# Cutting Jarrah railway sleepers into planks



## Smouser (12 Apr 2014)

Hi

I have been making some furniture out of reclaimed Jarrah railway sleepers. I am having major dramas to cut the wood into boards. 
The width I would like to cut is between 230mm and 250mm. The fist board I cut I used a chainsaw freehand and normal chain. Although it did work the result was less than desirable. Not very straight etc.

I then went and purchased a chainsaw mill device and a ripping chain. The ripping chain can almost not cut it at all and it overheats almost instantly. That jarrah wood is rock hard.
My table saw seem to cut them quite easily and also a circular saw but as you can imagine I do not have enough depth in the blade to cut the sleeper into planks.

Is there any tool/saw I can buy that would be able to cut 230mm? I dont mind cutting half and then flipping the sleeper over to finish the cut.
Most table saws that I can afford for DIY use have blades of 315mm with a max cut of 90mm at 90 degrees. Which will still leave me with about 50mm after I have made a cut from both sides.

Would a bandsaw do the trick? 
Something else?


----------



## Spindle (12 Apr 2014)

Hi

Yes - what you need is a decent bandsaw

Regards Mick


----------



## Smouser (12 Apr 2014)

Thanks 

Any recommendations?
I have found that but for a hobby/diy it is alot of money just to get some board cut.
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... ge-bandsaw


----------



## marcros (12 Apr 2014)

A bandsaw would do it but you would need to guarantee that there are no hidden nasties. And you would need more than a cheap hobby machine. It is a shame that there is no other source of jarrah in the uk- anything would be preferable to sleepers.


----------



## Spindle (12 Apr 2014)

Hi

There's no cheap way I'm afraid, if you decide to get a bandsaw I'd recommend something like this:

http://www.recordpower.co.uk/product/pr ... 0lj1RsU_4Y

The other option is to try and find someone locally who could resaw it for you.

Regards Mick


----------



## Smouser (12 Apr 2014)

Thanks for the answers. 
As much as I would love to buy that bandsaw it is just too much money for me. 
I could possibly stretch to buy this: http://www.toolbox.co.uk/draper-76238-3 ... 5286-88371
Use it and then sell it on at a later date when I have finished all of my projects.

Even with the draper bandsaw I will probably have to cut a plank from the side first to make sure the width can fit in the saw. My planks are fairly chunky 30mm - 40mm so that will leave me with a sleeper of around 200mm. 

Another option might be to hire a bandsaw with a cutting capacity of at least 200mm if I can find a place that do it. Anybody know a place that hire bandsaws out?



Spindle":14viwqfx said:


> Hi
> 
> There's no cheap way I'm afraid, if you decide to get a bandsaw I'd recommend something like this:
> 
> ...



I have no way of moving the sleepers anyway. It would involve hiring a van or similar so not even that option is going to work.


----------



## Myfordman (12 Apr 2014)

I would suggest ripping from both sides on your table saw and then cutting the remaining 50mm or so on a band saw.


----------



## JustBen (12 Apr 2014)

A bandsaw would make light work of it but you would need a 14"+ bandsaw to cut that depth.

There are quite a few woodworkers relatively close to you who may have a bandsaw and be willing to do it.

You could always sweeten the deal by buying them a new bandsaw blade to ease the worry of hidden objects.
(Pretty cheap from Tuffsaws [£10-£20] and I doubt anyone would turn one of their blades down)


----------



## Shrubby (12 Apr 2014)

If you already have a chainsaw and milling guide you could look for a Tungsten tipped rescue blade 
Fairly certain Stihl make them for the German fire service
Otherwise buy an old cast iron ripsaw - Wadkin, Robinson etc with a huge blade ( and a substantial guard)
Matt


----------



## Bluekingfisher (12 Apr 2014)

With only a 50mm cut required after you use your chosen power saw, roll up your sleeves and cut it with a hand saw. You can buy them buy on eBay in a pack of five for not a lot of money. The hardened points will last a long time, when done just bin em.

