Anyone help find screed rails? galv steel conduit?

[Jimlad]

For the life of me I can't find a 'makeshift' alternative to the official manufacturers screed rails that are avalable online and cost hundreds - haven't got the money to pay for these yet.

When I was trained to lay a block paved drive a while back the instructor used galvanised steel box conduit (tube)

I've scoured ebay, google, local ads, b&q, wickes, screwfix, several local builders merchants and electrical wholesalers in and around nottingham and no buggers got them???

ANyone know where to get these 6 ft or so steel box tubes?

Also - when I am screeding with a plank of wood with the end cut to go over the edging blocks (laid in concrete) - does the wood have to be absoloutely true (straight on both sides) - absoloutely level?

I think it does obviously to get an accurate bed, but my question is; do wood timber merchants cut it on request to be perfectly true and level?

I am nearing the end of a real bugger of a job, and as you can tell I don't have that much experience, so just wanted to get these answers to the above to get my mind straight.

Particuarly the screed rail problem, any ideas you fine bunch of helpful gentleman?

Thanks in advance, Jim

[haggistini]

25mm steel conduit £6 a lenth from an electrical store. When buying your timber look down then edges to find the best 1

[lutonlagerlout]

you can ask them to regularize it through their mill
all electrical places stock 25 mm steel conduit?
2 seconds on ebay found this
looks pretty cheap to me
LLL

[Jimlad]

many thanks for quick reply lads, LLL: is this rounded galv conduit ok to screed off? or can u buy the squared lengths anywhere, is it likely they will do them as well?

- I know I'm effing useless :p but appreciate you're help bigtime.

Thanks for all help.

[GB_Groundworks]

square is box section and not conduit so will only be stock at a steel stockists, not diy sheds etc. and yes 25mm conduit is perfectly fine to use.

as haggi said just pick the best piece of timber you can and keep it dry and dont warp it through stacking it etc

[Carberry]

I use bits of decking for screeding because i always have off cuts of all sizes lying about. Sawn timber helps because you wont get splinters off of it.

[specialbranch]

i use metalsupermarket, theres one here in Leeds but I think they have a few around the country and do online sales, I bought some solid steel 35mm round bars 8 years ago in 3m lengths, and they are still sound, being solid rather than tubular you can give them a good whack with a mallet and they dont bend, and I find 35mm a good screed bed so if you get your type 1 bang on you can just lay on the subbase and away you go. I always use a 125mm deckboard to screed just look down the length and if it looks straight it'll be good enough for screeding.

[haggistini]

i use metalsupermarket, theres one here in Leeds but I think they have a few around the country and do online sales, I bought some solid steel 35mm round bars 8 years ago in 3m lengths, and they are still sound, being solid rather than tubular you can give them a good whack with a mallet and they dont bend, and I find 35mm a good screed bed so if you get your type 1 bang on you can just lay on the subbase and away you go. I always use a 125mm deckboard to screed just look down the length and if it looks straight it'll be good enough for screeding.

Cant remember the thread now SB but have you anymore pics of the setts you laid a while back?

[specialbranch]

Haggistini, We havent taken any good shots of the finished job yet, we have to clean moss of the clients roof so going to get a few shots while were up there, theres a couple from our portfolio here.

[Jimlad]

many thanks to all of you for replies, seriously helps thanks people.

[haggistini]

Jimlad your in the right place! study the main site and you will have a better than good chance of becoming a proper paver! I'm getting there... As you never stop learning!

[haggistini]

SB tidy looking work get back there and get some snaps for us it looked a tidy looking job last picture

[specialbranch]

SB tidy looking work get back there and get some snaps for us it looked a tidy looking job last picture

No excuse for not getting photos really the job is nextdoor to our place! I'll get the leaves cleared this week and get a few snaps. It was a nice looking job but i'll never take that amount of Sett work on again with 1 skilled. My elbow is Nacked (tennis elbow type of thing)from whacking all those Setts day in day out. Some days it was just me and a 16 year old student who wouldnt look out of place with Harry Enfields Kevin n Perry. It had me bet by the last week.