Alternatives to a tamping tool

greensalad

I'm building a small path this weekend. Been reading up on how to build and most tutorials suggest a tamper tool to compact the sand layer.

I've looked them up online and they cost about £20, can't find any cheaper on Wickes, B&Q etc.

Is there anything I can use as an alternative? I'd rather not spend £20 on a tool I'll use once.

Unless I can clean it up and return it...

Kiran

I'm sure you can knock one up out of timber quite easily. Need to make sure there's enough weight to it to be effective otherwise its a lot of physical effort

kazwookie

Ask on freecycle or your local fb selling pages
Ask a neighbour or co worker if they have one
do you know a local builder who might lend you one.

DigForVictory

Buy it online, use it & return it?
More ethically buy it then ebay it?

We did eyeball the toddler in extra thick nappies but he was tricky to lift repeatedly, the nappy didn't leave a flat print & his older brothers groused.

Furts

A sledge hammer would do the job. Do not swing it, just drop it like a weight. Provided it is blinded stone you should not damage the sledge.

phil24_7

I've never bothered with sand blinding on a path and I've driven mini diggers over mine repeatedly!

cyclonebri1

I made mine out of a 2ft length of proper railway sleeper with a 4 x 4 upright shaped to a handle at the top. Diagonal braces completed the tool.

Had that for over 20 years, very useful also when seeding bits of lawn.

greensalad

Do you reckon stamping over it in heavy boots would be enough?

The path is only going to be small. We're digging the trench, putting down a sand layer, sweeping over with more sand then doing a thin layer of earth over the top (the idea is to give the appearance of there being earth between the cracks rather than sand).

I'm wondering if I could just walk the path up and down with a plank under my feet and get roughly the same effect.

Been asking on freecycle all week! Nothing yet.

Furts

greensalad wrote: »

Do you reckon stamping over it in heavy boots would be enough?

The path is only going to be small. We're digging the trench, putting down a sand layer, sweeping over with more sand then doing a thin layer of earth over the top (the idea is to give the appearance of there being earth between the cracks rather than sand).

I'm wondering if I could just walk the path up and down with a plank under my feet and get roughly the same effect.

Been asking on freecycle all week! Nothing yet.

If you are not too particular about the finished job then fine. A builder would not put down a layer of soil because topsoil cannot be compressed properly, and it is full of weed seeds. Hence if a builder did this the customer would be calling them back and complaining!

getmore4less

What's going on top of the soil?

Likely get weeded very quickly

cyclonebri1

greensalad wrote: »

Do you reckon stamping over it in heavy boots would be enough?


I'm wondering if I could just walk the path up and down with a plank under my feet and get roughly the same effect.

Boots, No

The plank? rather than walk on it stand it on end and use it as a ram rod, then wlak over it with the plank flat