Bolting two sleepers together - how to drill the holes?

[julianf]

I want to bolt two rail way sleepers together, side by side. So holes though the 2nd longest (or 2nd shortest - the mid length!) dimension, which is about 30 cm.

My issue is that drill bits wander, i dont have a long drill bit, and im not really sure how to approach it at all. And the sleepers are reclaimed, so nothing is perfectly square anyway.

The sleepers are 4 foot long, so i can (just about) move them about myself, but slowly. Theyre some long forgotten hardwood.


It would be easier to plate the ends. But i would much rather have studding going through from one side to the other (about a 60cm / 2 foot length)


Its the base for somthing that has to look right, hence using manky old reclaimed rather than just welding up some steel!


Any suggestions?

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Can you use timberlok or similar screws...mostly what I now use for outdoor timber work having built a raised deck with them many years ago.

They don't need a pilot hole but I find it helps...hex drive with impact socket. They're immensely strong in terms of shear strength (harden steel).

 

[Onoff]

Long flat bit a couple of mm bigger than the studding.

Wrap some masking tape around each. Mark the centres on each of the 4 faces i.e where you want the bolts to enter / exit. Drill from each side, half way then run the drill thru. The holes will line up.

 

[julianf]

Can you use timberlok or similar screws...mostly what I now use for outdoor timber work having built a raised deck with them many years ago.

The thing is for a base, for an exhibition. In my head, i was going to drill it all before hand, wheel in each sleeper on a sack truck, and then whack it together nice and quick with some thick threadded bar.

The ends of the bar with the nuts / washers would be part of "the look" but, i figured, it would then assemble good and quick on location.

 

[julianf]

Long flat bit a couple of mm bigger than the studding.

Wrap some masking tape around each. Mark the centres on each of the 4 faces i.e where you want the bolts to enter / exit. Drill from each side, half way then run the drill thru. The holes will line up.

Thank you. Id overlooked going from both sides.

Ive used these before -

...and theyre pretty fierce on wood. But i dont know (ive not looked, and i dont have any currently) if the shank on them is anywhere near long enough to get half way without a load of (wobbly) extensions.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

You can get very long versions of those auger bits (I have a few)...be a lot easier to just go thro in one go.

 

[julianf]

If i flatten off the bottom of them on my drum sander (which wont be easy, but will be possible, ish, maybe) then i could use an angle on my drill press table to (maybe) clamp them square, and use that.

Theyre just heavy and none of it will be easy doing it "precision"

 

[brightspark]

plenty of long wood augers available https://www.screwfix.com/c/tools/dr...ngth=400_mm&suitabledrillingapplications=wood .as said drill half way in from both sides then drill through the lot to be accurate

 

[Agroshield]

The ends of the bar with the nuts / washers would be part of "the look"

Consider using dome nuts as they offer fewer laceration possibilities to wayward ankles. Also consider large penny washers as that allows you to use well oversized holes (e.g. you could drill 100mm deep from both sides with a large, standard length bit and then drill the middle 100mm in two 50mm bites with a long series but smaller diameter bit or even using a wobbly extension). A red hot poker would civilise any misalignment of the holes.

Man up, stop talking, break out your grandad's brace and bits and start drilling.

 

[julianf]

plenty of long wood augers available https://www.screwfix.com/c/tools/dr...ngth=400_mm&suitabledrillingapplications=wood .as said drill half way in from both sides then drill through the lot to be accurate

Thank you. I may even (still) have a load that need their square end chopping off - theyre the sort of thing you acquire and then they sit in a draw forever.

 

[8ob]

Ordinary flat drill bit on the end of a bit extension would do that.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-triangle-shank-drill-bit-extender-300mm/769PR?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4_iF_sbwiAMVQotQBh1UsQqVEAQYASABEgLnM_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Dozzer]

Flat bits are OK, but personal preference = a nice wood auger, you can get the Bosch ones quite cheep and they do them in a good range of lengths, just find they dont wander as much as flat bits.

https://www.kelvinpowertools.com/bosch-wood-auger-bit-12mm-x-360mm-wl-c-233-p-2107

 

[GRW]

I was helping build a retaining wall using old hardwood sleepers as uprights, and sleepers stacked & off set to make steps up garden.
Guy building it would drill with a long Auger (hard going but his Makita battery tool managed!).
To pin/peg the sleepers down, offcuts of Rebar were walloped through the guide hole with a BFH .
You could use threaded bar & nuts/washers to clamp sleepers together.

 

[Onoff]

Go from either side 100%. Means the outsides will look spot on and the bit / studding will find their own way to join up where you won't see anything.

You can also tape a small level to the top of your drill to help drill in that plane. For keeping perpendicular just put a square against the beam and align the drill to that.

An alternative is someone else at the end of the beam telling you up / down a bit...

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Think I'd whack some timberloks in there and call it a day (pilot hole them ahead of assembly)...nice and safe and nothing sticking out!...if the look is important then bury the heads and then add some coach bolts or similar to achieve whatever look you're going for.

 

[Onoff]

Dog tooth galv washers over the studs covered in grease or black bitumen paint between the sleepers.

 

[Onoff]

You can always print some funky nut covers. These were just copies of the standard commercial type available. Print in copper, bronze filament, get all gothic or pick a theme.

https://flic.kr/p/2nE3NsG

https://flic.kr/p/2nE8o5G

https://flic.kr/p/2nE71ie

Embellish as you see fit. This Celtic cross I designed and a kind member here cut for me:

https://flic.kr/p/2mc6qV4

 

[gaz1]

i use a long stone drill for them

you find them in sds drills then widen the holes up as needed

but make sure your drill is straight

 

[DAPPH]

Surprised no one has suggested a heavy metal tube say 6 inches long welded well at right angles over a hole in a clamping plate , clamp it on the timber with two clamps and use the tube as a guide
.


You can also use a chunk off 4x4 timber drilled to size centrally on a drill press a then clamp it on as the drill guide after pencil lines are made to determine precisely where to set the outer edges. You can use two blocks as a guide if needed and have one swing away to get further in to the wood . It's how woodworkers of old used to get holes accurately aligned .

OR
Weld an extension on a cheap hand brace auger bit . Use a 3 inch lathe turned sleeve to get the pieces aligned and use slow drill speed . too fast and it will not cut quickly Plus it will over heat .

If you feel flush look for hand wood augers at say 500mm long

If none of these appeal to you a hand auger bit say £9 in 300 mm extensions circa £20 each might appeal instead but again keep the cutting speed low as it is the auger screw bit that pulls the cutter into the wood , too fast rips out the wood fibre on the screw thread & blocks the thread and you have to push hard to get the drill to bite .

 

[Nomad]

+1 above from @Onoff, I normally use drill a pilot from both sides then run a similar diameter "long" drill through to fettle any mis-alignment (no need for anything expensive, I often use my long masonary drills for this - cheap and nasty but they are the longest bits I have handy and it's just to align the holes...)

When I bought my HD Makita drill / driver the chap in the shop warned me not to use flat spade bits for wood, I now have a set of augers that have always worked well. Make sure your drill has plenty of torque for long / wide holes through aged hardwood.

Getting a helper to watch and make sure you have the drill vertical is always a good idea, I did exactly that yesterday to drill and tap a long M10 bolt into a 12mm wide alloy pedestal, owner is well chuffed as it salvaged what would otherwise have been a scrap £200 hyrofoil.