Thread: Cutting Railway Sleepers

James

You may have a hard time finding somebody to do this as railway sleepers are extremely hard on any type of saw because of all the grit that becomes embedded in them. If somebody does take it on, it will probably be with the proviso that damage to blades is reimbursed.

I have to say that after a bad experience cutting sleepers I refused to cut them, but I have heard of others who are willing to do it.

Regards
Paul

Can I ask why you'd want to cut old sleepers?
The only thing about old railway sleepers is that they're old. Other then that they're just one of the royal species hardwoods, available everywhere from your local timber stockist/ sawmill including KD and DAR if you need it in standard dimensions. And by the time you pay for a few sawblades to be repaired cheaper that way then resawing an old one. Cheaper to buy a new railway sleeper and resaw it come to that.
I mean... I get the recycle/treecycle thing... including the attraction of the marketing story attached to old timber thats been resawn. But unless you need it in large cross sections that take years to season I don't see any advantage. If you want the weather beaten look... start with a new piece of timber and apply a very coarse grit through a sandblaster, then fume with aqua ammonia for the grey colour.

Shame you're not down here, I only just the other week picked up 2 ton of redgum sleepers from a client to the sawmill, who then re sawed them and then I dropped them back.

I've done them before and would do them again, but as mentioned blade damage is a large factor as well as the manual handling of the sleepers.

With all this in mind railway sleepers are 200mm wide and as such wont be big enough for step treads at 250mm - hate to throw a spanner in the works

If they were sleepers actually used in a train line I'd also want to know where in the line they came from. If the are from 1km either side of a station or near a section which requires the train to slow you will probably find they are full of asbestos fibres from the old brakes.

Originally Posted by corbs

If they were sleepers actually used in a train line I'd also want to know where in the line they came from. If the are from 1km either side of a station or near a section which requires the train to slow you will probably find they are full of asbestos fibres from the old brakes.

Ooooooh! I'd never thought about that one .

Regards
Paul

If they are really old they also may even have traces of human excrement and lime. I believe they exude an "interesting smell" when milled.

Nothing a pressure cleaner couldn't fix I'm sure. I would have no problems cutting sleepers, I think you would get some great colour, hope you find someone up that way, you may have to go a bit further out of town I recon.
Cheers John

I've cut a few old sleepers in my time and what I have found is that they twist and cup like new timber. I then started to rack them like new timber and sure enough after six to telve months thay are as straight as the day I cut them and stable.

I suppose if things don't work out with the sleepers,
you could get some recycled old telegraph poles from Timber Recyclers at Warragamba who do some very nice, very hard, very old beautiful timber....just a thought...

As an aside and a bit of interest, how many sleepers do you want? they are most probably still there feeding termites.

Pulling up Central Australia Railway Bopeechee 1983 - YouTube

Hey guys

thanks for the suggestions and advice, I do appreciate it. The reason for old sleepers is I like the look of the old spike holes and some rot that can add character to the timber that 'aging' cannot do - (but thanks for the tip!) The reason I am having them cut is to get them to 50mm x 175mm slabs for stair treads, that I will double to a total of 350mm wide, so they make nice seats as well, next to my my wood fired pizza oven I am building. The wood is currently at the shop, I will post pics as soon a s I get the slabs home! Cheers, James.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

As an aside and a bit of interest, how many sleepers do you want? they are most probably still there feeding termites.

Pulling up Central Australia Railway Bopeechee 1983 - YouTube

Awesome footage thanks, don't get your fingers too close! Amazing how much such tough steel will bend...

Hey all - got the cut sleepers back today, look very nice...

20130621_165946 - Copy.jpg

will post finished pics of the stairs when they are done,
cheers
JAmes.