Joint sleepers (or any wood ends) at angles

[azk404]

Hello

Im doing a sleeper boarder in the garden and need to join them at different angles so is there a quick way of measuring the angles so they in can join up nicely?

I guess this goes for joining any wood ends at angles as I realise I don’t have much knowledge of this other than 45* mitres.

Cheers
A

 

[niall Y]

The folded piece of paper method can be quite handy. If you fold a sloping edge over on a sheet of paper to give you the overall angle of the joint, then folding this in half again, will give you the angle of each of the components. Use a sliding bevel to transfer this angle to the wood, which will give you a firmer edge to run your pencil or marking knife. against.

 

[Sachakins]

 

[Sachakins]

 

[owen]

Hello

Im doing a sleeper boarder in the garden and need to join them at different angles so is there a quick way of measuring the angles so they in can join up nicely?

I guess this goes for joining any wood ends at angles as I realise I don’t have much knowledge of this other than 45* mitres.

Cheers
A

Speed square

 

[recipio]

A miter protractor is a handy tool for laying out angles. Just lay the sleepers at the desired angle and take a reading. The better protractors tell you the exact angle to cut. Don't bother with digital models - an analogue dial type like a Starrett work very well. The question is how to cut multiple miters in sleepers. ? A hand saw would give you a good workout unless you want to invest in a beamsaw. !

 

[Spectric]

is there a quick way of measuring the angles so they in can join up nicely?

They might have nice joints when first done but the wood will move and there is a difference between hardwood and softwood sleepers over time. Also how do you intend to cut the sleepers as this will determine the finished joint and how are you going to join them ?

 

[Orraloon]

Build a raised planting bed in an angular design on sloped land - YouTube.

 

[mc281]

The folded piece of paper method can be quite handy. If you fold a sloping edge over on a sheet of paper to give you the overall angle of the joint, then folding this in half again, will give you the angle of each of the components. Use a sliding bevel to transfer this angle to the wood, which will give you a firmer edge to run your pencil or marking knife. against.

Also three strips of flat wood and a hot glue gun. Personally a larger sliding mitre gauge works OK.

 

[cmoops2]

Hello

Im doing a sleeper boarder in the garden and need to join them at different angles so is there a quick way of measuring the angles so they in can join up nicely?

I guess this goes for joining any wood ends at angles as I realise I don’t have much knowledge of this other than 45* mitres.

Cheers
A

What's your nightly rate for your sleeper 'boarders' (is breakfast included?) ...

 

[HamsterJam]

I made a hexagonal raised area with six sleepers joined at each end using half laps.
Used Google to get the angles.

(To make the joints, I marked up and cut the sides with a saw then drilled a series of holes along bottom of the trenches before whacking out the waste with a club hammer finishing with a chisel and shoulder plane.

 

[azk404]

Thanks for the replies, not sure why I found it so tricky but I definitely need practice getting the right angles. I think as the sleepers are so large (and it's a messy outside job) it's hard to do some of the methods above but I managed to get it close enough.

To cut it I used various saws and finally ended up using a £45 saw from black/decker which was slow but proved accurate enough with a simple guide - https://www.toolstation.com/black-d...1-JZBnPR2i2IWZiwnPRoCNwMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[shelmo]

The folded piece of paper method can be quite handy. If you fold a sloping edge over on a sheet of paper to give you the overall angle of the joint, then folding this in half again, will give you the angle of each of the components. Use a sliding bevel to transfer this angle to the wood, which will give you a firmer edge to run your pencil or marking knife. against.

I've never heard of this method before. It is genius!