Cutting railway sleepers?

[theflyingpig]

Hi All,

I recently bought some railway sleepers that weigh an absolute ton! Not sure what type of wood they are but I need to both chop and rip them in order to make a seat in my shops patio . . . .

How?!

thanks!

Huey

 

[Monkeh]

A panel saw and some elbow grease. Alternatively, a really big circular saw.

 

[ladylola]

Or a chain saw if you feel confident with one. Personally I feel safer with a chain saw than I do with any circular saw over 7"
As your sleepers will be probably hardwood , treated and possibily contaiminated with oils and grit treat any blade as consumable.

 

[foxhole]

Timber yards would usually cut them for you, they have large band saws for the rip cuts.

 

[theflyingpig]

thanks guys - they are hardwood all right! its all I can do to lift one!

Huey

 

[joe-90]

Are they tar impregnated? Or are they just chunks of hardwood that are sold as sleepers? If they are real sleepers they are useless for seating.

 

[studips]

reclaimed sleepers can be oak, birch, pine or anything that is locally available & a lot come from eastern europe nowadays.

are these tar free as you are using them for a seat? as joe says, the tar melts and gets on skin and clothes - not nice.

if they are new sleepers and tar free, they are either pressure treated pine or oak. an alligator or tyrranosaw makes a good job of cutting them,

 

[nwalch]

I used a circular saw to cut over 50 hardwood railway sleepers (over several years as the project grew). Buy one with the largest diameter blade and cut all the way round (turning the sleeper as you go). Chances are if you have the larger diameter continental ones that you will still have a very small join in the middle which you can finish off with a hand saw.

Obviously wear steel toe cap boots and very strong rigger gloves (I went through 5 pairs of cheap ones before buying a decent pair of strong ones) when working with sleepers.

Good luck.

 

[imamartian]

thanks guys - they are hardwood all right! its all I can do to lift one!

Huey

well technically, balsa wood is a hardwood!!!! it's to do with the leaves, don't you know

 

[Muzz]

i did mine a few years ago with a circular saw and rotating the sleeper to cut all the way through.