Outdoor projects

[Charlotte]

So I need to make some raised beds and compost bins for the spring....

Should I be after pressure treated or tanalised wood? Or both?

Can I cut dovetails with a jigsaw?

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Thanks

 

[Digit]

pressure treated or tanalised wood?

Is there a difference?

Roy.

 

[Max Power]

Charlotte, tanalised is pressure treated and you could cut dovetails with a jigsaw but I wouldn't like to see the end result :shock: What are you going to use the dovetails with?

 

[Mattty]

Hi Charlotte,
Mike G made something similar a while back with big dovetails.

I'm no gardener but if it's for edible plants i'd suggest using untreated timber just to be safe. Untreated Oak sleepers can be got cheaply- the dovetails would take some cutting though!

 

[johnf]

Pressure treated and tanalised are the same thing I would use either mitred or butt joints and stainless screws

 

[MikeG.]

Mike G made something similar a while back with big dovetails.

............and here it is! https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32266&highlight=dovetails You'll see that you can do surprisingly accurate dovetails in crappy wood with a handsaw, a jigsaw, and a rasp. I realise now that I have never posted a photo of the finished items, on their legs. I will correct that oversight when I can be bothered.

The wonders of our Search facility meant that I only looked through 3.5 million postings before finding that link.

Mike

 

[LocalOak]

Charlotte

I have a number of raised beds that I made and use happily out of pressure treated wood. There are lots of theories about leaching and so on but the evidence I have seen suggests that if the wood is dried properly after treatment there is minimal leaching. Others will disagree

Unless you are going for some spectacular gardening I wouldn't bother with dovetails either, that seems like a huge amount of work for something that is basically holding dirt...

All I did was get some 12" x 1" planks, some 2"x2" for posts. Cut some 30" posts, cut a crude point, marked out the plot, banged in the posts at the corners and the middle of the longer lengths (8') and screwed the boards to them with exterior screws. Job done.

For the compost bins I have used some pallets, three held upright screwed to stakes with a loose one leant against for a fourth wall, very easy. I would be more hesitant using pressure treated wood for compost bins as you need to turn it more, it can heat up and get traces of organic solvents all of which are more likely to leach out the treatment chemicals. If I was doing it again I would make them a little more carefully, taking the wood off the pallets or even buying fresh wood.

Hope this helps, if not scroll on :lol:

Good luck with the project whatever you do. And get them done quick so the frost can have a good go at the soil before spring!

Toby

 

[disco_monkey79]

Matty - you mentioned untreated oak sleepers. I had been informed that sleepers are usually pine. Is this incorrect, or are some railways more fancy than others?

Anywho,, where can I get oak sleepers? Mrs DM79 wants raised beds out of sleepers.

Ta!

 

[jlawrence]

There's always plenty of sleepers forsale on fleabay.

 

[RogerS]

Mike G made something similar a while back with big dovetails.

..........

The wonders of our Search facility meant that I only looked through 3.5 million postings before finding that link.

Mike

Use google to search the site!

 

[BMac]

I use old scaffold planks for raised beds. They do a great job and are cheap. (Well, I get them free from a mate who is a builder because he has to replace them all the time).

Brendan

 

[TEO]

There's a hire shop near me that's been happy to give me old scaffold boards that are cracked or damaged and can no longer be put out for hire, may be worth an ask near you.
Otherwise, gravel board is pretty cheap, comes in several widths, 4 and 6" I think (not 100%, don't quote me), it's treated but personally I don't think that's going to be a problem. You can get that in all the normal places.
HTH
T

 

[TEO]

ps, I think sleepers will work out more expensive than gravel board.
T

 

[GrahamH]

Made mine out of gravel board, some 2"x2" post and some big screws.

Use the post in the corners with the boards just but jointed. Also put some post half way down the boards to make it slightly more rigid.

Just had a look at Mike Garnham's planter and want to cut mine up for firewood and start again :-(

 

[TEO]

Just had a look at Mike Garnham's planter and want to cut mine up for firewood and start again :-(

Yeah, like the veg are going to worry! Next they'll be asking for a bed time story before you tuck the fleece around them :wink:

 

[MikeG.]

Yeahbut............mine aren't a raised bed, they are ornamental plant boxes, and now stand on legs. I don't give two hoots what the plants think, as long as everything looks pretty outside the front of my house.

Mike