I'm trying to build garden beds from old reclaimed wood, and I don't have enough long pieces. So I'm trying to nail together boards to create the full 8 foot garden bed length, but everything I try is super flimsy and breaks. The only solution I can think of is metal braces with screws. Am I on the right track or is there some official correct way to join 2 short boards into one long board?
>>906173
since you asked for a official correct way, this is probably the most official correct legit way out there
https://youtu.be/W1pvUlQgYtk
You need to overlap the joint with a 3rd board for reinforcement.
Assuming you don't >>906182 that is.
That video is fascinating, but I'm working with old wood half-eaten by bugs. Even if I had the right tools to make a joint like that, it won't work on this wood. I've tried overlapping with a third board, but the third board always splits apart.
inb4 "Buy new wood"
That's when gardening gets more expensive than buying veggies from the store.
>>906173
actually, biscuits
>>906207
Do you really think biscuits could substitute a scarf joint and would be able to withstand the pressures of retaining the earth while only being glued endgrain to endgrain?
why do they need to be 8ft long?
Just make strong sections at 2ft and over lap them.
Or get some wood glue and glue sections together overlapping like you would with a wall.
Shit paint to show you.
>>906203
Drill pilot holes.
Do you actually need raised beds?
>>906182
Is rather unnecessary. A half lap joint would get you most of the way there. Google it.
Or just use a third board like other anon said. Anything on the butt of the wood like screws, nails, glue, biscuits, dominos will all fail in this application.
Or if the lumber is really and truly the problem. Check some whole sale stores or large grocery stores to see if they have some pallets they wouldn't mind letting go. I don't know about there but here the wholesale stores are typically the end of the line for a pallet and they just toss them.
They are typically a PITA to get apart if you want the full 4 feet width but if you send a power saw along just inside of the legs then you can get at least 3' 6" of "strong" board.
>>906173
ah I see. the real issue is >>906203. Because the wood is rotten, there's not a good grip for the small area of a screw or nail.
I'm assuming you're putting the garden bed on dirt, not on a deck or something. What you want is to add more stakes instead of trying to join the boards. So get a saw and cut a few of your boards to a point, drive them into the ground in the shape of your bed, with a stake at every point where you would have a break. So it would work like a fence does.
Also, fyi, reclaimed wood for garden beds can be hazardous, some of the stuff it may be treated with can leech into the soil and be absorbed by veggies. YMMV.
>>906286 Same issue.
So I would suggest getting a polyethylene painters tarp from the dollar store, and stapling it to the inside of the boards to protect the soil from them if you go either of these two ways.
PE doesn't leech BPA's and is fairly indestructible except for UV exposure, and since it will be buried, no issues.
Pallet wood is great for all sorts of other projects, or for flower planters, but it's definitely not food safe or child safe. (well, possibly if it's sealed really well, but...)
