Cutting Railroad Ties

[HadleyPA]

Any of you guys ever cut railroad ties with your saws. I have a couple I need to but wasn't sure if it would do any damage to anything with all the creosote and such in them. Really don't want to use the sawzall as that would take forever. Just looking for some input before I whackem.

 

[singletrack100]

I've cut several in the past. It can be rough on chains, but not much more than cutting any other dirty wood like shaggy bark juniper. Some ties are pretty hard, and others are softer. Biggest thing is to look closely for any nails or spikes left in them- ties seem to come with any number and type of metal objects in them. If you have access to a metal detector, even better! Hope this helps!

 

[brokenbudget]

better off with 2 arms and a swede saw.

 

[sleprac]

I've got an old bar I use for stumping, demolition and tarry railroad ties. Crank up the bar oiler, and be prepared to sacrifice chains! I usually just use whatever old rocked chains I've got that are on their last legs, and send 'em to meet their maker coated in creosote. WD-40 will clean up the bar when your done...
The saw might be another story. Inboard clutches with spur sprockets seem to be best for this type of work, as they are much easier to clean. That tarry crap gets everywhere!
Also, watch out for embedded rocks and metal hardware... sometimes its better to cut both ends of a tie to get it to the right length, if it means you can find 'clean' wood to cut.
Make sure your chain tension is good, and your chain-catcher works!

 

[hrhunter]

I've cut several in the past. It can be rough on chains, but not much more than cutting any other dirty wood like shaggy bark juniper. Some ties are pretty hard, and others are softer. Biggest thing is to look closely for any nails or spikes left in them- ties seem to come with any number and type of metal objects in them. If you have access to a metal detector, even better! Hope this helps!

I agree with looking out for nails or spikes but also ballast (rocks) embedded in the ties.

 

[SteveH]

I've done it several times. I use an old bar and old chain. You'll have to put up with the smell of the old creosote. The wood chips from cutting laid over the ground and smelled bad for days. I also wore work clothes I tossed in the machine afterwards to cut the odor from them, they picked up the creosote smell, too.

It was worth it, though. Was building a retaining wall and had some tie trimming to do and it saved me a bunch of time. I don't recommend breathing the dust, if you make any, as it can't be any good for the lungs.

Might have to clean up the chain(s) afterwards, get the gunk off. Depends on how heavy the creosote is in the ties you cut. I've had to clean them some times and other times I didn't need to. Depends.

 

[D&B Mack]

Frequent sharpening.

 

[WesternSaw]

I have cut treated poles with cresote when I did some contsruction work. Cresote wood dust and chips can really burn your skin and it seems even worse when it's summer in the blazin sun.
Don't know if you know what a piledrivers work is like but you should see their faces years ago when using creasote treated piles.I'm not sure if they still use creasote due to enviromental concerns.
Lawrence

 

[brokenbudget]

I have cut treated poles with cresote when I did some contsruction work. Cresote wood dust and chips can really burn your skin and it seems even worse when it's summer in the blazin sun.
Don't know if you know what a piledrivers work is like but you should see their faces years ago when using creasote treated piles.I'm not sure if they still use creasote due to enviromental concerns.
Lawrence

oh they still use it

 

[Jacob J.]

I have cut treated poles with cresote when I did some contsruction work. Cresote wood dust and chips can really burn your skin and it seems even worse when it's summer in the blazin sun.
Don't know if you know what a piledrivers work is like but you should see their faces years ago when using creasote treated piles.I'm not sure if they still use creasote due to enviromental concerns.
Lawrence

I had to climb and cut some power poles once. The saw chips blew back in my face and the next day, I had a rash all over my face. Creosote treated wood makes nasty chips.

 

[kevin j]

There is plenty of embedded 'sand' or microscopic particles from the breakdown of the ballast. So two issues: creosote and separate issue of sand embedded dirty wood.
But you do what you need to do. Cut them on a cold day, less fumes and less skin issues.

 

[tilenick]

This is not so much a cutting tip, but, if you carry them on your shoulder don't let them touch the skin on your neck. Or any skin for that matter. I was building a retaining wall out of them and I carried them with my shirt off and it burned like heck for a day or two .
Nick.

 

[heimannm]

Don't cut them in the grass if you can avoid it, the creosote will kill the grass just like spilling fuel or oil. As others have mentioned, creosote can produce a chemical burn if you leave it on your skin, certainly more noticeable with you are working in hot weather.

I have done a fair bit of sawing on RR ties and other than finishing off a few old chains, there is nothing really special to it.

Mark

 

[dancan]

Terrible stuff on exposed skin .
Not to derail the thread but heimannm , it would be real neat if a fellow could scroll over your sig line and each saw and each saw would be a link to it's own pic ............Just sayin' :msp_smile:



Really , just darn neat .

 

[asg13]

TTT..

Looking at some RAW RR Ties..No cresote?

Are they tough to work with?

 

[mitch95100]

The FIRST AND ONLY job for a poulan pro

 

[StihlyinEly]

TTT..

Looking at some RAW RR Ties..No cresote?

Are they tough to work with?

If they have not yet been treated with creosote, they are just wood. Easy peasy.

I've worked with RR ties on quite a few landscaping projects. The fresh ones are suitable only for retaining walls and such, because creosote is a natural poison (produced by the desert creosote bush) that kills other plants and, as mentioned, is a bad skin irritant in such concentrations. Old, spent ties can be handled without the worries. Those ties can be used for garden borders because the creosote has mostly faded from the scene. I don't recommend using spent ties, though, because usually the rot process has begun, and they don't have a long time left before they are shot.

 

[7sleeper]

My FIL and I used his Stihl Contra in 404. Worked very nice without any problems.

7

 

[jh35]

I have about 200 switch ties (bigger cross section I think) in the ground for horse fence. They were all 10-14 ft long so I had to cut them. I was getting about 6 cuts to the sharpening (Husky 51, 16" bar) in 2001. There was dirt and small stones in the cracks. One day when it was raining hard I seemed to get a few more cuts per sharpening, maybe just cleaner ties, I don't know.

 

[Trx250r180]

ive cut some up ,it is hard on chains ,just use an old one you are willing to sacrifice ,a little 50cc saw will cut a tie just fine