Cutting sleepers

boxman2000 said:
maccapacca - really impressive garden! Out of interest, did you make the swing as well?
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Yes, we built a living wall at work with the large telegraph poles vertically and the smaller ones horizontally, it was massive and we had loads of materials left so they found there way to my house rather than landfill.

The brackets, slide and swing was all purchased on line, decking I had left over, no drawings nothing.
 
boxman2000 said:
How would you practically cut a railway sleeper with a mitre saw? Perhaps I'm thinking of the ones my local garden centre stock but it would have to be a mammoth saw!
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The OP's Wickes link to sleepers are only 4" pine, so a mitre saw would cut it.
But, a proper railway sleeper, then I would use a chainsaw.
 
Bought the sleepers (minus any power tools for the time being) after work yesterday so will have a go at cutting it by hand first at the weekend. :)
 
I cut mine by hand and they were Oak sleepers, pine will be much easier.

Unless you have loads of cuts to make I would vote for a new hand saw!

If you do have lots to cut I would suggest a circular saw and finished by hand!

Old railway sleepers will need a chainsaw!
 
There is absolutely no way I'd be cutting sleepers by hand, what a waste of time and effort, hire something.

The first one might seem fine but after 10 I bet you wish you'd have found some powah tools.

I cut a white oak railway sleeper in half long ways to make a table, the oak was beautiful but the skill saw I borrowed from site even a big one shuttering chippies use only managed to cut all but 2" in the middle after being spun round the entire sleeper, I then had to cut the thing by hand and it was damn hard, think it took me a couple of hours. We started chipping the old tar and rubbish of the faces with a hammer and bolster but I'd had enough by then and hired a planer from HSS and planed all the sides of a old railway sleeper, glad it wasn't mine.
 
+1 for circular saw. Just flip after the first cut.

I make 3 cuts by hand last year and it was soul destroying.
 
Nope, they only cut certain items and say it is only a 'take home' service ie they'll just cut it so you can get it home, and they'll only give you 2 cuts per sheet for free!!!
 
Marvt74 said:
If buying from Wickes, do they not offer the ability to cut to size for you?
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Not at my local Wickes, but B&Q and Homebase do offer that service.
(actually I'd make the beds to the size the wood and spend the money on stainless coach screws)
 
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