It's not just nails!

[Chrispy]

As the title says it's not just the nails that do the damage, I often see on UKW the talk of planeing old wood in particular pallets, and the instructions "look out for nails", "check with a metal detecter" etc. well the trouble with pallets is they are put on the ground, loaded pushed about generaly abused, this pushes grit and dirt into the wood surface this grit will chip and blunt planer blades instantly, so please think twice before planeing old timber thats been kicking around the floor/building site it's not just the nails that you need to look out for.

 

[tatcho]

Using the underside of the top run of the pallets should be okay though right? Certainly less chance of stones and dirt etc

 

[carlb40]

Using the underside of the top run of the pallets should be okay though right? Certainly less chance of stones and dirt etc

Depends on whether anything gets left on the fork lift forks

 

[Chrispy]

And don't forget the ends, even when preparing new timber I always try to trim the ends off first, it just seems second nature to stand planks of wood on their ends when loading or unloading a lorry thus embedding stones into the wax on the ends. ](*,)

 

[marcros]

probably not a bad way of doing it though- create a sacrificial end and make sure you cut it off.

also a stiff brush to use before anything goes over the planer or through the thicknesser.