I bought some Jarrah sleepers for the garden. They were very heavy. I manhandled them by myself, turning them end on end and using a iron bar to move them into final position. To do any form of sawing, you are going to need roller stands and plenty of hands.
Mine were cheap enough that you could probably chainsaw them into more manoeuvrable parts and not worry about the wastage.
Luthiers are a very particular breed. They have the most exacting requirements of any woodworkers that I have met- from the accuracy of machinery to the grain and dryness of timber. Sleepers are not selected in any way other than finished size, so I would be surprised if they yeald anything suitable for an instrument, but it would be an interesting and low cost experiment.
Mine were cheap enough that you could probably chainsaw them into more manoeuvrable parts and not worry about the wastage.
Luthiers are a very particular breed. They have the most exacting requirements of any woodworkers that I have met- from the accuracy of machinery to the grain and dryness of timber. Sleepers are not selected in any way other than finished size, so I would be surprised if they yeald anything suitable for an instrument, but it would be an interesting and low cost experiment.
