Loren, in Rockford, MI, built this four-door pantry cabinet almost entirely out of heat-treated pallets. Only the hardware — the black strap hinges and pulls — was bought new, and the mixed pine boards still show the color variation and knots you’d expect from reclaimed stock.
The build took two years, because Loren only worked on it when the weather was above 45 degrees, and the whole thing came in under $50. There were no plans on paper; it was all in his head. Without a jointer, every one of those pallet boards was jointed on the table saw.
In Loren’s words
Working on an extremely limited budget, I prefer to build my projects using repurposed materials. Except for the hardware, this cabinet came entirely from pallets (heat-treated only). Since I didn’t have a jointer, I jointed all of the boards on a table saw.
The build
- Project type: Furniture
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Wood: Mixed, mostly pine — all reclaimed from heat-treated pallets
- Finish: Polyurethane
- Tools: Table saw, thickness planer
- Time: Two years, working only in weather above 45 degrees
- Cost: Under $50
- Plans: None — all in his head
Biggest challenge
Jointing crooked pallet boards on a table saw nearly cost me a finger. I’ve since acquired a jointer.
Photos
Built something you’re proud of? Submit your own project and it could be featured here next.
