Can you cut railway sleepers lengthways?

A circular saw is the most widely used method for cutting sleepers at home. The most accurate method for cutting larger sleeper quantities, you will find in most instances that the blade is not deep enough to cut through the depth in one pass. Instead, the sleeper will need to be rotated and cut in sections.

What is the best way to cut railway sleepers?

Cut your sleepers with a circular saw or a chainsaw by slowly making clean, straight cuts. Use a square angle ruler to make sure your sleepers will fit perfectly. Alternatively you can ask for sleepers to be precut which The Luxury Wood Company is happy to do.

How do you fix railway sleepers vertically?

Constructing a retaining wall out of upright railway sleepers is pretty straightforward. Simply dig a trench, lower the railway sleepers in vertically side by side, and then backfill with a dry concrete mix, that you can ram down around the railway sleepers untill the wall is rigid.

How do you treat railway sleeper cuts?

Repair any holes, gaps or uneven surfaces with a suitable exterior wood filler and treat all sound, good wood with an exterior wood preservative. To preserve the sleepers further, we would recommend treating them with an exterior wood oil or decking oil, ideally twice a year in Spring and Autumn.

Can you cut sleepers with a Mitre saw?

You can cut them square, freehand, but you wouldn’t get the accuracy of a sliding mitre saw.

How long will sleepers last in the ground?

How long do railway sleepers last? Railway sleepers will last for years, with our softwood treated sleepers they can last around 8 to 10 years due to the pressurised treatment, UC4 sleepers extend this to 15 years. Softwood that is left untreated will still last around two to five years.

What do you put under railway sleepers?

The use of gravel or sand to secure sleepers is a popular alternative to concrete. Whether you’re using sleepers to form new edging around your landscape or are building a raised planting bed, gravel and sand foundations are certainly worth considering.

How do you fix sleepers to the ground?

Cut your sleepers to your required length, which could be random for a rustic look. Then mix up some lean mortar, such as 6:1, to be used as a concrete base and haunching. Place at least a 50mm bed of concrete in the bottom of the trench and start inserting the sleepers, haunching them up as you go.

Is it possible to cross cut a railway sleeper?

At present we can ONLY ‘cross-cut’, e.g. cut an eight foot railway sleeper or pole down to five foot in length. We CANNOT cut ‘length-ways’, e.g. reduce the 10″ width to 7″ or turn the sleeper into planks. You can try contacting a sawmill, although most are hesitant about cutting reclaimed timber.

What kind of chainsaw to use to cut railway sleepers?

Handsaw 20 teeth will be fine, after all its only a big softwood plank, or if you’re confident a chainsaw for ends that don’t butt up against another. Monkey Chops likes this. I’m building a retaining wall and some raised beds out of tanalised softwood railway sleepers (200x100x2400 or 5″x4″x8ft).

What’s the best way to cut a sleeper?

Cut your sleepers with a circular saw or a chainsaw by slowly making clean, straight cuts. Use a square angle ruler to make sure your sleepers will fit perfectly.

What kind of wood is used for railway sleepers?

If you’ve only got a few cuts to do, and the railway sleepers are softwood pine, or a thinner profile hardwood, it is worth considering cutting them yourself on site.