Cutting thick, old oak using band saw?

[Keith Smith]

I've recently used a load of oak sleepers for a garden project, at about £22 they appear amazing value. They are so heavy it is a struggle for two people to pick one up but....

the reason they are so cheap, and why they are destined to be sleepers, is the wood is very poor quality. You are not getting a nice beam that you can slice up at will and you will get loads of waste. Plus once cut they will warp dramatically.

I don't think it is a practical proposition but if you are determined to go this route cut the sleepers to length (perhaps with a chainsaw) then run the short pieces through the bandsaw; this is far safer and even a relatively small saw will cut them.

Another option would be to phone a few joinery shops that specialise in oak, or oak frame constructors, they may well have masses of off-cuts that they are happy to part with for the price of a couple of sleepers.

Keith

 

[brynmaxwell]

Alan - I’m led to believe it was in use until a couple of years ago when the chap died. It’s completely devoid of safety devices (or dust collection) and would probably be more at home in a museum, but if it works OK does age matter? A modern band saw with a 20” throat would be expensive, even second hand.

Thanks for the info on points to look out for – very helpful. Only point you didn’t cover – what dictates the maximum width of blade that can be used – the width of the wheels?

Keith – I reckoned on a % of scrap, but can’t see why the oak should warp? It’s been out in all weather for years, so should be pretty stable. Even if it does, the track has to be laid on ballast and tamped all round, so warping shouldn’t present too much of a problem.

Max

 

[Keith Smith]

Sorry Max, I thought you were getting new sleepers :roll:

Do you know how toilets work on the railways?? :wink:

I'd still try to source some new timber, at the least I would get one sleeper and try to cut it up before I bought a lorry load

 

[engineer one]

you guys sure that you are buying oak??

railway sleepers historically were not oak. :roll:
in the early days, after about 1850, when railways were exported around the world, the brits sponsored many of them, and often received payment in the form of wood that became sleepers. canadian pine was especially popular, even when we had to pay for them.

although baltic pine coming from russia was also popular.

in my experience oak was more likely to be used for things like the frames of wagons, and up to about 1880, part of many tenders. i know this because we are writing a book about GNR tenders and have done the research.

so i would be interested what leads you to believe it to be oak. :roll:

paul :wink:

 

[brynmaxwell]

Hi Paul – Aah Wembley the haunt of my youth!!

According to numerous advertisers on ebay railway sleepers come in a variety of woods and treatments. Oak (creosoted, tarred or untreated), Jarrah Hardwood, Azobe Hardwood and treated/untreated softwood.

Keith you had me a bit puzzled with the warping. I agree new wood probably would twist and warp. As you suggest I’ll start by buying one and see how it goes. (I’d look a bit sick with a lorry load if it didn’t work out!)

Can’t help you with the toilets – never use them!

Max

 

[engineer one]

max, understand what you say, but am dubious about it being oak :?

be happy to be proved wrong.

as for railway toilets they let it fly onto the sleepers

paul :wink:

 

[Scrit]

.....what dictates the width of blade that can be used – wheel width or will any blade width fit? It is a very old machine – about the turn of the century - but made of cast iron. Big attraction for intended job is throat size and price.....

The blade width most narrow band saws can use is normally a bit narrower than the width of the wheels. As to wheels being coplaner, any cast iron machine can normally be adjusted to make the wheels co-planar (i.e. if you put a long straight edge across the two rims of the lower wheel they will line-up with the upper one)

The big issues with really old band saws are as follows:

- cracks in castings or wheels

- state of the tyres, and possibly the replacement cost

- damaged trunions (these are the quadrants on which the table sits)

- the state and type of the bearings. If this machine is earlier than about 1925 it may well nor have ball bearings and may instead have either bronze shell or even poured (Babbit metal) bearings. Personally I would only buy a ball or roller bearing machine as replacements are often an off the shelf job

- condition of the guides. If the guides are roller guides and in poor condition it may be a £60 to £150 job to replace them

Lastly two very important factors. Does the machine have adequate guarding? Front guards were mandated in 1925 but the rear of the pulleys (wheels) were only encased after WWII. And secondly if the saw does not have a brake then you really should get and fit one. Large band saws build up a large amount of kinetic energy in the pulleys and often take 10 to 15 minutes or more to run down. During that time they are pretty quiet and it is easy to accidentally push a piece of wood, ruler or even accidentally touch the blade having forgotten it is still running. This run-down accident problem is one of the reasons braking has been mandated for trade machines - and no a lump of wood pressed against the blade is no substitute :roll:

Do you know how toilets work on the railways?? :wink:

In the 1920s and 1930s the GWR apparently used to have a train which travelled the main lines recording the state of the track. If they hit a particularly rough section a lad in the toilet would flush the loo, the cistern tank of which would contain whitewash. Permanent way gang leaders apparently developed a loathing of whitewash as a result!

Scrit

 

[brynmaxwell]

Thanks again Scrit for your invaluable advice – it has been most helpful. I must now decide whether to risk this old machine (subject to thorough inspection) or pay more for something more modern.

Cheers, Max

 

[devonwoody]

My pennyworth.

When you have cut your sleepers, iron and steel rails/fittings will not go well together with oak. The oak will most probably cause rust and give some problems down the line.

 

[dickm]

My pennyworth.

When you have cut your sleepers, iron and steel rails/fittings will not go well together with oak. The oak will most probably cause rust and give some problems down the line.

... which might suggest that oak would not be a preferred timber to which to attach steel rail-holding thingys?

 

[engineer one]

checked with some old railway hands over the weekend, and none of us believe that a uk railway would have used oak, for two specific reasons,
cost, and suitability.

am happy to accept they may have been used elsewhere in the world,
but don't believe it. frankly i think someone is trying it on. :?

it ain't a bad way to sell of large and long blocks of oak, but not i think a claim that would stand up to sale of goods act.

paul :wink:

 

[Slim]

All the sleepers I have used for landscaping (and thats a lot) have been beech. Never come across oak.