I know the big stores sell them on, but where can I get small amounts of pallets for free?
I've made something similar to that but on a smaller scale,but I think it should work the same.First off I would secure the pallets together with 20 gauge wood screws,or a lag bolt of some kind.Then to mount them to the wall,i would cut a nailer out of scrap 2 by 4 ,2by2,or anything in between,cut to fit between the bottom boards on the left and right ,wood glue the two ends ,and then screw your nailer in between the two bottom boards.now you find your spot to in witch you want the shelf(pallet)and then screw into the studs on your wall through your nailer this will give you more support than you think.Now this is the tricky part,find your self some rope,chain,wire,or what ever will go with your decor, and that is whats going to support the front of you shelf.Now you mush mount hooks,or some other way of connecting the front of the shelf the chain,wire,or what ever . Then you mount a hook ,or some thing similar,to the wall to support the other side of your wire,rope,chain or whatever.The key to making it look good is finding your studs on you wall and trying to center the hole shelf on that so your support wire from the front of the shelf on both sides are even. I did it with a old stainless shelf unit with picture hanging wire and i get lots of complements from it . Hope this helps
Use a stud finder to find the studs. A magnet may also find the screws holding the drywall to the studs. Whatever you put up, use screws instead of nails. Nails work loose over time; screws last forever. Before sinking a screw, always pre-drill a hole (pilot hole) in the wood. Otherwise, the wood will split on the screw. I have two suggestions for a shelving system. One, the Home Depot etc... sells shelving systems. It starts with metal tubing about four feet long with slots all through it. You attach this vertically to the stud. Brackets fit into the slots. Shelves go on the brackets. Two, you might build a framework of 2x2s and attach it the wall and possibly the ceiling and/or floor. That might look alright. 2x2s aren't very big - yet sturdy. The studs in your wall should be 16 apart. Build five or six rectangles (7'x2') out of 2x2's, and add a couple of supports for shelves in the middle. It should look a lot like a ladder. Attach these five or six rectangles to the studs. To make the structure sturdy - screw in the 1x3 shelves into place. Your might want to tinker with the five or six rectangles. The outside might be longer than the other because it touches the floor. The inside (attached to the stud) may be a little shorter. Another factor to tinker with is the rectangle/ladder in the middle. It should help the 1x3's come together - so you build that one (or two) a little special. You put shelf supports on both sides of the rectangle. It's simple - space out on the floor three or four pieces of 2x2 shelf supports. Space them out like rungs on a ladder. Then atop these, attach two 7' 2x2's on the ends of the shelf supports. You've built a ladder. Then, atop that contraption, add three or four more pieces of 2x2 shelf supports. You have a double sided ladder. It gives you plenty of extra room to attach the shelves where the short pieces of 1x3's come together.
Good luck using recycled wood pallets. I've never seen a pallet yet that had wood good enough to make any kind of furniture or shelving. It is rough, cracks and splinters. It is made of the cheapest wood they can find. Maybe you were lucky but I'd spend a little extra and get some good lumber. 1x4's aren't all that expensive for what you want.
Karen, that is a very tough project using wood pallets. Think about maybe finding a second hand shelve unit at a garage sale or a second hand store. I wish you the best of luck on your project.
