Making sheds using discarded pallet racks

I belong to Costco and BJ's
Whenever I go to my BJ's I always drive around back by the loading docks to see what they're throwing out.

Sometimes I see a black plastic pallet that was damaged -I weld black sprinkler pipe to them to repair the damage. Called plastic welding using heat gun.

Also have found many 28" x 52" red plastic bottoms for push carts some damaged some not-great for laying on ground to stack wood or pallets on

My absolute best find however are the pallet racks they use in the warehouse and stockroom for merchandise. The uprights are 42" deep and 12' tall
Two years ago I saw a stack of 6 uprights out for trash. I knocked on the loading door went inside spoke to their security guy and asked if I could take them. Sure he said
I have a Tacoma pickup with 6' bed. I bought a 5 ' bed extender that goes in receiver hitch. Went home to get it and now had 6 12 ft uprights no beams yet.
I kept watching and by the end of the summer I had 20 of the uprights.
I also came across around 15 10ft cross beams
Most had a little damage to them. Usually a twist or small dent in the first 2-3 ft at ground level. I easily straightened this or reveled do the bottom footplate.
I guess they have OSHA inspections and have to switch out bad ones hit by forklifts!
The forklift drivers must not be too careful because I continue to get the uprights. If I don't pick them up they get a dumpster and fill it with the uprights and other junk.

I built a 10 x 21ft shed that was going to be for firewood but ended up with a workbench, shelving, my 1920 tractor, golfcart stored in it. Added a 7 x 21 ft movable awning to the front that I lower down when a hurricane or nor'easter threatens. I used the 42"wide x 12' tall uprights for the sides, roof rafters and front awning. I ended up buying 2x4's for purlins and green metal roofing for roof and awning. Lowering awning before a nor'easter with 24 to 36 inches of snow was wonderful. Snow slid off, next day I raised awning and pulled out tractor to cleanup. Such a happy thing!


Built two other firewood sheds that were 8x11 with a 6 ft awning on the front
But before I could put firewood in them they got filled with rider mowers, power washer, snowblower and golf carts. One mower for the lawn the other for pulling log splitter and leaf sweeper in fall. I'm fixing up some golf carts so I have 4 (2 with dump bodies 2 without) got one carryall with dump body working now and I love it! (Great for carrying firewood but it's ONE wheel drive. Ha ha) surprisingly it makes it up a fairly steep hill covered with snow.



I still have more uprights for a firewood shed and plans to build one. I'm actually getting good at them I can even lift the 8x11 shed with roof but no sides with my tractor relocate it.

I have no more equipment to store in them so I might actually move firewood into the next one

Last week they had 8 more uprights for the trash. It killed me to pass them up but pass I did.

 

Adjustable awning - brilliant! You are a craftsman mikeward

 

Looks good!

I'm surprised scroungers don't snatch those up to turn into the scrap yards.

 

I am so jealous, I'm also looking for cool stuff like that!

 

My dad was a WWII vet and always scrounged and brought stuff home
He's gone now but I do the same thing. The kids always joke about the stuff I bring home
My standard line is its raw materials and I usually repurpose the stuff I get .
The kids also come over and scrounge from me too!

 

Well bassJAM they are 12 ft long. Kind of limits who gets em.
And a scrounger did get them just not for the scrapyard

 

I like anything metal because you don't have to pay to get rid of it if you don't use it.

 

Wicked awesome shed.

 

Just went to BJs
Yup another one out back. If you zoom in you can see a small dent in the lower cross rail
There's other gray metal and red plastic from carts too
what a waste

These racks are expensive. I could sell them here as used.

 

Well they did it again. All of the red carts were full of pallet racks and crossbeams.
I asked and was told to take what I wanted. Took all the beams first.
Not too many people can get the 12 ft long uprights and these were the heavier duty square ones.
Will give most away to others. I already have a few in stock

 

I can't believe they give that away, that's big money on Craigslist around here!

 

This is being super resourceful! Nice work on those sheds and equipment covers and shops. Wow I should take a look at these, see what I can find out.

 

Same here. I always ask and they say take them. most have a little tweak from a forklift. I use a big pipe wrench with cheater bar to twist it straight. Bet OSHA makes them toss em
I've been doing this for 4 yrs. and don't take em all the time. They put them in a big dumpster. What a waste
they should retrain the forklift drivers and not allow bumper car mindset

I know Lowes and HDepo here have signs not to take anything so I don't.
I always ask at BJ's
My brother lives near Albany and the BJ's there has signs not to take also

 

I agree but then again they gotta learn somehow. Now you got these things because of someone else's mistake. Their loss your gain!

 

Yeah my kids tease me about stuff like this and I just tell them it's "raw materials". Ha Ha!

 

most of the stores around here have fenced in pens out back where all the scrap like that goes. As for the bent racking, their drivers usually arent the sharpest tools in the shed, they destroy EVERYTHING. They replace them because they are now not structurally sound, and could cause a disaster if it collapsed. I used to make a fortune off BJ's when I was a tech. 99% of all stores forklifts run on the batteries that were sold by the guy who just trained me to take over for him.

Great idea on using the uprights for sheds though! I like how simple that would be to make a wood shed. If it wouldnt stick out like a sore thumb I would consider it in my yard.

 

That's a great use for those free goodies

 

mikeward,
Thanks for the post, a great tip, I'm going to Costco tomorrow and I'm going around back to check things out. Never been back there.

Marty

 

Never found any behind Costco. They seem to keep a tidy shop.
Have seen them behind Hdepo but with a sign no taking anything
I always ask before getting stuff. Wouldn't want see you get in a bind