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How to unwarp Pine sleeper?

I have treated pine garden bed (around 5-7 yrs old) running alone the perimeter of the house. They have been capped with 75mm sleeper on top and some of them have warped over time. I see the that the capping has been secured by nails. Would I be able to straighten the capping by screwing batten screws? The timber has warped atleast by 5-10 cm in certain places.

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MitchellMc

Hi @J-P,

Can you upload an image, so our helpful members have a better idea of the issue you're dealing with? They'd then be much better placed to offer useful advice.

You can certainly use landscape screws to fix the warped timber back in place. However, given these are 75mm thick sleepers, I presume you're going to struggle to return them to the correct shape. Depending on the direction in which the timber has warped, you might be able to push it back into place and fix it off. If there is substantial warping, then I'd recommend you consider replacing the timber and adequately securing it so this issue doesn't arise again.

I'll be looking forward to those images and assisting further. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

J-P

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/25788#Comment_25788

would batten screws not work? I have a big box of them (100mm). Also do you know why they would have used nails instead of screws on first place?

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/75581#Comment_75581

Large 16G batten screws would work @J-P, but I'm not sure if 100mm would be long enough to go through the 75mm sleeper whilst providing enough length to secure the sleeper to the post adequately. I'd suggest something along the lines of Zenith 14G x 150mm Galvanised Type 17 Batten Bugle Head Timber Screws would be more appropriate.

I couldn't say why they chose nails instead of screws, but nails would have worked in most situations. Unfortunately, your sleeper has decided to bow upwards and pull the nails out.

Mitchell

J-P

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/101572#Comment_101572

Thanks Mitch. Will try that and let you know

Noyade

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/117741#Comment_117741

Hi @J-P

Just wondering how you got on with this - did you have a win? 😁

The ability of wet sleepers to warp is simply astounding - especially if they're not 'controlled' when first installed.

A neighbour tossed a large pile of old treated sleepers onto his nature strip the other day and I asked if I could have them. "Certainly!" he said.

Just looked at them now more closely. I should have looked more closely at them when they were on the nature strip.

Here's a couple (2.4m).

Now you need to trust me here - both ends, are held down on a flat surface with a heavy weight...

One End One End

At the other end...

Noyade

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/127493#Comment_127493

A Thursday afternoon experiment.

Expected outcome = A permanently flat and reusable sleeper.

Method = Clamp one end and cut two long wide kerfs mid-length, in the direction of the warp...

And deep...

Then clamp the other end - slowly...

Ideally the twisting moment will bring the ends together - as the sleeper flattens...

It did...

Clamping was very easy now - and the other end now flat....

Release the clamp.

And the wretched thing springs back to the original ridiculous angle...

Conclusion = A complete and utter waste of time - but fun. 😁

However, I wonder if glue in the cuts would assist, once allowed to dry?

J-P

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/133582#Comment_133582

@Noyade @MitchellMc - I gave up on the first try itself. The screw went until it was in warped position. When I screwed it further to make it I in warp my impact drill gave up. I had to stop becos the motor started to burn. Mine was a ozito but I know Makita and ryobi could have been better but I didn’t try.

may be another experiment for you. Make a half way (or 1/3rds) cut where it is midway for warp and then try holding them down with screws.

I think they should have been held together when installed is my conclusion.

May be I will put some smurfs there doing a slide or rock climbing to make it look natural 😀

Noyade

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/137350#Comment_137350

Hi again @J-P

I was thinking earlier about your specific problem. To me, it needs to come down very slowly - before you screw it into place. One thought on achieving (possibly) this, is positioning pre-drilled thick angle iron into place and then passing a large bolt through them.

Tighten daily - just a couple of turns.

Regularly wetting the sleeper may help? Once down - screw into position or screw a thick steel plate at the back.

This is all theory of course. 😁

In the meantime, I'm no longer losing sleep over my sleepers. 😁

J-P

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139944#Comment_139944

Hi Noyade - Now that’s how an engineer would like to fix it and I wish I am in my 20s and have a lot of throw away time and curiosity. So I will wear my manager hat and pay $60 to get 3 new sleepers and get it done. Easier. 😀😀😀

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139944#Comment_139944

Hi @Noyade

Sorry to hear that the experiment did not work. I was hopeful that the cut would allow you to untwist the sleeper. But I'm afraid the fibres in the tree are just too tough.

Eric

Noyade

Hi again @J-P

"Hi Noyade - Now that’s how an engineer would like to fix it and I wish I am in my 20s and have a lot of throw away time and curiosity."

I'm no engineer.

I'm not young.

But I do have time on my hands. 👍

And I do like to utilise "free" products where I can, so I've decided I'm gonna use these sleepers. My project is to raise a Berlin Wall and wage a war against those black birds with orange beaks who shot-put bark over the present barricade. I'm gonna fabricate my own steel supports and whip those sleepers into alignment - even if it kills me! 😁 And paint.

J-P

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/28817#Comment_28817

Reduce reuse recycle is the way to go. I live in a suburb that is still building and on a walk every now and then I find strip of nails, screws and pipes that I put to reuse.

curious to see how you reused it.

Noyade

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/76950#Comment_76950

Morning @J-P

Agree about recycling - especially steel.

I don't want to derail your thread any further - so I'll start another one at some point showing what happens - success or failure.

I'm thinking "Building a Better Bird Bark Barrier."

Cheers!

Noyade

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/102447#Comment_102447

"I have treated pine garden bed (around 5-7 yrs old) running alone the perimeter of the house."

I went to Bunnings this morning to look at hardware for my 'Bird Wall" and saw these sleepers - I think they're 300 x100mm.

You may take some solace @J-P in these photos, proof that warped/deteriorating sleepers happens to the best.

This is part of the Bunnings delivery area - which must have been built circa 2010.

Australia's environment is cruel and harsh.

J-P

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/118237#Comment_118237

Yup agree that it is natural process for any wood. Did you manage to shoo the brown with yellow beak birds?

Noyade

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/127501#Comment_127501

Hi @J-P

I'm working on it...

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/t5/Outdoor/How-to-extend-the-height-of-garden-bed/m-p/163565#M21457

Noyade

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/133591#Comment_133591

I saw this one on clearance at Bunnings this morning - it's been there a few weeks. No takers yet. Only $5....

Now there's a challenge...

J-P

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/137900#Comment_137900

It is waiting for creative creators from this group

@Noyade @EricL @MitchellMc @JacobZ @Dave-1

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/140301#Comment_140301

Hi @J-P & @Noyade,

She's a bit of a banana, I'd probably avoid using that one if I'm honest.

You could in theory bend it back by steaming it and clamping it straight, but it's likely that it would bend back because of the tension inherent in the timber.

I'd probably look to find a curved garden bed or something along those lines to put it to use, or you could mill it down using a table saw and turn it into smaller timbers for other uses.

An interesting thought though, how can this kind of thing be best put to use?

Jacob

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/142031#Comment_142031

Afternoon @J-P and @Noyade

🙂 I have done the reverse of all things.. I had stored some long rails of timber up the side of the house between two far apart points. Over time it did bannana a bit tho not as much as that one 🙂 It was hard wood, this is pine so maybe it could be flipped upside down with a bit of weight in the middle and wait a year or so... O:)

Dave

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