On Sat, 21 May 2005 15:13:19 -0400, Stan Mulder
wrote:

I've been asked to help a friend replace some old rotting railroad ties
lining a garden area. This time they want to join the ties together in
some way and since I'm not very knowledgeable about woodworking I thought
you guys could give me some ideas. The ties will be just one layer high.
There are four 90 degree angles since the garden is rectangular. The
straight areas will need several ties joined together and I'm not sure
what type of cuts/splices/dowels to use to fasten these things together.
They are fairly large pieces of wood. Any ideas and/or photos are greatly
appreciated.

Stan

Suggestion. Use 2-1/2" deck screws and some aluminum angle stock (may
be purchased at Home Depot). The angle will cut easily with a hack
saw, then file/sand the sharp edges. Drill 2 or three holes in each
side to accept the deck screws. You can secure the ties to the ground
to keep them shifting by pounding pieces of 2-foot rebar into
locations (pre-drilled holes with a spade bit) near where the butt
joints are located.