# Cutting Rail Road Ties



## Getting better (Dec 3, 2009)

I'm planning to build a 120 ft three tie high retaining wall as well as a few road curbs flower beds and steps. What 's the best tool for cutting the ties? I'm thinking that using a chainsaw will ruin the chain at some considerable cost. I cut one with a sawzall but it wasn't easy or very accurate. I'm thinking a 12" circular saw or a portable band saw from Craig's List might be my best choice. I'm thinking the pitch and sand in the ties will dull any blade pretty quickly. Is it worth it to buy cheap carbide blades and just plan on wasting them? Or steel blades? What are you folks experience?


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Chain saw. That's your best bet.


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## johnstoneb (Jul 1, 2012)

The best advice I can give on cutting railroad ties is don't. Chainsaw is what my dad always used with an old worn out chain. Sand is the least of your worries. Ties have a lot of rocks embedded in them from the ballast and some are very deep. They also have C irons driven in both ends to stop or control cracking. They bleed creosote for a long time. There are a lot of better products out there for use as retaining wallss curbing etc. As a kid on the farm we used old ties for corner posts on corral fences and as retaining walls in the corrals. Mom would not use them around her garden, the house or flowers. They were just too dirty.

Bruce


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

johnstoneb said:


> The best advice I can give on cutting railroad ties is don't. Chainsaw is what my dad always used with an old worn out chain. Sand is the least of your worries. Ties have a lot of rocks embedded in them from the ballast and some are very deep. They also have C irons driven in both ends to stop or control cracking. They bleed creosote for a long time. There are a lot of better products out there for use as retaining wallss curbing etc. As a kid on the farm we used old ties for corner posts on corral fences and as retaining walls in the corrals. Mom would not use them around her garden, the house or flowers. They were just too dirty.
> 
> Bruce


Since you do not like railroad ties what is your suggestion for an equivalently priced and available material?

George


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

What type of ties are you planning to use? If they are impregnated with creosote I strongly advice not to use them. Over here they are banned from use in gardens and other places where you may get in contact with them. Creosote is a very nasty stuff.
An alternative is PT timber, probably to a higher cost but if you have children definatly worth it.


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## Getting better (Dec 3, 2009)

What George asked!


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## J R in MO (Feb 2, 2010)

Fallbrook hoby said:


> I'm planning to build a 120 ft three tie high retaining wall as well as a few road curbs flower beds and steps. What 's the best tool for cutting the ties? I'm thinking that using a chainsaw will ruin the chain at some considerable cost. I cut one with a sawzall but it wasn't easy or very accurate. I'm thinking a 12" circular saw or a portable band saw from Craig's List might be my best choice. I'm thinking the pitch and sand in the ties will dull any blade pretty quickly. Is it worth it to buy cheap carbide blades and just plan on wasting them? Or steel blades? What are you folks experience?


:thumbsup: Just do it, Chainsaw is good choice, Chain dull, sharpen it, a few strokes with file and good to go. Drill holes and spike in with cut to length rebar.String line for straight and Plumb with level. Use deadmans to hold wall upright. Lots of work, do it right and be happy!:yes::yes:YES:yes::yes: I'm 79 years old and cresote smells good! Use a mask sawingand don,t leave it on your skin.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Please wear a respirator when doing this. 
Thanks.


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## Getting better (Dec 3, 2009)

Thanks . I have several rr ties around my property, thev'e been there since I bought the house. I had no idea there were so many issues. What would a comparable cost solution be?


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## Stodg73 (Jul 10, 2012)

You can purhase a carbide chain for your chain saw. These are somewhat expensive, yet it will cut through more tiesbefore needing to be resharpened.


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## jigs-n-fixtures (Apr 28, 2012)

Stodg73 said:


> You can purhase a carbide chain for your chain saw. These are somewhat expensive, yet it will cut through more tiesbefore needing to be resharpened.


Downside is the carbide chains are far harder to sharpen.

Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

It has been sometime since I bought either chain. However, in my memory the carbide are worth it.

George


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

Hmm, if I was doing it for myself I'd use stackstone bricks for the wall. I have two low walls to terrace my front yard and one large one I built for a parking pad next to the house. The cross tie wall that was there blew out during a storm and the one on the other side of the house is disintegrating. Plus I've seen tall walls done with them, incorrectly I might add, that were bulging out from the weight of the soil behind them. The stone will last way beyond what the cross ties will if installed correctly.


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## dat (Nov 11, 2010)

chainsaw, I have two retaining walls 3 ties high.
I can't keep the grass edged away from it fast enough, san augustine grows over one and bermudia grows over the other, hasn't slowed down the grass of flowers


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## ChiloquinRuss (Feb 25, 2008)

Get your chainsaw nice and sharp, now put it away in your shop, go to the rental store and rent THEIR chainsaw to cut them der' ties and remember to put on a respirator. :smile: Just cut 14 ties and I won't be doing it again anytime soon!  Russ


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## dat (Nov 11, 2010)

ChiloquinRuss said:


> Get your chainsaw nice and sharp, now put it away in your shop, go to the rental store and rent THEIR chainsaw to cut them der' ties and remember to put on a respirator. :smile: Just cut 14 ties and I won't be doing it again anytime soon!  Russ


 

BEST IDEA YET :thumbsup:


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