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Uses for wooden pallet boxes?

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posted 15 years ago

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I've go these things. probably 20 of them. some are shorter some are taller as you can see and they are hinged on all for corners and the hinges are constructed so as to be able to stack them. my first thought is raised beds, like temporary potato growers or something, or maybe a mini green house with glass on top that can be put away when not needed. chick brooder/tractor??? the wood is not treated with anything, whether that is good or bad I dunno

I'm afraid if I use them for raised beds then they will have a very short lifespan. I'm thinking something temporary that utilizes the fact that they can fold flat when not in use and not take up a bunch of space. I just can't decide. what do you think.

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paul wheaton

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Location: missoula, montana (zone 4)

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posted 15 years ago

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What was their original purpose?

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Susan Monroe

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Location: Western WA

posted 15 years ago

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What is their size when open?

Sue

Leah Sattler

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posted 15 years ago

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I don't exactly know what they were originally for. I picked them up with the second load of free lumber. I suspect they made up some sort of shipping crate. most of the wood i got was originally large heavy duty crates for what looked to be large AC type units (sitting everywhere on the property)and pallets for moving steel around (I was told).

they are about 4.5' x 3' when open. and of course could be stacked to just about any height.

I keep thinking about using them for things like a compost pile but I just hate that a job like that would mean they would quickly deteriorate. they look so damn useful just the way they are and I don't want to break them down to use the wood on something else.

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Susan Monroe

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Location: Western WA

posted 15 years ago

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All I can think of using them for is on a cart/trailer for harvesting. Use several layers for sturdy produce like potatoes or cabbages, less for more delicate stuff, and just one for berries, etc, that crush easily. These last you could lay a piece of plywood across (without pressure on the fruit), and put another frame and more fruit on top.

Still thinking...

Sue

paul wheaton

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Location: missoula, montana (zone 4)

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posted 15 years ago

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I think it is something that sits in the barn until the need presents itself. They do seem like a damn smart thing. For something.

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Leah Sattler

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posted 15 years ago

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next idea. drying racks. I could make mesh on window frames type things to set between them, put the bottom ones on blocks and stack them to keep birdies from eating my drying tomatoes (or whatever).

I suppose I don't have to decide now. one day a need will present itself. they are one of those things where i said "wow! yes of course I want those they have got to be useful......for.....something"

they have kinda got me thinking. I wonder if I could make a whole small shelter foldable in a similar way? for temporary things like chicken egg laying test week, and the weeks when I have baby goats being born all over.

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Jocelyn Campbell

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Location: Everett, WA (Western Washington State / Cascadia / Pacific NW)

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posted 15 years ago

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The drying racks is a fabulous idea. You'd really only need them at harvest time and then can fold away for the next year.

Speaking of a mini greenhouse, I always wanted to use cloches to extend the growing season (or increase the heat) here in the cool Pacific NW. These would be handy for frost protection! If the size fits grouping(s) of plantings, you could stack them as high as needed for height of the plants, then put a frame on top with clear plastic attached to it. Then remove during the day or when danger of frost has passed.

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Brenda Groth

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Location: North Central Michigan

posted 15 years ago

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wow they are fabulous..you have a great find there..all the ideas mentioned are great, you might be able to seal them somehow to make them last longer..but i can see how you would like to keep them intact..maybe some things in the house..tables, laundry hampers, a couple together on the wall for cabinets or shelves..o golly, anything squarish

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Susan Monroe

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Location: Western WA

posted 15 years ago

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Shellac is non-toxic when dry, safe for animals.

The food drying rack idea is good. Years ago, I read about a woman who had her husband gut out an abandoned car that still had intact windows all around. She put a few 2-hole bricks inside, and some wooden planks, and set her food drying racks on them. The heat came in through the windows, and the windows could be rolled down a bit so the moisture could leave the car. And if it rained when she wasn't home, the food was still safe. And it kept animals out, too.

Personally, I thought it was a brilliant idea.

Sue

Leah Sattler

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posted 15 years ago

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jocelyn- that is a great idea! maybe I can use them to mitigate our wacky weather here and get some winter crops. I have always wanted to use cloches too or the cones tthat work in a similiar fashion that I saw mentioned in some intensive gardening book whose name escapes me.

sue-I think I am going to throw a sealer on them. they are worth it.

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Gwen Lynn

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posted 15 years ago

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I love the idea about using a car for a greenhouse! One of these days, I'll have a big Dodge Van we can use. At the rate it's going...it won't be long.

Leah Sattler

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posted 15 years ago

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well they have now been . baby goat corrals, moving containers, sawhorses and hay feeders. dang these things are useful!

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"One cannot help an involuntary process. The point is not to disturb it. - Dr. Michel Odent

Kathleen Sanderson

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posted 15 years ago

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I thought of beehives when I first saw the picture, but it sounds like they are too big for that...too bad. (I have beehives on the brain right now, I guess!)

Kathleen

solomon martin

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posted 14 years ago

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I see window frames.

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permaculture and gardener gifts (stocking stuffers?)

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