Challenge - who can build the most economical scaffolding on pallets?

[Okarlsson]

I see two major advantages with DIY in general:

• It costs nothing if it's just sitting when it rains, etc. It can be quite stressful when scaffolding stands unused and eats into the budget.
• If you own for the advantage above, when you're done, you're not left with a large scaffolding you need to try to offload on Blocket, but you have some timber you can either save for the future or easily get rid of.

I think your idea is good, but I would make a change so you can use something other than pallets to walk on, in case you end up without pallets. For example, make the construction so that if you place a section with planks instead of a pallet, the pallet's "decking" is level with the plank.

 

[Hep]

Self-built is no problem in itself. It's just about putting in a bit of extra effort. It's the pallets I'm skeptical about. A pallet might hold if you place a heavy box on it, but considering the poor-quality wood and the moderate quality control, even a "nice" pallet can have boards that are bad. Even if I wouldn't fall down, a broken board would mean I'd need to change my pants.

 

[Markus P]

Of course, you choose good pallets, and a good Euro pallet (not a disposable one, heaven forbid!) is not made of "crappy timber," they are really stable even if they are only supported along the outer edges.

 

[Markus P]

I see two major advantages with self-built generally:

• It costs nothing if it just stands when it rains, etc. It can be quite stressful when a scaffold stands unused and eats away at the budget.
• If you own it for the above advantage, when you're done, you don't have a large scaffold to try and sell on the block, but you have some timber that you can either save for the future or easily dispose of.

I think your idea is good, but I would make a change so that you can use something other than pallets to walk on, in case you find yourself without pallets. For example, make the construction so that if you place a section with planks instead of pallets, the pallet's "decking" is level with the planks.

I don't quite understand what you mean. What planks are you referring to? Can you maybe sketch it out?

 

[chicketiwowow]

Great illustrations! Which program was used to create the images?

 

[HerrP]

Even if you're not specifically requesting this, I recommend this if you're going to build scaffolding.

I used this thesis last summer for a project at the cabin.
https://www.hantverkslaboratorium.gu.se/digitalAssets/1382/1382930_rapport-trastallningar-2011-web.pdf. Maybe they can give you more tips on solutions?

 

[Markus P]

Interesting reading! However, a bit beyond the project's level of ambition =). My usual problem when building is that I ALWAYS build TOO stable. Unnecessarily stable. This time I plan to do the opposite, and really think through why each board and brace is placed where it is, and not make them thicker than necessary. They say you should tackle your demons...

 

[Hep]

Of course, one chooses good pallets, and a good EU-pallet (not disposable, heaven forbid!) is not made of "bad wood", they are really stable even if they don't have support underneath other than along the outer edges.

My experience from work is different from yours. We discard quite a few fully approved EUR-pallets, precisely because they are made of poor-quality wood and we don't want to risk anything. But that's not part of the discussion. You asked if others on the forum would dare to use it and I have answered what I think.

 

[Joakim V]

Built something similar out of scrap wood when I built a garage. But I used rough-hewn planks instead of pallets. It's good to think about how you screw it together so that it's easy to take apart when you want to move it to another wall. There is also a risk that the wood will crack around the screws if the wood is too thin. Especially with the 25x5 studs. So watch out for that.

 

[Markus P]

My experience from work is different from yours. We dispose of quite a few fully approved EUR-pallets, precisely because they are made of poor quality wood and we don't want to risk anything. But that's beside the point. You asked if others on the forum would dare to use it and I have answered what I think.

That's perfectly fine, all opinions count. I just wanted to point out that it's a prerequisite for the scaffolding that pallets of good quality are selected.

 

[Violina]

Stacked EU pallets are wobbly at height. I load tons of pallets but I would never want to stand on top of 15 pallets and work because it gets too wobbly.
Additionally, the maximum weight on a EU pallet is 1500 kg so they withstand relatively much. But personally, I would never build scaffolding with them.

That's why you should also brace them together..

The tallest stack of pallets I've used as a work platform was 23 high, works fine.

 

[Plupp 239657]

That's why you should put them together with braces too..

The tallest stacks of pallar I've used as a work platform were 23 high, works fine

Yes, it's at your own risk. I would never climb onto one =) Stacked 10 stacks yesterday, 1 was with "new" perfect pallar. Older pallar get a bit tricky and unstable. I usually lower from a height of 4.5 meters, and it's exciting every time it's windy

But then you have to be careful not to have people who work white on your home construction, then you're violating all sorts of regulations.

 

[Markus P]

Great illustrations! Which program was used to create the images?

Sketchup. Very useful and easy to learn. There is a free online version nowadays. It has been a dear friend for various constructions over many years. Highly recommended!

 

[Okarlsson]

I don't quite understand what you mean. What is the plank you are referring to? Can you sketch it out maybe?

If you move the longitudinal rail under the crossbeam, and make the crossbeam as high as a EU-pallet, then you can alternate between placing EU-pallets or planks without creating level differences.

 

[snuttjulle]

Personally, I would feel that the risk of injuries would be greatest when trying to lift the pallets to the right height. Sell them and buy good råspont for the money instead. Easier to put in place.