Pine sleepers for coffee table rather than oak

[agebpt]

Hi all. Found quite a lot of detail about using oak sleepers as a coffee table and the process involved, but I was wondering if anyone had had much experience using Pine sleepers, such as the ones available from Wickes or other DIY stores. Not just due to weight /cost but I'd heard they don't split as heavily as oak sleepers do.

I've created a fake lintel on our fireplace, which is made of Oak, but if I finished them both with a nice wax, would they look ok or would there be a definite difference between the finish?

Any thoughts would be great, thanks!

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

Pine always looks like pine no matter what you do to it but why does that matter

 

[agebpt]

well it was just that would a pine table and an oak lintel look ok in the same room - nothing wrong with pine obviously, but not really used the 2 woods together before. but guess if there will be an obvious difference between the 2 after being sealed then it may be better to stick with oak.

 

[JohnD]

A coffee table made of sleepers? Who will help you move it aside when you want to hoover the floor?

 

[AronSearle]

The cheap sleepers you get in DIY stores will be preservative treated, don't know if this matters to you or not.

As said, you can stain them to a darker colour, but pine will look like pine.

As they will be relatively fast grown pine, likely boxed heart, they will split a fair bit.

I would try to sort one where the pith is slightly more to one face than the other, the cut a grove to that face to the depth of the pith, creating a split on purpose.

I assume you will be leaving the sleepers to dry somewhere first?

 

[foxhole]

A coffee table made of sleepers? Who will help you move it aside when you want to hoover the floor?

The wifey moves ours, small but powerfull [the wife I mean]

Coffee table

• foxhole
• 21 Jul 2010
• 8

Oak, from a couple of railway sleeper

Its highly polished so slides across the carpet.

 

[JohnD]

She's highly polished so slides across the carpet.