Keep it simple.

David


----------



## Smouser (12 Apr 2014)

Bluekingfisher":1eqcqlyk said:


> With only a 50mm cut required after you use your chosen power saw, roll up your sleeves and cut it with a hand saw. You can buy them buy on eBay in a pack of five for not a lot of money. The hardened points will last a long time, when done just bin em.
> 
> Keep it simple.
> 
> David



I should clarify, I have table saw but the max depth of cut is 70mm, I was thinking of maybe upgrading my table saw to a bigger one that can cut 90mm but if it can't cut the boards anyway my current table saw will do and I won't spend extra money on a bigger table saw. That will leave me with 90mm which will be extremely hard work to cut jarrah with a handsaw. It is seriously tough wood.


----------



## Bradshaw Joinery (12 Apr 2014)

IF you went slow (very slow) my little SIP 12" bandsaw would cut it... it was the first woodworking machine i bought, still going strong 6 years later lol.

NOt sue how much you could fit under the guide though


----------



## No skills (12 Apr 2014)

Maybe for that last bit of the cut you could try a reciprocating saw with some long wood blades?


----------



## Smouser (12 Apr 2014)

No skills":w3rht34t said:


> Maybe for that last bit of the cut you could try a reciprocating saw with some long wood blades?



That's an idea.....
I don't own a reciprocating saw though. I will have to have a proper think and work out what's best. I already spent money on that chainsaw mill and that didn't work out.
I dread spending more money on something that just might work/makeshift work. If needs be I might just have to bite the bullet and get a bandsaw. 

What kind of speed should I expect to cut on a bandsaw? I always thought a chainsaw would be rapid but a circular saw/table saw win hands down on jarrah sleeper.


----------



## wallace (13 Apr 2014)

The recipricating saw is a good idea, I have used the best at work and the cheapest from Tesco at home and to be honest theirs not much difference. The important bit is the blade. Don't use the ones that come with it. I got some Bosch ones and their are brilliant. You can get loads of different type of blade, from hacksaw to full on big tooth wood saw. I think I paid about £40 for the saw and its 5 years old


----------



## custard (13 Apr 2014)

Smouser, to be honest you've set yourself a really tough resawing challenge and there just isn't an easy and cheap solution. That's a very big cut in a fearsomely tough wood that is almost certainly contaminated with grit and possibly metal in the shape of old screws or nails. Yes, you could buy a bandsaw, but I guarantee the blade it will come with won't be remotely capable of tackling that job, and buying a replacement blade that can do the job is eye wateringly expensive and will really need a top end, beefy bandsaw to achieve the blade tensions required. Unfortunately this just isn't cheery chappy in his shed type stuff.

If I were you I'd chalk it down to experience think seriously about selling the wood and replacing it with timber that's better fitted to your equipment. After all oak is only about £50 a cubic foot and you'll be able to source it ready machined close to your finished sizes.


----------



## Woodmonkey (13 Apr 2014)

If your chainsaw is struggling it's because
A) the saw is underpowered, what size saw you using?
B) the chain is blunt, if you hit some stone or metal then it won't cut.
I've worked in various different countries as a tree surgeon and have never found a kind of wood that a properly sharp chainsaw won't cut. As someone else said you can buy tct rescue chains that will cut through more or less anything, if the sleepers are very contaminated then that would be the way forward.


----------



## SpinDoctor (13 Apr 2014)

If this were me. Having a bit of experience with aus hardwoods and having ripped many hundreds of feet of wood in those sorts of dimensions...

First thing I'd be doing is rip on a tablesaw, let it do the hard work. Use a blade that has the least amount of teeth and thinnest kerf to reduce the strain on the saw. A negative rack blade is best if you expect to hit metal or some other debris. If you use a bandsaw to do the full depth ripping you'll kill the blade in no time unless your saw will take a carbide tipped one.

