Railway Sleeper Mantle Piece

gooner8

Hi folks, would you have any ideas for me on where I could get an un-treated railway sleeper for a mantlepiece? can you get a false light weight sleeper that looks old and authentic?

Antiquo

Hi gooner8 you are correct you don't want a smelly creosote filled lump o wood in the house. You can buy lumber of similar proportions from any timber yard also garden centres sell them as new sleepers but they are treated and you'll pay through the nose for them.

To get an authentic look take the pristine sleeper out into the back garden and beat the lard out of it with a length of heavy chain or such like to get the lived in look. The designers call this ditressing I call it therapy

When you think it looks ancient and well lived in lightly sand it to remove splinters and burrs, stain it to your taste and give it liberal coats of teak oil wiping excess off between coats (my prefernece on teak oil you may want a satin or gloss varnish).

Selnyc

Salvage yards,they have authentic sleepers

paddy147

Selnyc wrote: »

Salvage yards,they have authentic sleepers

They weigh a bloody ton and are saturated in creasote too, so will stink like feck indoors and especially close to a warm fire.

Its a no go indoors.

paddy147

Antiquo wrote: »

Hi gooner8 you are correct you don't want a smelly creosote filled lump o wood in the house. You can buy lumber of similar proportions from any timber yard also garden centres sell them as new sleepers but they are treated and you'll pay through the nose for them.

To get an authentic look take the pristine sleeper out into the back garden and beat the lard out of it with a length of heavy chain or such like to get the lived in look. The designers call this ditressing I call it therapy

When you think it looks ancient and well lived in lightly sand it to remove splinters and burrs, stain it to your taste and give it liberal coats of teak oil wiping excess off between coats (my prefernece on teak oil you may want a satin or gloss varnish).

Brand new 8 foot long x 9 inch tall x 4 inch deep pressure treated sleepers in most garden centres/builders providers for around 18 euro each.

And as you say,beat the living crap out of it and carve it up a bit with a chain saw of a carpenters hand plain,then sand it back a bit and stain it to suit.

Job done.:)

gooner8

hi guys,
thank you for the replies. I like the idea of offloading some stress and giving the sleeper a wacking.
A non treated sleeper then seems to be the solution.
cheers guys