Cutting railroad ties

[AV tinker er]

Anyone have any first hand experience with this? What did you use? Chainsaw? Sawzall? Did you get any creosote burns? I have a chainsaw but I'm thinking of using these (http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-48-00-5026-9-Inch-Reciprocating-Blades/dp/B00002248Y/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1402866057&sr=1-3&keywords=milwaukee+9%22+x+blades#productDetails) instead of the chainsaw. Less likely to get creosote burns. I'm doing about 10 cuts total (not all in one day, but as I build a low retaining wall in my backyard) so I can easily let the saw and blades cool with no pressure to get it done. Any advice is welcomed. Thanks!

 

[Askme42]

Chainsaw. My grandpa worked for the railroad. Got about a 100 of these sitting out at the farm.

 

[Bobcat753]

A sawzall would take too long. I'd get out the chainsaw and do it that way. I've cut a few with my saw no problem.

 

[rsieracki]

i usually have cut all 4 sides with my hand held circular saw (means you have to flip RR tie a few times tho) the sawzalled the lil nub in the middle. but i know a chainsaw works also

 

[SteveCh]

I have used a chainsaw several times for this. I recommend using an old chain or be prepared to clean the chain, maybe the bar, with diesel or kerosene or etc.

The dust smells really bad, and a face mask is a good idea.

The area where I cut up the ties smelled like creosote from the chips for weeks. Be advised...as in, maybe don't do this out by your patio or something.

My work clothes smelled also of creosote. It washed right out, but they did need washing before I wore them again. Unless you simply enjoy that odor; I do not.

Otherwise, the saw worked great and very fast.

 

[Zeke]

The chains dull fast. Last time I worked with RR ties I managed to find one of these:

It's a Wellsaw.

 

[monomach]

Chainsaw, gloves with long cuffs, long sleeve shirt, jeans, plastic face shield.

Would not want to screw with using a sawzall on a railroad tie.

 

[G_P]

Another vote for chainsaw. If they have been laying around a while, make sure they are free of random metal debris in the cut area.

Put a cheapo HF tarp down to catch the dust/chips and then just fold em up in the tarp and throw the whole thing away. This way you dont leave a stinky mess in the yard.

 

[619DioFan]

i usually have cut all 4 sides with my hand held circular saw (means you have to flip RR tie a few times tho) the sawzalled the lil nub in the middle. but i know a chainsaw works also

Done it the same way myself.

 

[catalytic]

The chains dull fast. Last time I worked with RR ties I managed to find one of these:

It's a Wellsaw.

Interesting tool -- What exactly is that?

 

[Farmall 1066]

A friend cuts RR ties by the hundreds...heats his farm shop with them. Best way is with a carbide demolition chain on a chainsaw. Stihl has them, and I'm sure others do to. Not cheap, but if you do a lot of it, it's $ well spent.

 

[jakemac]

I replaced the sills on my house in Maine with RR ties. I had my grandfather help me cut them. We used a Misery Whip (a two-man crosscut saw for those of you who have never used one).

No matter what you use, remember that used RR ties have been laying around in the dirt, mud, and stones for years and have become saturated. Even if they don't look it. There are hidden stones and steel in the wood, so expect to wear out blades quickly. If using a powered cutter, be prepared for kick-back.

Otherwise, go for it.

 

[wvrailroader]

As someone who has to cut railroad ties pretty frequently, the carbide tipped chains are the only way to go. Old ties are full of dirt and small pieces of granite railroad ballast. If you try this with a regular chain, be prepared to sharpen it about every other tie, if not sooner. A carbide chain will probably set you back in the neighborhood of $150, more if you have to change the bar and sprocket on your saw. Stihl only makes these chains in a few pitches, generally for larger saws, so the sprocket and bar on a smaller saw will not work.

I know it sounds expensive, but it is definitely a case of the proper tool for the proper job. Also, be very careful not to cut in the area where the tie plate sat, because many times there are "deadheads" (spikes that the heads have broken off, leaving part of the spike in the tie), which will rip the carbide teeth off the chain. As far as the creosote goes, a tyvek suit works well to keep it off of your skin. Cutting them on a cooler day helps as well. Hope this helps.

 

[wvrailroader]

A friend cuts RR ties by the hundreds...heats his farm shop with them.

Hope your friend doesn't get caught doing this. The smoke off of this is definitely a health hazard. There is a reason creosote has been outlawed for pretty much every industry but the railroad. It is a definite carcinogen.

 

[ChevyEFI]

A friend cuts RR ties by the hundreds...heats his farm shop with them. Best way is with a carbide demolition chain on a chainsaw.

