Sometimes being cheap doesn’t pay

My yankee thrift sometimes gets the best of me. Spend $2 on an extra cinder block? Naaaa the pallets will hold up….


Oh well not anymore. Threw another block in the middle on future stacks

 

Walmart called wondering when they get their pallets back. If I was you, I'd bring the broken one back!

 

Most of us have been there in one way or another I've been fortunate enough to have come across plenty of free cinder blocks in the past, and continue to acquire them as they pop up. Eventually they get used, then reused over and over again.

 

That's probably wise to do the middle, too, because as you say, it's cheap insurance!

 

If its any consolation Geoff, im just as cheap. I have learned the hard way too and have had too redo stacking either pallets or racks. I still wont pay for them though as i have a knack for getting stuff free.

 

I'm one of the cheap ones too. I'll just replace the broken/damaged pallet with another free pallet if it can't be fixed easily.

 

Free bricks are usually easy to find too.
I have yet to elevate my pallets....as long as I keep the grass and weeds from blocking airflow, no issues yet.
Sca

 

Why are you putting blocks under the pallets? I just started stacking on pallets this year, so still learning.

 

Blocks under pallets is usually to gain more airflow underneath. Seems like a good idea. I would rather just stack double pallets if possible but I don't want it to be more wobbly, less stable. If I had my druthers and pallets or runners are 6" off ground or 3" off ground, I'd prefer 6".

 

I'm cheap as well... I reuse the drain oil from my tractors in my lawn mowers (well some of it) because each one holds 3 gallons. I use some more for 'accelerant' in my burn pile and the remainder goes burned in my waste oil furnace in the shop. I like to keep the oil in the tractors changed when it just starts coloring up and I always do a spectro analysis on it and Blackstone always tells me I can run it farther.

Don't use it for bar oil however. Don't 'cling' that well. I stick with real sticky bar oil.

 

Another idea to limit moisture at ground level, is to roll plastic under before putting pallets down. This keeps weeds from growing under, might limit pests from moving around.....
Im doing this for all new wood piles since last summer. 6 mil plastic, usually 10x25. I cut the long way and put a 4' strip under, and the remaining 6' strip as top cover.

We're into it about a year, so I haven't pulled a pile coverd as such, apart yet.
Sca

 

Keeps the pallets off the ground to extend their life, more air flow underneath, and its a tad higher to lessen bending fatigue.

 

Except 6" of cinder blocks means either shorter stax, or something to stand on to build the stack.

 

I've been using it for many years with no problems. The saw was bought in 84 or 85 and I've only changed the bar once that I remember....maybe twice (?) in all those years.

With the more frequent oil change on vehicles now-a-days, it's more of a "re-purposing" position for the not so used engine oil.

 

I too like the idea of repurposing. I looked for the tackifier stuff someone listed here a year or so back, but could never find it.
Finding used motor oil, maybe filtering or letting it settle a while and making my own b&c oil would be awesome.
I'd go in on a barrel of that stuff in pretty short order.
Sca

 

Is that being cheap or lack of engineering prowess ?
Or both ?

 

Cheap for sure.
B&C oil isn't unafforadable, but if there is a way to make some for cheaper than I can buy it premade.....
I'll look up the recipe online instead of engineering my own.
Sca

 

30w oil with a pinch of Idatack.

 

Is idatack a local name.....nothing on 2 search engines I looked for it on.
I did find a company that makes tackifiers though.
Sca

 

I wonder if a bottle of Motor honey or STP would help motor oil stick to the bar.