Help with cutting 6x6 lumber

[ive]

Hi all.

looking to cut out these corners that I have marked in x, adding on to the wood retaining wall.

Can anyone help me with the way of obtaining the cleanest cut. Thank you.

 

[Bogie1632]

Sawzall and a drill bit.

Top piece just slow down the sawzall to better control the cut and reduce the chance of it drifting. Bottom one bore a hole through with an edge on your cut line to fit the sawzall blade and make one cut. Flip it over and cut the remainder.

If they can be removed just use a circular saw then flip over and cut again, but I'll guess you have them staked down and removal isn't the route you want to go.

V/R
Bogie

 

[jonshonda]

Top one circ saw and finish with hand saw. Bottom one good f'n luck. Maybe plunge cut chainsaw or make cuts perpendicular to the line, then knock out with hammer and chisel?

 

[Half-fast eddie]

Careful application of a circular saw for both, followed by a handsaw or sawzall. For the bottom one, use the circ saw to do a plunge cut on the face, then drill through and use the sawzall. The plunge cut with the circ saw will establish a nice straight line.

 

[rk_tek]

How are the timbers attached to each other? When pinned with rebar, I've been able to pry them apart with a decent sized crowbar to get clearance for cutting. As others have already said, establish your cut lines with a circular saw, then finish with a sawzall or handsaw. If you have the control, a chainsaw can also work.

 

[nadogail]

Are you sure that is where you want the cuts to be? If you cut the top one way back, the middle one half way back and leave the bottom one intact; you will have a nicely staggered joint.

 

[jack stand]

So this is a "splice" and you'll be adding more wall to the right side?
Or will this be a corner?
Either way wouldn't you get the same results just cutting the middle 6x6?

 

[claymont]

Hi all.

looking to cut out these corners that I have marked in x, adding on to the wood retaining wall.

Can anyone help me with the way of obtaining the cleanest cut. Thank you.

What's holding them together; can't you separate to make the cuts?

 

[FMB4]

Can you sink a post horizontally and go from there (corner or continuation of the wall)?

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Circular saw for the top and face of the top one. Maybe the face of the bottom on as well. Where teh circular saw won't touch cut a clean line on the faces with a razor and/or a wide chisel. Finish with a sawzall.
Stagering back the top and middle ones would be easier and probably is what I'd do.

 

[KEH]

You could also mark all 4 sides using a square, follow the line all the way around, and get a square cut.

KEH

 

[KEH]

Using a hand saw of course.

KEH

 

[quickfarms]

Real men use a chain saw.

I grew up cutting entire drafts of 12’ 2x6’s in half with a home lite chain saw with a big bar, that was fun

a beam saw would be great for the top one

 

[stingry]

A small chainsaw with a fine pitched chain will make a surprising smooth cut, certainly good enough for landscape timbers. The bottom cut can be plunge cut BUT this can be extremely dangerous IF you don’t know what you are doing! The risk of kickback is high if the proper technique is not used.

 

[ive]

Hi everybody. Thanks so much for all the replies.

The lumber is held together with spikes. Taking it apart would be nasty.
The wall is going to be a 90* corner.

I think the circular saw followed by hand saw will work great for the top one.

as for the second one I’ll let you guys know how it goes.

Thanks again so much for the help. Truly appreciated.

 

[nh_yota]

Historically I've made cuts like that starting with a circular saw and finishing with a hand saw then a chisel if need. These days I start with a circular saw then finish with a plunge cut blade on my oscillating tool.

 

[BukitCase]

I've not seen blades for the oscillating tools with a 6" depth of cut (haven't really looked tho) - my first attempt at that job would be

1 - plunge cut with circular saw, CAREFUL to set blade depth shallow enough NOT to over-cut adjacent beams -

2 - CAREFULLY (and slowly) plunge cut the rest with recip saw, using the circular saw's kerf as a guide - Milwaukee's "axe" blades with carbide tips would give more relief for less binding. With the recip, I'd probably do the "up" cut plunge first, otherwise the cutoff piece could bind if the LOWER half of the plunge were done first... Steve

 

[Half-fast eddie]

I've not seen blades for the oscillating tools with a 6" depth of cut

And the oscillating blades i have seen have fairly small teeth, not intended to cut lumber that large.

 

[ZRX61]

Chain saw for all cuts. Done & dusted in 2 minutes.

 

[409425hp]

Another vote for using a chainsaw.

 

[My Old Tools]

My 16" Makita timber frame circular saw will do it. A good sharp handsaw and some paste wax will do it pretty quick as well. Are they already installed, have to cut in place? If so, drill and reciprocating saw.

 

[tyyost]

I’d cut the top and the face of the top one with a circular saw, and I’d plunge cut the face of the bottom one with the circular saw as well. That should give you a nice clean line in the corners.
For the rest of the cut it depends on what tools you have handy. The top one would be no issue to mark both sides and sawzall right down the line following my face and top cut. I’d bore the top and bottom of the bottom one with a 1” auger bit for chip clearance and probably just plunge cut with my chainsaw, but the sawzall would work there too. Either way, the face cuts would give you a clean line in the corner to work from.

 

[Busted Knucles]

Clamp some steel flatbar guides on and cut it with a sawzall and sand the faces

 

[Masheen365]

If it’s going to be a 90* corner, why not cut the middle one and start from there? It would be easier to plunge cut than the bottom.

 

[ive]

Hi all. A update.

I used a oscillating saw and cut in about 2 inches and then cut 2” perpendicular to that, then hit the cut with a chisel and eventually put a sanding disk on 4” grinder to smooth it all out.

thanks for the all the input. Much appreciated.

 

[PCustoms]

No offense, but unless those are treated somehow I think you've wasted your time and money....

 

[ive]

No offense, but unless those are treated somehow I think you've wasted your time and money....

Hi. Yes, the lumber is all pressure treated. To the left was built 2 springs ago, that is why the colour is different.