Sleepers

[Pip]

Been given 3 lengths of timber sleepers, looks like oak, size 110cm x 22cm x12cm, not sure yet what to do with them, thinking of making plant troughs out of 2 of them and cutting up the other to make a few bowls.
What are the chances of being able to cut it into pieces about 22 x 22 x 12, then dry ready for turning without splitting ?
T.I.A.
pete

 

[marcros]

low

these things are pretty green when you cut them, at least the few that i got were. painting the ends will help a bit.

 

[Pip]

Thanks marcros, that's what I thought, looks like they will make a cold frame,
pete

 

[KimG]

Without seeing them I cannot say, but all the sleepers I have seen so far in more than 50 years, have been made from softwood, so they can absorb the tar/creosote or whatever they protect them with I presume, Oak would be much less able to absorb stuff I would think. But that doesn't mean they're not Oak, you have them and can see the grain, I am just surprised as I had not come across them before.

 

[Fitzroy]

I built a raised bed out of untreated oak sleepers last year, same dimensions as yours 25cmx12cm. The sleepers were from gumtree and had been stacked in a chaps yard for a couple of years unused. You can see some photos in the post of the sort of splits that had occurred in the sleepers as they had air dried, most of these splits were in the end of the sleepers. I cut two sleepers in half for the short side and the cubes of oak from the half lap joints on the cut ends were actually very good quality with no splits, however they were still far from dry.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/raised-beds-oak-framing-t100371.html?hilit= sleeper

F.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I believe they are just called sleepers because of their dimensions and are mean for garden use not railways. I've seen loads of oak ones, but never a tanalised oak one - the preservative isn't any good for a garden, anyway.

 

[Keithie]

Another question...

My sawmill kindly chopped up (into correctly orientated 8x8" square bowl blanks) what they described as 'probably a green oak sleeper thats a bit wany and been lying there a while' for not very much money.

So I've sealed the ends up with PVA..

The ends dont look too split on any of them at the moment ...but they were wet when I sealed them.

Questions : what to expect (presumably various enormous cracks in the wood?) and any tips for dealing with that when I start turning them ?

cheers

 

[CHJ]

Keithie , If at all possible put them in Paper sacks (potato sacks).

This will keep the moisture gradient equalised on all surfaces in their own micro climate, this will slow the evaporation down as it will have to transpire through the layers of paper. Expect a timespan of one to two years as a minimum.

(If you use Plastic Sacks to control micro climate you will need to turn the sacks inside out every one or two days to dispel accumulated moisture, failure to do so will result in serious mould problems)

Alternatively Rough turn them to ten to twelve times the intended wall thickness and place on a rack to dry out, best wrap the outside in several layers of newspaper and place inverted, expect some to split on you, hopefully if dried slowly with care then the failures will be a low percentage.

 

[Keithie]

Thanks ...the potato sack plan sounds good. I'll put them in a couple and park them in the back of one of the sheds (you can never have too many sheds!) for a couple of years ... I guess Ican use some of my turnings around them too (I've recently completed filling my first large dustbin load with them!).

cheers
Keith

 

[Dalboy]

Also when storing them especially if you are stacking them don't forget to put them in stick. I have cut mine into rounds and then seal with a diluted PVA glue and put them in stick I also apply the same when I rough turn them and seal only the outside

 

[Paul Hannaby]

If you want to dry the wood, don't cut it into short lengths, just seal the end. At that thickness, it will take a few years to dry properly.

Alternatively, cut the blanks and rough turn them so you reduce the thickness / volume of wood you need to dry. There have been plenty of similar discussions on the same subject on this and other forums so search for more info if you need it.

 

[Keithie]

Thanks Dalboy and Paul ..

Def glued up ..I buy pva in cheapo 5 litre containers from b&q ..its functional

I was thinking lazy and let time do the work....but if your suggesting rough turn first then I'll go with that

thanks again

 

[Dalboy]

As you can see I stack mine in stick the rough turned and the blanks cut into discs the spindle type blanks are just stacked but with air gaps so that there is an air flow all the way around. In this store I also keep my flat stock as well.
This is a covered area with plenty of air circulation but not direct wind. I have lost very little in the way i do mine but I have some apple which I need to check in my other store where my wood that is still in log form but the ends sealed.

First pic mostly rough turned
Second pic blanks in the round with flat stock underneath
Third pic spindle blanks with some hollow form blanks

 

[Keithie]

Thanks Dalboy ... I didnt really fully understand what you meant by 'stick' ...I thought you meant glue ...dunnowhy I didnt ask ...my bad!

The pics are great and help me understand now ..thanks ...sounds like good news that you dint get much splitting this way.

I only have three old apple trees (though I'm in the heart of apple orchard land so most neighbours have many) and my prunings split terribly....but I've not had to fell any of my trees yet (luckily) so I'm only losing very small stuff. I guess what you're telling me is that fruit wood can be dried well for turning but itneeds careful management ? Do you ca glue splits as they appear in drying fruitwood logs or just pva /paint them ? Kinda looks like you're covering the ends in newspaper ...but maybe thats not the fruitwood (as you said the applewood is still in log form)

thanks again

 

[Dalboy]

Fruit wood is not the easiest to dry as you have found out that is why I need to check mine to see if it has split.

Most of what you see in the pictures is London plain,oak, spalted beech, sapele, Iroko(bloody horrible stuff), walbut, elm, holly, yew, abw, hornbeam and some others which I forget what they are at the moment.

The sticks help give air circulation.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Whack some pva on fruitwood within minutes of cutting it. I found this fine -
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18844? ... r%20pva%20
Although I tend to mix any pva that's gone lumpy or thickened in with it with a little water.
There is a reason to be a bit careful, I suppose - there is no point in using something too waterproof, you're try to control the drying not stop it.

 

[CHJ]

I think one of the most significant things with 'stock' in store is the very fact it is stacked/packed away reasonably densely in an enclosure, this means that it is in it's own little climate bubble with just gentle breathing air movement which reduces rapid drying from any given surface.