Once I'd made the cuts to full depth on both sides of the boards I'd finish with the bandsaw. Cause you're talking about Jarrah its full of silica and extremely hard and unruly, and will kill most bandsaw blades so you'll need to find a durable blade that can handle the silica and maybe the odd metal bits... Because you used the tablesaw to remove most of the material the bandsaw blade should have a bit more life in it. But be prepared to go through a few blades depending on how much ripping you're planning to do.

Chainsaw on such old, dry, dirty wood would be an exercise in frustration, I wouldn't even attempt it.

Any way you look at it, it's going to be a lot of work. Best to have someone helping.


----------



## Smouser (13 Apr 2014)

custard":2h5qotb5 said:


> Smouser, to be honest you've set yourself a really tough resawing challenge and there just isn't an easy and cheap solution. That's a very big cut in a fearsomely tough wood that is almost certainly contaminated with grit and possibly metal in the shape of old screws or nails. Yes, you could buy a bandsaw, but I guarantee the blade it will come with won't be remotely capable of tackling that job, and buying a replacement blade that can do the job is eye wateringly expensive and will really need a top end, beefy bandsaw to achieve the blade tensions required. Unfortunately this just isn't cheery chappy in his shed type stuff.
> 
> If I were you I'd chalk it down to experience think seriously about selling the wood and replacing it with timber that's better fitted to your equipment. After all oak is only about £50 a cubic foot and you'll be able to source it ready machined close to your finished sizes.



Thanks for the advice, unfortunately I am a stubborn man and want to use the sleepers. I love the colour and the character of the wood and oak is way to common for my liking.
I just don't think you can replicate the texture and colour with oak.






That is a side table I have built with sleeper wood. 
It is just a shame I can't do a "practice" cut with a bandsaw to see how it will perform.


----------



## Smouser (13 Apr 2014)

SpinDoctor":1fz46img said:


> Cause you're talking about Jarrah its full of silica and extremely hard and unruly, and will kill most bandsaw blades so you'll need to find a durable blade that can handle the silica and maybe the odd metal bits... Because you used the tablesaw to remove most of the material the bandsaw blade should have a bit more life in it. But be prepared to go through a few blades depending on how much ripping you're planning to do.



Can you give me a rough estimate on the life of the blade? How many boards can I expect to rip with a blade @ 2.6m long boards?


----------



## Myfordman (13 Apr 2014)

Smouser":9ozl7a0i said:


> SpinDoctor":9ozl7a0i said:
> 
> 
> > Cause you're talking about Jarrah its full of silica and extremely hard and unruly, and will kill most bandsaw blades so you'll need to find a durable blade that can handle the silica and maybe the odd metal bits... Because you used the tablesaw to remove most of the material the bandsaw blade should have a bit more life in it. But be prepared to go through a few blades depending on how much ripping you're planning to do.
> ...




Not easy top say but if you go for a bimetal blade with a large tooth pitch it should last well enough

Talk to Ian John at Tuffsaws, explain the task and he will give you some of the best advice available.

If you give your location a bit more explicitly in your profile, there might just be a member with a big bandsaw who could help you (if you provide the blades!!).

I would offer help but my BS is not big enough for your stock.

MM


----------



## cambournepete (13 Apr 2014)

I've never tried cutting a Jarrah sleeper, but I've some smaller bits of it and they're really heavy.
I wouldn't want to try to lift a sleeper of it and try and manoeuvre it through a saw.
I think you need to move the saw through the wood, so the chainsaw mill with the right blade sounds like the answer to me.


----------



## SpinDoctor (14 Apr 2014)

Smouser":2prqev6u said:


> SpinDoctor":2prqev6u said:
> 
> 
> > Cause you're talking about Jarrah its full of silica and extremely hard and unruly, and will kill most bandsaw blades so you'll need to find a durable blade that can handle the silica and maybe the odd metal bits... Because you used the tablesaw to remove most of the material the bandsaw blade should have a bit more life in it. But be prepared to go through a few blades depending on how much ripping you're planning to do.
> ...



