Raised Garden Bed made from Treated Pine Sleepers.
Not a "How To" just how FF did it.
I chose treated pine sleepers because they should last longer than the
Colorbond equivalent plus they look great with a coat of paint. Admittedly, the Colorbond
models are very attractive but no-one seems to know how long they will last. Colorbond units advertised as
40cm high are really 38cm high.
Click on thumbnail to view a larger image.
Obtain 9 Treated Pine Sleepers 2.4m 200x50. Cut 3 in half and then saw into even lengths so that you
have 6 at about 2.4m and 6 at about 1.2m. Make sure the sleepers are stacked level during this
time as they tend to warp e.g. don't leave them leaning against a wall.
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Paint the sleepers Brunswick Green - no other colour is suitable! Apply two coats especially on the
ends. This will seal the nasties in.
See
CSIRO fact sheet (page 3 of 7) on the safety of CCA timber in vegie garden beds.
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Make a level base with two lengths of sawn timber. Lie out two sides and two ends and, using a
level and a square, tack the corners using the Rigid Tie Angle Brackets. These gizmos will pull
everything into shape. That's the top done so turn it over and build upwards.
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After drilling guides holes, nail the ends with three 75mm bullet head galvanised nails preferably on a slight
angle. Fix some angle brackets using only galvanised flat heads. Of course, this would be much
stronger if bolted.
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With everything nailed up you could use filler to seal any cracks or holes. This will improve the
appearance and may exclude dampness especially at the ends of the sleepers. Cut a length of
hardwood 100x50 to fit the inside width and skew nail it in place.
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Nail the connector plates to the sides and ends using galvanised flat heads. Place them on a 45 degree angle to give added
strength. Now give everything a touch up with the Brunswick Green without stinting.
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Cut the polythene film so that you have two 1m wide lengths. Fold over by about 100mm and position as
shown at left. Using the Moulding Cover hide the fold and nail. Use gaffer tape to join the
ends.
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Raised Garden Bed - complete.
click to enlarge
| ACCOUNTS: All products Bunnings prices. |
| AMOUNT |
ITEM |
COST |
| 9 |
Treated Pine Sleepers 200x50 2.4m |
143.10 |
|
Hire shop ute |
20.00 |
| 500g |
Nails Pryda Galv Flathead 35x3 (Abt 180) |
13.59 |
| 100g |
Nails Clouts Galv Paslode 25x2.8 |
4.48 |
| 500g |
Nails Bullet Head Galv Paslode 75x3.75 |
7.71 |
| 8 |
Multigrips 1mm Pryda 100x35 |
4.80 |
| 4 |
Bracket Rigid Tie Angles 145x145x35 |
15.20 |
| 6 |
UniTie 1mm Pryda 170x32 |
3.90 |
| 4L |
British 4-Seasons Paint Brunswick Green |
54.60 |
| 4 |
Connector Plate Pryda 75x380 nail on |
6.36 |
| 4 |
Bracket Pergola Angles Pryda 130x50x47 |
6.72 |
| 3 |
Moulding Cover White 2.4m 31x6 |
13.02 |
| 1 Roll |
Film Polythene Roll Handy Black 5m x 2m |
8.85 |
|
TOTAL |
302.33 |