Making a Fire surround from Railway sleepers - any tips ???

[pixiesue]

Hi,
Im going to make a Fire surround from old railway sleepers.I want a old look to the house has anyone made one before to share any tips ??
I want the effect to be gothic / old looking so any help or pictures appreciated.Im putting an old wood burning stove inside and knocking out the chimney breast .

 

[Hitachimad]

Tip 1, buy lots of air freshner to cover the smell of creosote.

 

[breezer]

tip 2 install a sprinkler system to put out sleepers when they catch fire

seriously dont use sleeepers indoors for the afore mentioned tips (although said in humour they are true)

 

[Hitachimad]

These tv shows have a lot to answer for!!

Maybe some chunky old reclaimed timbers would be a better option.

 

[Scrit]

If you're going to do this find a timber reclamation firm and look for sections of reclaimed pitch pine beam - it will have more character than yellow pine. To gey a hewn look it may be necessary to hand adze the surfaces using and adze like these - wear steel toe-capped boots and take care. Adzes can remove toes very easily.

In any case technically you shouldn't recut railway sleepers because they were pressure impregnated with creosote when new - a substance now banned from use due to its' toxicity. Apart from which as HM said - they absolutely stink!

Another thought - if you want it to look old, why not a stone mantle/lintel made from recycled paving stones (the stone type)?

Scrit

 

[bikerm4]

Theres a firm here down the road from where i live who make furniture out of railway sleepers. Their tables and chairs are very heavy, we were going to have a bed made but i did'nt think the floor joists were strong enough
Here they are http://www.jarabosky.co.uk/