Bonsai Display Stand - One Day at a Time

[Watto]

Just for fun I thought some people might enjoy a day by day construction of a display stand from a slab to a completed project. My plan is to make a posting each day until completion - unless work takes me away.
So here is the story.
About 6 or 7 years ago I picked up an old pallet and the plan was to burn it in my potbelly stove (in the shed) but I noticed that one piece was a bit different so I decided to run it though the thicknesser a couple of times and I was delighted to find that the timber was a rich red colour. As it turned out there were two pieces of this colour as I investigated further.
I sat it aside for many years but after some recent posts about display stands I decided it was time to dust it off and see if I could make a stand out of it.
So this is day one, photo one and this is it after dusting.

[kcpoole]

Lovely grain and colour, is that coated at all?

Ken

[Elmar]

Magic color!
I've been loading Chep palettes and some of the more stuffed-up examples have fared similar to the palette you described. I noticed that their wood, although not as red as that, have very pleasant light red colour!
I'm not advocating the removal and re-utilizing of Chep palettes (I'd consider that theft), but if you find them thrown out at the tip and you're permitted to collect...it'd be worth it!



Cheers
EZ
Sent using Tapatalk

[Watto]

Day two - here are all the bits cut up. Day one was a thicknesser, and day two was a table saw and a sliding mitre saw.

[dandybonsai]

Magic color!
I've been loading Chep palettes and some of the more stuffed-up examples have fared similar to the palette you described. I noticed that their wood, although not as red as that, have very pleasant light red colour!
I'm not advocating the removal and re-utilizing of Chep palettes (I'd consider that theft), but if you find them thrown out at the tip and you're permitted to collect...it'd be worth it!



Cheers
EZ
Sent using Tapatalk

In major cities most factory/ industries put out pallets to collect for public.

There's all types of material to be collected,you just need to be careful of what maybe present in the timber.

In my street at work most Friday afternoons there would be 6 plus cubic metres of pallets.( most hardwood is suitable for pot belly or fire pit or small projects such as this)

Look hard enough some more beautiful timber can be found,i spotted some large Merbau pallets a truck would be required to take them.(I asked they said help yourself to it..it makes good fire wood!)

I love the idea of this post, will be watching closely.

[Watto]

These two pieces will become the main section of the stand. It is made this size to fit a particular tree. I should have posted this with yesterday photo, but day three will be this afterboon.
I agree that there is plenty of things that others throw away that may be useful, the "leftovers" from my projects eventually go in the fire to keep me warm.

[Watto]

So day three. The two pieces were put together using a biscuit joiner and all the other pieces were cut at the 45 to make an edge and for the under carriage. Sorry about the quality of the photo but the photo was taken in the dark.

[dark1]

G,day Watto, This looks like a real good find, all the pallets I have come across are usually some shari pine. This looks to me as if it could be Jarra. I am interested to see the end result as I too am making bonsai tables when I have the time! So far so good, are you a cabinetmaker, you seem to know what you are talking about and the progress so far is looking very professional. All power to you, Michael.

[Watto]

Michael I'm just a wood butcher but I do enjoy it and you learn a little every time you make a mistake.
So, day four. The surrounds are attached using the biscuit joiner and when the glue is dry the next stage is to give it a good clean up with a belt sander. Every time I sand it the colour seems to change but it is getting nice and smooth and flat now.

[Neli]

Hm! Cleer boy!
I am the same one day at a time. He he he! Just that I make them from concrete.

[Watto]

If its Wednesday it must be day five. The undercarriage now needs to be attached. The parts were already cut so its just a matter of fitting them and glueing and attaching.
Seeya tomorrow!

[dark1]

Hi Watto, Coming along well. I see no legs yet are they still to come? Waiting to see what you are going to finish the timber with. Are you going to do any moulding of the edges? Looking forward to the next step, I should have done this but my computer skills leave a lot to be desired! Michael.

[Watto]

Michael - you are just one step ahead of me.
Now I really was running short of suitable timber to construct the legs, so I cut one longish piece at 45 deg angles on both sides, them I cut it down the middle. I then glued the two cut edges together. Not a system I would recommend until I had it perfected, but if you don't give it a go you never, never know.
Anyway after the glue was dry I cut the piece into the appropriate length for the legs. Now just a bit of sanding and they will be right to attach.
Day six and it has been fun.

[Pup]

Hi Watto been following this with great interest, as I am a big advocate that all trees displayed should have a stand.

Now what I would like to ask if I may what dimensions please? as I want to copy you a friend gave me some Jarrah boards, and asked if I could do any thing with them.
After seeing what you have done, I am sure I can. If you do not want to I will understand.
Cheers Pup

[Watto]

Hi Pup.
The original piece off the pallet was the standard pallet size, maybe 1200x150mm. The stand now is about 300x250mm and I have used all of the original piece so it does take a reasonable amount of timber to make a small stand. This stand is for a shohin bonsai I am currently developing.
Cheers - Watto