# Joining Sleepers?



## theartfulbodger (20 Nov 2013)

I've been away from the forums for some time but find myself embarking on a project and could do with some advice  

How best to join railway sleepers?

Everyone I've spoken to says "rebar" I'm guessing I'd need a whacking long drill bit and a big hammer as well....

Apart from Ebay a google search leaves me unable to find a stockist... I've tried searching without much luck. The Jewsons website just lists drill bits when you search for "rebar" but doesn't list any prices #-o 

A quick google search of 'joining railway sleepers' throws up "timberlock railway sleeper screws" as an option. Again from ebay :roll: 

Sorry to ask such a daft question, but UKW is the place where I'm confident someone could answer it 

Any and all advice much appreciated, all the better if I can get what I need from Toolstation, Screwfix or Wickes.

I have a mate visiting at the weekend with his noisy saw so want to be prepared to make full use of his help.

Thanks very much in advance
Bodger


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## blackrodd (20 Nov 2013)

Any steel factor should be able to get steel bar for you. perhaps google steel/metal supplies in you're area.
Or A builders merchant may help with a supplier for you're needs.
Regards Rodders


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## theartfulbodger (20 Nov 2013)

Thanks, Rodders!

Is there another name for rebar? Just had a look at websites of a couple of timber/building supplies places I've used before and a search for "rebar" gives no results.

I'll get on the phone in the morning but it'd be useful to plan my day.


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## Cottonwood (20 Nov 2013)

How are you intendinng to jon the sleepers? end to end, at right angles, stacked up to make walls? Are you intending to cut any actual joints such as half laps, or will you rely totally on a mechanical fixing?
One idea that came to mind if your stacking them is the method they use in Sweeden to fasten logs together using thick wooden pegs driven through like huge nails
My brother in law made a garden feature out of sleepers, he pinned them with stainless threaded rods, washers and nuts. He just needed to use a sds drill IIRC


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## theartfulbodger (20 Nov 2013)

The plan is to lay one sleeper on top of another, with the widest face touching each other to form a low retaining wall. 

Possibly cut to 4 foot lengths and overlapping each other, in the same pattern as a brick wall, but that'll depend on the amount of good wood I have after the choddy ends of the sleepers have been lopped off.


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## petermillard (20 Nov 2013)

Rebar = "reinforcing bar" - a quick google shows up plenty of hits, including all the usual builder's merchants. Personally, I think I'd rather bolt it all together with 12/14/16mm studding tough...

HTH Pete


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## bellringer (20 Nov 2013)

wickes sell it


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## No skills (20 Nov 2013)

Stainless studding if your going to see the ends of it.


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## theartfulbodger (20 Nov 2013)

Thanks, everyone! Plenty of info to ponder on.


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## t8hants (20 Nov 2013)

Re-bar comes in 20' lengths, and is best cut with an angle grinder, or by your supplier. It is also a higher tensile strength than ordinary mild steel, so it is stronger per given diameter. It is usually only used to spike along side sleepers to keep them in position, but you can bore and pin the sleepers with it. Another method of jointing sleepers into longer lengths is to use pieces of 152x152x23Kg universal column, and drop the sleepers ito the two slots formed by the *H*. When I was in the steel trade all our column off cuts were sought after by landscape gardeners for that trick.

G


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## Zeddedhed (20 Nov 2013)

I built a retaining wall that was about 45m long by just under a metre high for a client last summer.
First sleeper went into a shallow trench on a concrete base, haunched up the sides a bit to stop it moving around.
Then a hole was drilled and a length of rebar pounded through into the ground whilst the concrete was still wet.
Subsequent sleepers stacked on top (staggered) and fixed down with monster timber lock style screws.
The whole thing hasn't moved at all, so I'd say it was a reasonably good way of doing it.


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## Mar_mite (21 Nov 2013)

I built a wall for raised flower beds years ago using sleepers, I just toshed 4" wire nails all along the back and side edges where they wasn't seen. It was solid. Went back to the job a couple of years later and it hasn't moved an inch. Cheaper that stainless threaded rod.


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## theartfulbodger (21 Nov 2013)

bellringer":2sqon68o said:


> wickes sell it



This sort of thing?
http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/188304
Drawn Steel Round Bar 5mm x 1m
At £2.99 that's cheap enough  


I've found Timberlok screws as well but they work out at about a pound each, unless you buy 50 :wink: 
http://www.screwfix.com/search.do?fh_se ... ew_size=20
There's often a balance between cost and hassle so I might go for the screws but I'll wait to see how many I need before buying them.

Thanks again everyone for the help and ideas.


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## markturner (21 Nov 2013)

You need these: http://www.roundwood.com/product/118.aspx


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## MMUK (21 Nov 2013)

In the past when I've built sleeper walls I've used 6" stainless hex head coach bolts counterbored and plugged.


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## andersonec (21 Nov 2013)

We have been building raised beds for some years now using sleepers and my preferred method is, as per a previous post, lay the first on a concrete base, place the second (brick fashion) and at each end drill through to at least half way into the first with a 20mm auger bit, hammer in some 20mm copper pipe and cut flush, proceed in the same manner until your wall is built, for a little extra added security we cut up galvanised roof straps and screw to the full height of the sleepers on the inside which is going to be covered with soil.
Remember steel will eventually rust away and the movement of the sleepers will tend to be a sliding action so your pipe will have to be 'sheared' to break it and it will not bend or deteriorate, it cannot be pushed over because all your sleepers are 'tied' together.

Andy


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## Max Power (23 Nov 2013)

markturner":45k0n7pu said:


> You need these: http://www.roundwood.com/product/118.aspx


They look the business Mark, look as though they would be very easy to make as well, if you were inclined


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