Tri-fold Pallet based education fair display

For my Master's degree, I have to present a research project at a "poster session."  Rather than make a traditional cardboard poster, I created a tri-fold display out of what else...pallet wood.  Here is about I went about creating this work of art.

The raw materials, left over from the pallet bench build of 2012.

My table saw...

...skilsaw

Some of the pieces that I pulled off the pallets.  

One of a few pieces that did not make it.  I misplaced my nail puller.  So I was separating each board from the pallet the old fashioned way - hitting the shit out of the boards from behind. This piece did not last through the pounding. 

My saw horses...notice also made out of pallets with an old door on top. 

Due to several broken pallet pieces I had to incorporate some leftover birch I had from a shelf project.  I ripped the birch into 3 1/2" pieces to match the width of the pallet piece.  

I had two uses for the cutoffs and unused pieces.  First was to add to my fire pit pile.  

Here are all my birch and pallet pieces cut and ripped to size.  Stacked and ready to go. 

In my effort to be as frugal as possible, I used only left over sandpaper from my garage.  Here is what I had to work with. 

The birch was pretty smooth.  However, I had to sand the pallet pieces quite a bit.  In the front of this picture is a sanded piece contrasted with an unsanded piece in the back.  

Sanded on the left, unsanded on the right...

Here I begin laying out the pieces to form my display.  

Here is a better idea of what it will look like.  12 inch pieces on the sides and 24 inch pieces in the middle.  Along with some hinges it will fold into itself nicely...

I used 1 1/4" gold screws and some 3/4" plywood rips to keep the individual pieces together. 

 A look at the backside...

 Here are the pieces starting to take shape, all it needs is some hinges.

3" nickel door hinges will bring it all together...

Here is the near final product...

a shot of the hinges...

Here is the tri-fold display folded up...

One side open and one side folded up...

 My creative director suggested I incorporate blackboard paint.  I decided to turn the top two pieces into a  blackboard.  Here the boards are taped off and ready for paint.

First coat...

Al of my display pieces and research are laminated against black construction paper and affixed to the "poster" with 1 inch screws (the screws that came with the hinges - I used longer screws to attach the actual hinges).

Here is the final display piece.  MPQ stands for "Masters Project Question."  That is written in chalk on the blackboard paint.  

I mentioned above that I had two uses for my leftover pieces.  The first was firewood and the second was to enhance the previously mentioned pallet bench. I put some of the leftover pieces under the front to tilt the bench back a little, like an Adirondack chair. 

Pallet bench build

In keeping with the hipster spirit of my bike trailer build and my coffee table build, I decide to fashion/ "re-purpose" two old pallets into a bench.

This bench is 100% recycled material.  The only tools used were a hammer and a saw.

The bench almost never came to be.  I was attempting to throw out the pallets for a company who did some siding work on one of my jobs.  Neither the garbage men nor the scrappers took the pallets.  After a week I decided to make something out of nothing.

Here is what I began with.  Two larger pallets, originally filled with house siding and delivered to a job site.

Being cheap and/ or "green," I removed and straightened every nail from pieces I took off the pallets.  I then reused every single nail.  

A few that I diligently made like new

Here is the beginnings.  One pallet was used for parts.  The other pallet is beginning to take shape as the seat of a bench and the back rest.

Here is a shot of my rough idea coming to shape.  At this point, the back is just balancing and not yet secured to the bench seat.  

Here is a side shot.  The short 2 x 4 on the back is the only piece of material that was not from the original two pallets.  But that piece of wood was heading for the garbage or the fire pit, so I threw it on for a little extra support to the back rest.  

A closer shot of the back of the bench. 

Here we are getting closer to the finished product.  A couple of notes.

1) I literally ran out of material so I did not fashion any arm rests.  Hopefully I come across another pallet and use that material.

2) The base of the bench is supposed to look like pallets.  I tore down, cut and built this base out of the "parts" pallet with the intent on it looking like two original pallets. 

Pre stain, but close to finished product.  

Side shot.  Notice the split piece is in a non load bearing location.  

Pointed eared friend was no help

Similar shot

Good look down the bench.  Notice the alternating yet natural colors of the back rest.  

This is all that remains from the original two pallets in the top picture.  A couple cut offs and splinters that will become fire wood.  Return to earth.  

Update 9/12/12***

Here is the stained up and sealed product.  Still missing armrests - need to dumpster dive some more pallets.  

Went with Cabot Australian Timber Oil "Natural" finish. I thought of painting the bench...possibly doing a white wash or some sort of distressed thing.  In the end I think the pallet wood is cool and this best displays that.  

Do they also make cottage cheese?

Here is the back stained up, but not the bench seat:

Another shot of the back all stained up:

Here the bench seat is half way done and not yet dry.  The color is slightly darker when dry.  

Pretty close to finished here, not quite dry yet.  

Somehow a cool grain appeared in spots when I applied the stain.  Who knew pallet wood was so exotic?