If you're gonna rip them entirely on a bandsaw and use a stock standard blade, I would expect to get a few full length rips before the blade is really dull and burning its way through. Also what sort of bandsaw do you have. It better be a good one cause it's gonna have some work cut out for it, you're cutting wood that was made in the fires of hell. If you rip on the table saw first and take most of the cut out you could expect to at the very least triple the bandsaw blade life, probably much more and not burn the bandsaw out. This will also depend on whether the sleepers are new or recycled. If they full of dirt from previous use then expect less life in the bandsaw blade. When I was working recycled woods I'd always skim an 1/8 off each side to get rid of the dirty surface and then proceed with cutting the boards out of the beam. Skimming will also expose buried nails and such. Don't even think of trying to run any dirty boards through a planer or jointer, you'll kill the blades in seconds, skim all the exposed surfaces first on the tablesaw.

Other option is to rip them down into widths that can be managed on the tablesaw. A 10" saw will cut a 6" thick board when cutting from both sides. So cut the sleepers down to 5 7/8 thick then rip your boards out of that. I wouldn't be using real wide boards anyways. Aus woods are notorious for warping and then poping glue joints. Thinner boards will reduce the chances of that happening. Just make sure you use a good glue like titebond iii. Also, like a good roast, when you've cut the stuff let it rest for atleast a few days, I've found when I've cut something it can warp days later after it's gone through a few changes in humidity and temp.

YMMV


----------



## charvercarver (14 Apr 2014)

I'd second what Woodmonkey said, try sharpening your rip chain. It's a lot cheaper than a bandsaw.


----------



## Richard T (14 Apr 2014)

If I have a lot of chainsaw ripping to do I sharpen the saw chain with a lesser angle, I only do it by eye but I'd say it would be about 80/75 degrees to the guide bar. I just use an ordinary chain. 

A little less pointy teeth make quite a difference when cutting with the grain.


----------



## Bod (14 Apr 2014)

Would it be possible to split the sleepers, using wedges etc?

Bod


----------



## paulm (14 Apr 2014)

As others have said, given you already have the chainsaw and mill, and appear to have had some success (albeit not very straight cuts) before the ripping chain was fitted, it seems sensible to persevere with that approach, most others being significantly more expense and/or hard work !

Rip chains do generally have the teeth ground to a shallower angle as Richard T mentions as this suits the task better, If it's not cutting then it just needs sharpening as charvercarver says. The silica and possible grit in/on the sleepers could blunt the chain pretty quickly. I think you can get a different kind of chain that is more abrasion resistant and often used for this kind of work, cutting tree roots and similar, and that would cope better and need resharpening less often such as those here http://www.newsawchains.co.uk/epages/es ... 0Chains%22

Good luck !

Cheers, Paul


----------



## Smouser (14 Apr 2014)

Thanks I will have another go with the chainsaw today hopefully. The ripping chain I bought was useless on the sleepers. The original chain that came with the saw did a much better job. I will sharpen the original chain and maybe look at getting a chain that is more abrasive resistant.


----------



## gmgmgm (14 Apr 2014)

A local sawmill will have the equipment to do this- worth making a few phone calls to find one willing to cut it for you.

Our local sawmill happily does this (though will require recompense for nail damage etc.).


----------



## Smouser (25 Apr 2014)

Hi

Just to give you guys a small update on my progress. I did buy a different chain for my chainsaw, the multicut one and it did cut the sleepers fairly well but you do get very rough ridges on the boards.

I then decided to make my life easier I would buy a bandsaw and bought a M42 bi-metal blade from Tuffsaws. I made about 7 cuts lengthways on the sleepers and that blade is not up to much more to be honest.
This Jarrah wood seem to destroy any blade except a table saw blade in no time at all.

Anyway thank you all who replied.

The results:


----------



## custard (25 Apr 2014)

Congratulations on seeing it through! What's the next step?


----------



## Woodmonkey (25 Apr 2014)

It's beautiful wood I can see why you persevered.


----------

