My Tools

Last updated on July 20th, 2020 at 11:54 am

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Below are a list of my tools and some nice to haves. I’ve broken them down into Tools for destruction, construction and my wishlist

Tools for destruction

Large Wrecking Bar / FatMax Wrecking Bar– An essential for breaking down pallets. The long bar provides extra leverage and can be used in many different ways to pry and pull boards.

Utility Pry Bar – A pry bar is a helpful tool to have for really stubborn boards. Combined with a hammer, you can use the bevelled edges to get between boards and pry them open.

12-Inch Wrecking Bar – I’ve found that the longer Wrecking Bar can apply too much force when removing nails that have been pulled through the board from the stringer. More often than not, the longer bar strips the head of the nail. A shorter bar allows for more control and works better to remove nails from stringers.

Shovel – If you don’t have different sized wrecking bars a basic shovel can be used as well to remove boards. Simply use the spade to get between the boards and pry them out.

General Purpose Hammer – Once you’ve removed the boards from the stringers, you will need to remove the nails. Use a good general-purpose hammer to hammer the nails back through and remove.

Tools for Construction

Bosch 18V Compact 1/2″ Drill/Driver – A friend of mine once said, “a drill is a tool everyone should have”. Such a true statement. Whether mounting something on the wall or putting something together, no tool has been more useful than my drill. Definitely a must-have for any DIY’er.

DEWALT Large Trigger Clamps – A great addition to your tools, especially when working alone. A good set of clamps is great to hold something down or together with other pieces. The quick grip and release make them really easy to work with. Unlike the screw tight version.

Ryobi One – Circular Saw – Another essential tool when working with pallets. Although you can use a handsaw, a circular is a much more effective way of cutting through wood. Combined with a speed square, you can make some pretty accurate angled cuts as well.

Speed Square – A Swiss army knife of a tool, a speed square has tons of great uses. From quickly marking 45 and 90 degree angles to guiding your saw when making cuts. A speed square is an indispensable tool to have when working with pallets.

Jigsaw – Where a circular saw is an essential tool when making straight cuts, a jigsaw is essential when making curved cuts. A jigsaw can be used to make intricate curved cuts, or when you need to cut a piece out from the middle of a piece of wood.

Wishlist

Vestil SKB-7 Pallet Buster, 1-1/4″ Handle Diameter, 42-3/16″ Bar Length – If you’re planning on breaking down a lot of pallets, a specialized pallet buster may be a worthwhile investment. Designed specifically for taking apart pallets, a pallet buster has a long handle for extra leverage and prongs that apply pressure across the board evenly to avoid split boards.

Estwing Sure Strike Engineer’s Hammer / Estwing Hammer, 3-Pound – When disassembling pallets, one of the keys is to try and distribute the force as evenly as possible to avoid splitting boards. Especially if you are using a hammer to knock out the boards from the other side. A good sledgehammer will have a good amount of weight so you won’t have to put as much effort into your strikes and the wide face to allow for better distribution of force.

Reciprocating saw and sawzall blade – If you are unable to pry or remove boards. An easy way to remove the boards is to use a reciprocating saw with a sawzall blade (a blade meant for cutting metal). The saw can be used to cut between the deckboards and the stringers. Using a sawzall blade allows you to cut through the nail. Therefore you won’t need to pry boards out.

Nail Punch Set – If you’ve elected to use a reciprocating saw and sawzall blade to cut the boards off, you’ll have the heads of the nails stuck in the boards. To remove the heads, you will need a nail punch set. Simply use the punch on the cut side of the nail and push through the head, and use a hammer or crowbar to remove.