fixing railway sleeper

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by lensman, Jan 17, 2004.

  1. lensman

    lensman New Member

    My missus has decided she wants a raised bedding area in our gardgen. My preferred way to build this is to get 3 railyway sleepers, saw one in half, then fix the four sections together to form an open bottomed box. What I'm undertain about is the bext way to join the sections to each other. The sleeper thickness is 6inches and it has to hold firmly and last out in the weather for umpteen years. Any suggestions?
     
  2. woodsmith

    woodsmith New Member

    Coach screws

    Will your plants like the creosote?
     
  3. bodget&scarpers

    bodget&scarpers New Member

    well apart from railway tracks and jarvis(later could not fix anything) sorry retract that statement, thank u legal beagles, try timberstore(south) of fencing comps, 4 some v long purpose made screws.
     
  4. Guy

    Guy Member

    Lensman,

    If you use coach screws alone, then they will need to be extremely long.
    I would make or buy some 90 degree galvanized brackets and use reasonable length stainless steel coach screws. Or use large angle iron section, they will take years to rust through.
    Fix them all on the inside of your box and then all is hidden.
    Sleepers as you know are heavy anyway. You are probably thinking that this needs to be stronger than it really has to be.
     
  5. Dewy

    Dewy New Member

    Someone 10 houses up the road used old railway sleepers as a retaining wall years ago.
    His house was backed by a bend in the brook & he build an interwoven fence on top.
    They eventually moved from water flooding. He then built a block wall to replace it & left the sleepers on the bank, where they kept getting washed away. By the time they reached the bend in the brook by my house Most creosote had weathered & washed out. I managed to haul a few out & used them as a raised bed. I laid them flat side down, rammed some steel bar through the ready made holes & in 9 years they haven't moved more than an inch. Heavy isn't the word for them. I had to use a winch to get them out the water & up the bank.
     
  6. Charlie Far!ey

    Charlie Far!ey New Member

    Drill them and drive a rod through. Make a template to keep the holes uniformed and then the rod will go through easily. 22mm hole for a 15mm pin - Childsplay!!!!

    No need to protect the pins as the bitumen in the timber will do that.


    :)
     
  7. salem2000

    salem2000 New Member

    we had staples made for the job. 1/2inch steel round section in "U" shape, approx 6" wide with 5" legs. pre-drill pilot holes and hammer in. cost about £1 each. can be used to tie in the sides and top. saw it used on a river renovation project in Stratford-on-Avon, works well.
     

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