Smokin' Bench!

My husband LOVES his smoker. I LOVE his smoker too since that means that I get a bunch of Yummy Noms! But he needed somewhere (other than the ground) to put all of his tools, pans and the essentials needed. So I decided to build him one.

First I drug home some pallets (Not literally or I would have some serious splinters). I like the outdoor pallets that are rated for outdoor weather, but you do not always get your choice in what you scavenge. So to remedy this, you will need to paint or seal it.

HLT: Look for the blue or Red pallets that have been used by major stores (i.e. Walmart, Home Depot, etc). They will usually store stuff outdoors and will have them. Always ask before you take them though, or you will get screamed at, since they reuse these as much as possible.

I took two pallets that were roughly the same size and made them the sides. Then take your 2x4s or whichever you can pull off of another pallet to put across the top, screwing in with 2" outdoor screws, at the length that you desire.

 I chose to leave room at the back so that I could put a smaller pallet in the back. Then I lined the boards with smaller planks. Since I didn't want water to drip though, I placed them very close together. This serves as the top or "table". I then repeated the process in the middle but I put the back 2x4 at the very back - in order for the back pallet to rest on. Having that back pallet not only gives me a space to hang utensils later, but also gives the bench more stability. Screw the pallet in to both sides and middle shelf.

Go over the piece with a sander to get any nasty splinters out. I also run my dremmel over the deep gashes to smooth out the spots that the sander can't get to.

Then Paint! Use exterior paint so that it will last a long time.

HLT: Non-weather resistant pallet wood will soak up the paint, so be sure to get enough for your project, plus some. I used about a half gallon on this.

I wanted to store his smoking wood in there as well so I added another pallet underneath, since wood needs to be stored off the ground to allow air to vent and keep it dry.

Let me know how yours turns out! I would Love to see them!

Deborah