Thread: Using hw timber sleepers as bench top

8"x2" red-gum are "Garden Sleepers." They're not really sleepers, as used by a railway. They're not even close to the right size! But they're called that for sales reasons.

Anyways, the odds are very, very good that they haven't been dried or treated in any way... apart from the time they've been sitting in the sales rack.

Red-gun will move around like a cut snake even after it has been dried properly, taking years (decades) to settle into their final positions. Plus it has a tendency to have a lot of resin and bark inclusions.

Not the best choice if you want to mill a flat top and expect it to stay flat. Definitely not suitable for furniture, framework, etc. unless you're specifically after that "rustic look" where nothing is ever quite flat or square or the "poltergeist look" where it seems to have moved every time you look away and back again.

It can also be a very dirty timber to work; black hands stuff.

Mind you, I personally enjoy working with it, especially for prototyping. But not for fine cabinetry...

I do t expect it to be perfect or level just a usable space to put plates ect ect. Maybee even sit the baby q on it.

Would love to use decking but just has to much flex.

OK, just so's you're not expecting results that it won't give.

By it's nature - and because these garden sleepers are rarely fully dried - it tends to be an easy wood to work; relatively kind to tools and fairly straightforward to sand, although the grain can go every which way.

Inclusions can be a hassle, they always seem to be at the worst possible angle or wrong position or something that'll complicate things, but filling with Araldite/coffee grinds or similar tends to fix that.

The tannins will also tend to stain/blacken the skin of your hands; some people use lemon juice to remove the stain - I think there's a thread on these forums about similar ways to clean up - but I can't speak for any of these.

Anyways, if you're careful when selecting the sleepers (don't just remotely place an order to be delivered!) and keep an eye out for splits, flatness, twist and warp, then so long as you use them fairly quickly you should avoid the worst pitfalls.

Good luck and happy woodworking!

Originally Posted by gros21

I do t expect it to be perfect or level just a usable space to put plates ect ect. Maybee even sit the baby q on it.

Would love to use decking but just has to much flex.

be aware that it might take "forever" to sand the sleepers to anything approaching "smooth enough" and/or "flat enough".

Personally I'd use decking attached to a frame to deal with the "flex"

Originally Posted by gros21

how much sanding would be required I have a orbital sander.

Bahahahahahaha!

Sorry, don't meant to be rude, but sanding redgum straight off a mill is really not what you want unless you enjoy pain and suffering. If they can dress it for you, go for it, if not, I'd be looking for somewhere that can.

I wouldn't recommend using the orbital sander unless you enjoy getting carpel tunnel syndrome. Even with 40 grit paper you'll still be there for days, even then it probably won't be as flat you'll hope it to be. Better off trying to find someone with some hand planes or investing in some if you don't have any already.