document updated 15 years ago, on Oct 9, 2009
Two major issues in using pallets is 1) where do we buy them?, but more importantly, 2) how do we transport them to FreeGeek?
Transporting
- transporting assembled pallets
- my car (Subaru WRX) won't fit even a 36" pallet
- Becky's car WILL fit up to a 42" wide pallet. With the hatch open, we can accomodate almost unlimited length! (36" x 56" pallet would be no sweat)
(it can probably only transport one or two pallets per run, but hopefully sellers will accomodate us, and let us buy several pallets at once but transport
- none of the other staff members own motor vehicles
- some pallet companies offer delivery, though we're extremely economical, and we only need onsies-twosies quantities, so this might not be a practical option for us
- if we could find a place close enough to FreeGeek to buy pallets, we could transport them down the sidewalk on a two-wheel dolly (or one of these mofos), but that seems like a last-ditch option, unless we can find a place real close
- transporting disconnected boards
- can be carried in almost any car
- however, this requires us to be proficient and cheap at assembly, which isn't necessarily the case, especially given the fact that pallet-construction is so ubiquitous and it would be extremely difficult to keep up with the existing economies of scale
(Seriously, these things are designed to take a beating. I'm sure we could half-ass one for $10 (the average going rate for one pallet), but I don't know if we could build as sturdy of one for anywhere near $10, unless we have someone who has a lot of construction experience)
(I can handle power tools just fine, it's the wisdom/discernment that comes only from experience that I think is sorely lacking. Building these requires practical experience about what makes something last for a LONG time, and what won't hold up nearly as well. You can only get that through trial/error and waiting months and months to see if your changes have the desired effect or not)
Where to buy them
- disconnected boards
- Home Depot, Menards, etc etc
- assembled pallets
- Google Maps search: there are lots of places
- Express Pallet, 2321 N Sacramento Ave / Humboldt Blvd, 773-384-3193
(1.1mi away, just south-east of Logan Square)
- three places just east of the massive Metra switching-track complex, along Hubbard St (runs east/west) between Western and Ashland
- Commercial Pallet, 2029 W Hubbard St, 312-226-6699
From the look of the place, they mostly do VERY LARGE orders, and deliver most things, instead of customers coming to them. Nonetheless, they sold me some pallets for the wholesale/bulk rate, and seemed very friendly even when I only bought one or two.
- Los Primos Pallets, 2013 W Ferdinand St, 312-773-2074
(immediately NW of Damen & Hubbard)
- Mex Pallet Service, 1652 W Hubbard St, 312-226-2270
- gaylords / other boxes