Back when we were using old telephone poles for heat in a friend's shop, that would have helped. We got by with the sawzall.

 

[southalabama]

Dad and I built a couple sea walls with old ties. We used a sawzall. It kills the blades but is doable. If I had a bunch to so I'd use a chainsaw and throw away the chain when finished.

 

[Zeke]

Interesting tool -- What exactly is that?

It's a recip saw based on a hand saw design. Framers borrowed them from the slaughterhouse to cut bottom plates at doorways before some of the tools we have today came on the market. It did lots of flush cuts before the Sawzall came around. Due to the thin kerf they do work on RR ties. I didn't have the correct blades for ties and they wandered off the cut line. The worm-drive will cut about 2 1/4 deep but the ties are like 7 x 9. That left a good 3.5 inches of meat in the center. The circular saw blades didn't fair a lot better than other blades. For some reason the old Wellsaw bone saw got right after it.

 

[trackwelder]

Wish I had a nickel for every tie I have cut. For the amount of cuts that you need to make just use a regular chain. Hit the chain with a file if needed. As far as creosote burns just wash of the affected area or use some barrier cream.

 

[AV tinker er]

Thanks for all the replies, looks like chain saw is the majority. I'll use the cheap tarp idea for sure.

 

[PeterT]

Hope your friend doesn't get caught doing this. The smoke off of this is definitely a health hazard. There is a reason creosote has been outlawed for pretty much every industry but the railroad. It is a definite carcinogen.

Creosote, schmeosote. Just fire up the saw and cut them bad boys.

 

[wvrailroader]

Creosote, schmeosote. Just fire up the saw and cut them bad boys.

Cutting them is one thing - burning them by the hundreds is another.

 

[MikeF2316]

i usually have cut all 4 sides with my hand held circular saw (means you have to flip RR tie a few times tho) the sawzalled the lil nub in the middle. but i know a chainsaw works also

Done it the same way myself.

This is how I've done it. Except I just used a plain old hand saw for the middle.
If you don't use a chainsaw often, this way does a much neater job. And the 7 1/4 blades that you'll be ruining are cheap.

 

[Outlawmws]

I've done both (Std) Chain saw and Sawzall. I have 50 + RR ties in my landscaping, and had to miter the things to round a broad curve. The original job was done with a chainsaw. I ate up 2 blades past recovery.

The mods have been done with a long coarse sawzall, and I like that much better. Faster and cleaner.

Wear a dust mask at least, and clean up the cutting area and yourself well afterward. wvrailroader ain't joking about the danger.

 

[Adam.C]

I've cut them by hand, never again. But I found it helpful to lube the blade with WD-40. Not sure I can recommend this with a power saw, but it really helped a lot.

 

[Dust Devil]

A friend cuts RR ties by the hundreds...heats his farm shop with them. Best way is with a carbide demolition chain on a chainsaw. Stihl has them, and I'm sure others do to. Not cheap, but if you do a lot of it, it's $ well spent.

Exactly. Stihl carbide blade.

 

[Alexbn921]

Wear a dust mask at least, and clean up the cutting area and yourself well afterward. wvrailroader ain't joking about the danger.

Don't mess around with your health.

 

[bcradio]

Recip saw is the way to go if you only have a few cuts to make

 

[mbatarga]

Use a chainsaw and be prepared to sharpen the blade once or twice for your estimated 10 cuts. No need to spend the money on a carbide blade for such a small project. Long sleeves, long legged pants, and goggles/face mask are a good idea as well.

 

[AV tinker er]

I might try one cut with my sawzall to see, seems less likely to burn. If it's to much Ill fire up my chainsaw and get to work. I'll wait until the Santa Anna's are blowing hard.

 

[drivesitfar]

I've used the chainsaw, sawsall, skill saw and hand saw on those bad boys. any of those work, but to keep costs down i'd use the sawsall or skill saw. chains and gas will add up quick on even a small job. hand sawing all of them might make you stronger, but if you are doing more than a couple use something you can plug in.

i look for sales on craigs for sawsall blades all the time so usually get them for maybe $.50 to $1 each and you can cut a few RR ties with one blade. you'll have to get used to cutting a straight cut which is doable and easier if you mark the lines.

I agree with safety gear, clean up and definitely don't burn any bit of them. you'll also find the middles of them usually are just wood so going through the center is usually the easiest part of the cut. i also like the idea of spraying WD 40 or another lubricant on the blade because if it's good enough for the pros on the lumberjack circuit for fast cuts then why not see if it works better at home.