I think you most likely got the service that you paid for. A cut is a cut and if they needed to be straight, they probably were.

The issue was with how you attached the screws. When you put the two boards together, you may not have got them perfectly straight.

As for the screws - it sounds like you "stripped" them when you were putting the boards together. So that means they most likely are not going to come out - unless you can get a hacksaw blade between the boards and cut the screws off.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden Blog

utility - stainless steel screws are really hard, and you're gonna have a very difficult time doing anything to them at all. Being in an industrial maintenance environment for 24 years has allowed me to see and do everything that you could possibly think of, and I can tell you how to deal with the screws if you can get access to the tools to do so. If it were me, i'd drill straight into the head of the screws with a really good bit, and at low rpm's. The size bit to use should be almost as large as the diameter of the screw head itself, but slightly smaller. Once the head of each screw has been successfully drilled out, the boards can be pulled apart with ease.
Again - low speed while drilling, and keep the drill bit cool by applying oil to the end every few seconds. Once you have the boards apart, i'll be glad to help you with the rest if needed...

EG

Here is a link that might be useful: You can learn how to build your box here....

Well, most of them are straight I suppose. The problem is that I wanted 2) 2 ft. boards and 2) 4 ft. boards to build one bed. I am connecting these beds in rows. It seems as though some of the boards are a little too short and some of the boards are a little bit too long. When I connect them so that the tops are level some of them stick out and some of them stick in on the sides because they are not all exactly the same lengths. I suppose if I place all of the crooked ones facing the same way on the side I plan to espalier fruit then it really won't be an issue. I have half of the beds built. I spent yesterday lining up and matching the remaining boards so that I use matching sizes to build a bed. This way, they are all the same even though they may be a little more or a little less than I wanted them to be. I didn't do this the first time because I assumed they were all cut to spec. I don't know how to saw wood so maybe I should be more forgiving since the cuts are less than an inch off. Some of the boards really just weren't straight either. When I look at them the actual sawed off end is at an angle. Anyway, I have my first row together and maybe it won't be as noticeable once I espalier my trees on the crooked side of the beds. It sounds like rebuilding them at this stage is going to be a lot of work.

I will really pay attention today and make sure that those screws go in straight. Phew! This is a lot harder than I thought it would be!

I looked at your website and can't find the "how to build a raised bed" article but it looks really nice and very informative. I saw the one about constructing a bed on a slope but not for a basic box. I'll keep looking.

I look forward to learning a lot from those of you with experience!

I think if you go to Mel's website, he shows how to screw the beds together. It might be that you didn't put them together in the overlapping pattern Mel uses. That could lead to the box not being square.
Just a thought.
Keski

I will do that! Thanks! My husband told me this morning that my standards are too high! Maybe they are, but I want level beds on the tops and sides so they look seamless. He said there is no such thing. Even our walls have waves in them and professionals put up our dry wall. So ... maybe perfection really isn't possible? Thoughts?

Mel's website looks like a store? hmmm ... I saw a lady on youtube who built her own boxes. She used this triangle shaped thingie to make sure her boards were square. She then cut them with a big saw with a circle blade. She measured and pre-drilled (this step I did) Then she screwed them together. They were beautiful!!!! I assumed that when I paid someone to cut my boards that they would use this same method. I measured the boards I have yet to assemble and the length varies as much as 3/4 of an inch. You can also see upon close inspection that the cuts aren't all precisely straight. If I had it to do over I would have learned what these tools are called, found a way to purchase them, learned to use them on practice wood and cut the boxes myself. I was trying to save money as the pre-built boxes are a lot more expensive than the ones you build yourself. I am beginning to see why but for me; it's too late. The money is gone, spent, on boards of varying lengths and straightness. It's upsetting. Now I am sort of stuck with a wavy border in my front yard!

I did find an illustration on the overlapping pattern from another website. No, I did not do that! I definitely will for the next set. I am so happy you helped me with this issue before I screw the remaining beds together! Thank You!

What a difference the overlap method makes!!!!! Thank You a thousand times!!!! I will figure out how to take apart the beds I've built and rebuild them proper!

They're still different sizes but the overlap method make a much sturdier box! Highly recommended! When I stack them they aren't flush but I can see how much stronger they are!

once the weather get to the beds the wood or other wall material will warp thus making any well made bed less then perfectly formed.

My offering for all of those kind people who have helped me here! ENJOY!

I may have a tip for you viewers. To save time measuring every board gets redundantly boring! So � I made a pattern (like in sewing) for the holes I needed. My boards are all 8â³ wide and I knew I needed to pre-drill 3 holes in each board using the overlap method.
Since all of the boards are the same width and all of the holes are one inch in on each side and one in the middle, I punched through board #1 with a piece of folded up typing paper. The I just lined the typing paper up to the edge of every board needing to be pre-drilled and pushed a pencil in to make my marks. Then it was as easy as
1. punch punch punch
2. drill drill drill
3. screw screw screw
VOILA!
I made it sort of an assembly line of one! It takes me 8 minutes a box now! I am trying to get it down to 5!

I am investing in something called a "Speed Square" and looking for the name of that electric circle saw thingie so from now on I can just purchase my cedar, cut it myself, use my pattern and hope they're square! After I have already invested so much .... EEEEEK!

If I had it to do over I would have used the $600 on pre-made cedar boxes from Vermont!

live and learn!

This is how I built my beds.

http://georgiahomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/04/2011-garden-square-foot-gardening.html

I also realized that four - 4ft boards will not make a 4 foot square box. You have to factor in the width of the boards themselves. So you really need two 4ft boards and two boards that are 4 feet 1.5 inches long. This is if you are using 2X6 lumber like I did. This compensates for the thickness of the material and your inside dimensions will be perfectly 4X4. In my case I didn't care that mine are off by a few inches and they look fine. Hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: My blog