6x6 Landscape timber/Raised flower bed woes

[Al Spohn]

Hi - here's my saga for anyone kind enough to listen:

My objective is to build a 4' x 8' raised flower bed consisting of stacked
6x6 landscaping timbers, 2 high.
The timbers are tacked to the ground via 2' rebar, 1' of which is driven
into the ground, the other 1' running through
both levels of timbers. My plan now calls for attaching the timbers to one
another via 10"x3/8" nails. What I'm finding is that when I drive the nails
through the timbers, the levels are separating from each other by as much as
1/2". My suspicion is that the problem is at least in part caused
by the fact that I'm hammering on a soft surface (the lawn)... but it was
too difficutl logistically to pre-assemble the whole thing on
a more ideal surface, like a driveway. Given that I'm more or less stuck
working on the lawn at this point and I still have half the nails
yet to drive in, is there a way I can keep the seperation from occuring...
or to possibly close the gap after the fact? It's driving me nuts because
what looked like a pretty tight job before I started hammering now looks
like somebody took about 10 minutes to throw the whole thing
together :-( with all those new huge gaps. On the other hand, I am
providing pretty good entertainment for the neighbors, although it's getting
progressively 'R' rated :-).

Thanks very much in advance for any help,

- Al

[Peter Shull]

I used a long spading bit (or variation thereof) to predrill for the
galvanized spikes that were used to put together some garden steps a few
years ago. I also used a 4 lb. hammer (or thereabouts) to drive them.
They've not come apart yet. It should probably be noted that the 4 x 6s used
were still fairly wet when they were joined together, and it is likely that
they shrank and tightened on the nails as they dried.

Al Spohn <sp...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
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[Leon]

I have done this more than once. Predrill all the holes and have someone
hold a shovel on the end stuck into the ground to keep the timbers from
sliding from one another.

"Al Spohn" <sp...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
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[Sphyrnatude]

or you could clamp the 6X6 together. If the bottom one is not below grade. go
to Home despot (or equivalent), and get some ratcheting load binders -
basically bid-A** band clamps. you may need to take them apart to slide the
loose end under the bottom timber, then put it all back together and wind those
puppies up. You might need 2 or three of them to do a whole side....

Alternate cheapo method: Get some rope and a nice long prybar. Slide the rope
under, and tie a loop a little loose. Slide theprybar into the loop (paralel to
the timber), then twist it (the prybar) \. As you turn the prybar, you'll
tighten the loop. With a long enough prybar, you can really crank it down.....

--JD

[chayes]

Being this my first house - My fiance requested "a someplace" to grow fresh
veggies.
The problem I faced was my back yard sloped quite seriously (6' down over a
10' run)
Her dad gave me the idea -- go length wise the full size of a 8' post then
5' accross
On the Low end I stacked 3 4x4" Posts and on the High end 2 4x4 posts.
On the sides 2 full posts with 1 post each side tapered.

As for anchors. I've got 4 2" flat fasteners on the low end inside. Screwed
in with some 3/4dx2" galvanized wood screws.
12 - 4x4 L brackets same Galvanized screws.
and the part that helps the most -- 4 more straights on the low-outside. Not
fastend.

This thing is not moving for the foreseeable future -- mind you the veggies
are now starting to pop up.

Mind you I've just recently picked up wood-working and might have overdone
it--- but I'm still Learning

Chris

"Al Spohn" <sp...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
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[Sam]

fastening timbers together;

When I did it for my wife's new office. We used primarily rebar some up to
6 foot in length. We predrilled with some very long bits. For the nails
we would predrill the top 6 x 6 with the hole just slightly undersized by
1/16 or so. This allowed the nails to go through the top beam and then all
of the force was directed into the lower beam.

Best of luck It can be a major job. For that much slope and multiple
stacked beams I would recommend sections of the beams cut as deadmen into
the bank. The free end of the dead man then has a short segment of pressure
treated 4 x 4 at right angles. The chance of the whole thing pushing out
over the winter is very high.

Of course I assume you ran plastic perforated tile to keep water from
piling up under the terrace.

There are a number of good landscaping books at the bookstores or library on
basic construction.

sam

[Al Cooperband]

Get the old pry bar out and separate ALL of the timbers by 1/2". Then
it'll look like you planned it that way.

By the way, I don't think 12" of rebar in the ground is enough; 18" or
24" would be better. If you half-lap the timbers at their ends and drill
through both overlaps for the rebar, you won't need nails at all.
____________________
Al Cooperband