pry the small pieces of wood from the side supports that have been severed from the rest of the pallet.
Remove the rusty nails to be used again later for a cohesive final appearance (shiny new nails would ruin the rustic/reclaimed look).
Place the side support piece under the freshly cut new edge; affix it temporarily with clamps and then drill holes along the top of the boards to make driving the reclaimed nails into the wood easier. We chose a sort of random pattern (three nails to the wider boards and two for those more narrow, etc.)
Once all of the boards have been attached to the side supports on both sides of the “table top” measure the distance between the boards and see if any of the boards you removed from the other side can be used to fill in gaps. Some of the spare boards may need to be ripped down a little to fit the spaces.
Be careful and watch for splinters. Gloves might be a handy thing to use during this project.
Once you have your chosen fillers, drill holes and hammer nails to attach these boards to the side support pieces. After they are fastened to the sides, simply saw off the excess.
After that step is completed, use sandpaper to smooth any ragged splintery edges. Then, voila, you have the top of your reclaimed wood pallet table.
As soon as I get this project completed I will post the rest of this how to.
One important component of this table is its legs… We have opted for small wheels. You can find a variety of wheels like the ones we will be using one Etsy.
 Click HERE to see how we finish this project.